Industry Tailwind: Heat Transfer Equipment Enters a Structural Upgrade Cycle

Heat exchangers are being redefined. China's 15th Five-Year Plan has put green, low-carbon development and high-end equipment manufacturing at the top of its industrial-upgrade agenda, and with supporting policies now in effect, heat exchangers have shifted from generic ancillary components to core equipment that determines overall process energy use and lifecycle operating costs.According to Frost & Sullivan, China's process-industry heat transfer solutions market grew from RMB 194.6 billion in 2021 to RMB 223.7 billion in 2025, and is projected to reach RMB 279.9 billion by 2030.

This growth is driven by two forces: mandatory energy-efficiency retrofits of existing plants, and faster adoption of specialized materials and high-efficiency heat transfer technologies. As plants scale up and operating conditions push further into extremes, the applicability of standard equipment keeps narrowing.For high-temperature, high-pressure, highly corrosive or high-purity service, silicon carbide, graphite, titanium and fluoropolymer heat exchangers, along with high-flux tubes and laser-welded plates, are becoming the preferred choice for both new builds and retrofits. The gap at the high end is where demand is concentrated.

Approved by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China and UFI-certified, CTEF 2027 (China International Chemical Technology & Equipment Expo) will take place June 3–5, 2027 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. A dedicated Heat Exchanger & Heat Transfer Technology Zone will run concurrently, connecting the full CTEF value chain. Covering 70,000 sqm, the event brings together 1,000+ exhibitors, 100,000+ professional visitors and 100+ industry conferences, showcasing end-to-end solutions for heat exchange and heat transfer — from materials and components to complete units and O&M services.

Three core exhibit sections covering the entire heat exchange process chain.

• Heat Exchange Equipment
Plate heat exchangers, shell and tube heat exchangers, flue gas heat exchangers, finned heat exchangers, spiral heat exchangers, silicon carbide heat exchangers, powder flow heat exchangers, bellows heat exchangers, graphite heat exchangers, ceramic heat exchangers, high-efficiency heat exchangers, PFA heat exchangers (fluoroplastic heat exchangers), titanium heat exchangers, Hastelloy heat exchangers, zirconium tube heat exchangers, PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) heat exchangers, heat exchange units, energy recovery ventilators, air heat exchangers, volumetric heat exchangers, coil heat exchangers, metal fin radiators, heat exchangers, cooling towers, condensing units, coolers, condensers, industrial air coolers, fluoroplastic-lined vessels, Teflon anti-corrosion heat exchange, radiators, warm air heat exchangers, HVAC equipment, water-cooled radiators, heaters, waste heat recoverers, surface coolers, non-standard heat exchangers, refrigeration equipment, boiler flue gas condensing recoverers, reboilers, evaporators, water supply equipment, flue gas whitening removal equipment, etc.

• Production & Processing Equipment
Heat exchange equipment welding technology & machinery, plate forming presses, precision forming presses, servo punch presses, deep hole drilling machines, heat exchanger manufacturing technology & equipment, tube expanding machines, tube expanders, heat exchanger dies, various cleaning & testing equipment, manufacturing technology, tube tools, pipe bending machines, tube end finishing machines, temperature control machinery, burners, industrial kilns, vacuum equipment, electric furnaces, analytical testing, air tightness testing & monitoring instruments, etc.

• Related Accessories
Stainless steel heat exchange tubes, laser-welded heat transfer plates, high-flux heat exchange tubes, heat exchange plates, stainless steel welded pipes, tube sheets, titanium tubes, titanium plates, heat dissipation tubes, titanium coil tubes, bent tubes, bimetallic aluminum-rolled finned tubes, copper tubes, heads, spiral wound finned tubes, copper tube aluminum sleeve fins, steel tube string fins, heat exchange gaskets, seals, functional surface anti-corrosion, coatings, insulation jackets, etc.

18 Years of Industry Heritage — Leading Heat Exchange Companies Assembled.

After 18 editions, the Heat Exchanger Zone has built a complete exhibitor cluster. Leading companies including Kelvion, SPX, Haomai Machinery, Jieti Chemical, Xinboao, Zhongcheng Fengkai, Sansheng Graphite, Longhua Group, Yantai Henghui, Nanjing Prandtl, Shanghai Banhuan, Lanbin Petrochemical, Ametek, Xinshunshengda, Yingluoweisen, Kaixiang Heat Transfer, Shandong Hengyuan, Shandong Aipute, Siping Viks, Shandong Huayu, Tuodun Heat Exchange, Shandong Boyu, Ruiyi Heat Transfer, Saikaisaisi, Jiping Chengda, Wuxi Jialong, Fuerfa Heat Exchange, Jucheng Titanium, Jiangsu Dingxiang, Jiangsu Chinaite, Dongguan Jinchen, Hangzhou Shen's, Shaoxing Yongfeng, Liuzhou Heat Exchange, Jindebang Machinery, Wuxi Kaisheng, Guangdong Jema, Gaojie Light Industry, Kangjinghui, Wuxi Zhongfan and other key enterprises continue to exhibit, providing a one-stop technical reference platform — from unit selection and material verification to system integration.

• SPX FLOW
A global leading manufacturer of fluid handling and heat exchange equipment, its product line covers Paraflow plate heat exchangers, ParaBrazed brazed plate heat exchangers, and scraped-surface heat exchangers, serving industries including petrochemicals, fine chemicals, food & dairy, pharmaceuticals, HVAC and refrigeration. Process-grade APV plate heat exchangers handle highly corrosive conditions such as ultrapure water, acid cooling and amine media through combinations of plate and gasket materials. Scraped-surface heat exchangers address high-viscosity, particle-containing materials by continuously scraping the wall, preventing fouling and local overheating.

• Haomai Manufacturing
A benchmark enterprise in high-end chemical equipment, its products cover wound tube heat exchangers, high-efficiency turbulent flow heat exchangers, silicon carbide heat exchangers and reactors, and special material equipment, with complete system solutions available. With in-house core component supply, its high-end heat exchanger industrialization project now delivers skid-mounted silicon carbide units and heat exchange systems, continuously replacing traditional metal heat exchange equipment in solids-containing and highly corrosive media applications.

• Sansheng Graphite Technology
Specializing in impermeable graphite heat exchange equipment, its XYK cylindrical block-hole type impermeable graphite heat exchanger has obtained the "Jiangsu Premium Brand" certification. Products are designed and manufactured to European AD pressure vessel code and American ASME standard, exported to over 20 countries and regions including Germany, Switzerland, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United States. It is a mature selection solution for hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid applications in the phosphorus chemical, chlor-alkali and titanium dioxide industries.

• Shanghai GT Chemical Equipment Co., Ltd. (GT)
Specializing in graphite-made corrosion-resistant heat exchange equipment for highly corrosive media such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid. Its distribution and service network covers Germany, Spain, Belgium, the UK, Russia, South Korea and Southeast Asia. It is a mature selection for highly corrosive conditions in the chlor-alkali, fertilizer, fine chemical, hydrometallurgical, pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries.

• Henghui Group
A national-level SRDI "Little Giant" enterprise and Shandong "Unicorn" enterprise, it is one of the few domestic companies with both high-efficiency heat exchange tube R&D and production capabilities, and design capabilities for refrigeration, HVAC and chemical heat exchangers. Its high-efficiency heat exchange tubes hold nearly 1/3 of the domestic market share and over 99% within Shandong Province. Corrosion-resistant tubes such as titanium and stainless steel directly meet the material selection needs of chemical heat exchangers.

High-Decision Buyer Pool — Bridging Project-Based Procurement Chains.

The expo has accumulated hundreds of thousands of precise buyer profiles at home and abroad. 85% of professional visitors hold purchasing decision-making power or technical selection influence, covering the full value chain of basic chemicals, fine chemicals, specialty chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers, chemical design institutes, EPC general contractors, petrochemicals, biochemical engineering, and pharmaceutical chemicals.

• Domestic Procurement Base: The 2027 edition targets over 100,000 visitor visits. 143 domestic procurement delegations come from local governments, chemical parks, research institutes, central SOEs, listed companies and foreign-funded enterprises; over 100 top-100 chemical companies and 60+ national and provincial industry associations visit in groups. Leading EPC companies such as China Tianchen, Sinopec Engineering and China National Chemical Engineering bring equipment lists of ongoing projects for on-site matchmaking; end-user manufacturers such as Wanhua Chemical, Transfar Zhilian and Sinochem Lantian lead procurement for technical upgrades and new plants. Heat exchanger orders are directly anchored at the process package freeze stage and equipment procurement lists.

• Overseas Procurement Network: Previous editions attracted buyers from 67 countries and regions, with 88 overseas procurement delegations formed; buyers from Belt and Road countries and regions account for over 70%. International companies such as Tatneft, Uralchem, PhosAgro, Samsung Engineering and Hayat Kimya continue to participate.

Industry, Academia, Research & Application on One Stage — Directly Addressing Heat Exchange O&M and Energy Efficiency Pain Points.

The expo will concurrently host the China International Chemical Technology & Equipment Innovation and Development Conference, accompanied by over ten specialized technical conferences:

 ◆ China International Chemical Technology & Equipment Innovation and Development Conference

◆ 2027 China Heat Pump Distillation and Energy-Saving Optimization Technology Application and Innovation Forum

◆ 2027 Seminar on Intelligent O&M and Energy Efficiency Improvement for Chemical Enterprises

◆ 2027 Seminar on Heat Exchange Equipment O&M Technology

◆ 2027 Forum on Enhanced Heat Transfer and Waste Heat Recovery Technology Application and Innovation

◆ CTEF2027 International Procurement Matchmaking

◆ Overseas Chemical Enterprise Procurement Exchange Day

◆ Provincial/Municipal International Procurement Matchmaking Sessions

◆ Local Government Investment Promotion Sessions

◆ The 4th China Chemical Technology & Equipment Golden Gear Award Ceremony

Topics focus on industry pain points: heat exchange efficiency degradation mechanisms, online/offline fouling cleaning processes, cascaded waste heat utilization system design, and digital twin-based intelligent O&M of heat exchange networks. The 4th China Chemical Technology & Equipment Golden Gear Award Ceremony will be held concurrently, setting benchmarks for equipment innovation.

Multi-Level International Matchmaking Mechanisms — Building Export Channels for Equipment.

CTEF2027 features systematic overseas business modules: International Procurement Matchmaking, Overseas Chemical Enterprise Procurement Exchange Day, EPC-Specific Procurement Matchmaking, and Provincial/Municipal International Procurement Sessions. Country-specific sessions will be held for Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Russia, Indonesia, Iran and Malaysia, with targeted invitations issued in collaboration with overseas trade promotion agencies, local chemical industry associations and industrial park operators.

Key invited procurement entities include overseas chemical groups and energy companies such as EuroChem, Uralchem, LUKOIL, Acron, SK Geo Centric, Petrovietnam, and Pertamina Chemical. Precisely matching overseas distributors, traders, EPC general contractors and end-user plants, we help exhibitors achieve the closed-loop conversion from "sample display" to "overseas order landing."

Three-Demand Convergence — Seizing the 2027 Procurement Window.

Heat exchangers are among the static equipment with the largest inventory and highest maintenance and replacement frequency in chemical plants. The 2027 market will see three types of demand released simultaneously:

1.First-time selection during the process package finalization stage of new projects;

2.Batch replacement for energy-saving and carbon-reduction retrofits of existing plants;

3.Upgrade replacement of traditional metal equipment with special materials under harsh operating conditions.

As the main exhibition area of CTEF2027, the ‘Heat Exchangers and Heat Transfer Technology Zone’ will open from June 3–5, 2027, at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. More than 100,000 professional visitors and resources from the entire industry chain—including EPCs and end buyers—will be present. Exhibit booths are limited, and the best spots get booked first, so we warmly invite heat exchanger manufacturers, special material equipment producers, key component suppliers, and intelligent manufacturing and testing companies to reserve their booths early and join the main event of the Shanghai heat exchange industry in 2027.