An apparatus for distributing a flow of a liquid descending in an inner space of a packed column, comprising: a collector disposed in the inner space of the packed column and adapted to collect at least a portion of the flow of the liquid descending in the inner space of the packed column; a mixer below and vertically spaced apart from the collector in the inner space of the packed column, the mixer disposed in the inner space of the packed column and adapted to receive and mix at least a portion of the liquid collected on the collector; at least two conduits (66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76) having a first end in fluid communication with the collector and a second end in fluid communication with the mixer, the conduits adapted to receive and transmit downward at least a portion of the liquid from the collector to the mixer; wherein the inlets of the at least two conduits (66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76) are symmetrically located in the collector and the outlets of the at least two conduits (66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76) are symmetrically located in the mixer, the conduit inlets dividing the collector into symmetric sectors (63, 73) and the conduit outlets dividing the mixer into symmetric zones (65, 75); a predistributor disposed in the inner space of the packed column and adapted to receive at least a portion of a flow of a mixed liquid from the mixer and to transmit at least a part of the received flow of the mixed liquid outwardly from the predistributor; and a final distributor disposed in the inner space of the packed column and adapted to receive at least a portion of a flow of a predistributed liquid from the predistributor and to transmit at least a portion of the received flow of the predistributed liquid substantially uniformly over at least a portion of a cross-sectional area of the inner space of the packed column; characterized in that the cross-sectional area of the mixer occupies no more than about 25% of a cross-sectional area of the inner space of the packed column; wherein a geometric center of a first sector of the collector is positioned circumferentially away from a geometric center of a first zone of the mixer such that liquid transmitted through a first conduit is circumferentially transposed from the first sector of the collector to the first zone of the mixer and a geometric center of a second sector of the collector is positioned circumferentially away from a geometric center of a second zone of the mixer such that liquid transmitted through a second conduit is circumferentially transposed from the second sector of the collector to the second zone of the mixer. a collector disposed in the inner space of the packed column and adapted to collect at least a portion of the flow of the liquid descending in the inner space of the packed column; a mixer below and vertically spaced apart from the collector in the inner space of the packed column, the mixer disposed in the inner space of the packed column and adapted to receive and mix at least a portion of the liquid collected on the collector; at least two conduits (66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76) having a first end in fluid communication with the collector and a second end in fluid communication with the mixer, the conduits adapted to receive and transmit downward at least a portion of the liquid from the collector to the mixer; wherein the inlets of the at least two conduits (66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76) are symmetrically located in the collector and the outlets of the at least two conduits (66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76) are symmetrically located in the mixer, the conduit inlets dividing the collector into symmetric sectors (63, 73) and the conduit outlets dividing the mixer into symmetric zones (65, 75); a predistributor disposed in the inner space of the packed column and adapted to receive at least a portion of a flow of a mixed liquid from the mixer and to transmit at least a part of the received flow of the mixed liquid outwardly from the predistributor; and a final distributor disposed in the inner space of the packed column and adapted to receive at least a portion of a flow of a predistributed liquid from the predistributor and to transmit at least a portion of the received flow of the predistributed liquid substantially uniformly over at least a portion of a cross-sectional area of the inner space of the packed column; characterized in that the cross-sectional area of the mixer occupies no more than about 25% of a cross-sectional area of the inner space of the packed column; wherein a geometric center of a first sector of the collector is positioned circumferentially away from a geometric center of a first zone of the mixer such that liquid transmitted through a first conduit is circumferentially transposed from the first sector of the collector to the first zone of the mixer and a geometric center of a second sector of the collector is positioned circumferentially away from a geometric center of a second zone of the mixer such that liquid transmitted through a second conduit is circumferentially transposed from the second sector of the collector to the second zone of the mixer.