Columns - Used and Surplus Inventory | IPP

When your process demands efficient separation, purification, or distillation, industrial columns offer scalable, high-performance solutions across a wide range of industries. With over 47 years of process equipment expertise, IPP provides immediate access to high-quality used columns sourced from 20 complete plant sites and included in our inventory of over 15,000 ready-to-ship pieces of equipment. Choosing used columns from IPP helps companies reduce capital investment, shorten project lead times, and maintain efficient separation performance.

Industrial columns are vertical vessels designed to facilitate mass transfer between phases — such as gas-liquid or liquid-liquid — making them essential for distillation, absorption, stripping, and extraction processes. Their design and internal configuration are critical to achieving precise separation efficiency.

Primary uses across industries

In chemical manufacturing, columns purify intermediates, separate chemical mixtures, and recover solvents.
In oil and gas refining, they fractionate crude oil into valuable components like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
In pharmaceutical production, columns separate active ingredients and refine high-purity solvents.
In food and beverage processing, they concentrate flavors, aromas, and alcohols.
In environmental and wastewater treatment, they remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from process streams.

Types of materials processed

Hydrocarbon mixtures, including crude oil and natural gas liquids
Fine chemical and pharmaceutical intermediates
Food-grade alcohols, flavors, and essential oils
Contaminated wastewater streams needing VOC removal

Common materials of construction

Industrial columns are built for corrosion resistance, pressure tolerance, and chemical compatibility:

Stainless steel for food-grade, pharmaceutical, and chemical separation processes
Carbon steel for non-corrosive general chemical separations
Hastelloy, Inconel, or other alloys for highly corrosive or high-temperature services

Key features of industrial columns

Packed, tray, and structured designs tailored to process requirements
Configurations for distillation, absorption, stripping, and extraction
High-efficiency internals for maximizing mass transfer performance
Options for high-pressure or high-temperature operation
Customizable sizes and capacities to fit plant specifications

Learn more about distillation column design and optimization from Chemical Processing.

Find your industrial column at IPP

Search the IPP inventory or contact IPP’s equipment specialists to find a used column that matches your process separation needs. With ready-to-ship inventory, IPP helps companies improve separation efficiency, reduce downtime, and control project budgets.

FAQ

Column FAQ

Have questions about Columns or our services? Learn more about our products and why customers choose IPP.

What industries rely most on industrial columns?

Chemical, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and environmental industries all depend on columns for critical separation and purification processes.

How do packed columns compare to tray columns?

Packed columns offer lower pressure drop and are ideal for small to medium flow rates, while tray columns are more robust for large flows and easier to clean and inspect.

What maintenance is required for industrial columns?

Routine maintenance includes inspecting packing or trays, checking for corrosion or fouling, verifying pressure and temperature sensors, and cleaning internals as needed.

What are the benefits of buying used or secondhand process equipment from IPP?

Buying used from IPP can save up to 70% over new equipment, provide immediate project solutions, support sustainability, and tap into over 47 years of trusted industry expertise.

Columns - Used and Surplus Inventory | IPP

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