Various tests and analysis on hydrodynamics and mass transfer properties show that, the newly invented spherical metal mesh packing (SMMP) has excellent properties from three aspects: (i) high void space (similar to 99%) and lower material cost; (ii) high mass transfer efficiency; (iii) easy installation, good liquid distribution, and prevention of wall flow. Moreover, SMMP is a type of isotropic spherical unit with numerous hollow holes, which realizes the regularization of random packing. The results indicate the potential of developing high-efficiency and energy-saving SMMP-based equipment. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.