Shell And Tube Heat Exchangers

Shop used, surplus and secondhand shell and tube heat exchangers from IPP – in stock and engineered for chemical, pharmaceutical, food and energy industries

Reduce energy waste and operating costs with IPP’s ready-to-ship shell and tube heat exchangers for demanding industrial processes

Shell and Tube heat exchangers, also called a condenser and calandria depending on the service, have an external cylinder called a shell with internal tubes that run the length of the shell. There are tube sheets on each end of the tubes sealing the shell around the tubes. There are covers on each end called heads and these can come in several configurations. The shell side has a pressure and temperature rating and the tube side has a pressure and temperature rating. They can be vertical or horizontal. Basic principle of operation is that one fluid flows through the tube and the other fluid flows around the tubes. The fluid inside the tubes can flow in a single pass or multiple passes using baffles in the heads.

Heat exchangers are unfired heat transfer equipment used in process plants. Heat exchangers are used for the transfer of heat or cold between two fluids for the purpose of heating the process, cooling the process, or condensing vapors during the process.

Heat exchanger capacity is measured in Square Feet.

Shell and tube heat exchangers are essential in virtually every industrial setting where fluids need to be heated or cooled efficiently. These systems transfer thermal energy between liquids, gases, or steam without mixing the media—making them critical in process optimization, energy recovery and environmental control. With over 47 years of experience, IPP supplies used, secondhand and surplus heat exchangers from 20 global plant sites and maintains a massive inventory of 15,000+ systems ready for fast shipment.

IPP offers a wide variety of shell and tube heat exchangers from trusted brands like Alfa Laval, API Schmidt-Bretten, Tranter, Graham and ITT Standard.

Primary uses across industries

• In chemical manufacturing, for heating reactants, condensing vapors, and maintaining process temperatures
• In pharmaceutical and food processing, for sterilization, pasteurization and CIP systems
• In oil, gas and petrochemical refining, for crude heating, recovery loops and waste heat utilization
• In HVAC and utilities, for steam condensers, chillers, and boiler feedwater preheating

Types of materials processed

• Water, brine, glycol, oil and other process liquids
• Steam, air, refrigerants and inert gases
• Corrosive or high-viscosity fluids needing specialty alloys

Common materials of construction

Heat exchangers must withstand temperature, pressure and chemical exposure:

• Stainless steel for sanitary and corrosion-resistant processes
• Carbon steel for general utility applications
• Titanium, Hastelloy and Inconel for high-temperature or highly corrosive conditions

Key features of industrial heat exchangers

• TODO: customize these for shell & tube
• Wide range of pressure and temperature ratings
• Removable bundle or plate options for easy cleaning
• ASME and TEMA-rated designs for compliance and reliability
• Customizable flow arrangements: counter-current, co-current or multi-pass
• Compact designs available for skid systems or space-restricted environments

Learn more about industrial heat exchanger design and selection from Chemical Processing.

Find your heat exchanger at IMS

Search the IMS inventory or contact IPP’s thermal systems experts to find the right used, surplus or secondhand heat exchanger for your facility. From simple replacements to full energy recovery systems, IPP helps you optimize performance while cutting lead times and costs.