Scientists have developed membranes that could cut the cost of oil refining in half
An international group of scientists has developed new crystalline membranes capable of significantly reducing energy consumption during crude oil processing. According to the study’s findings, the new technology requires at least half as much energy as traditional distillation.
The innovation is based on covalent organic frameworks (COFs)—porous polymer membranes with tunable channels. They allow for the separation of crude oil components without heating, effectively allowing light aliphatic compounds to pass through while retaining aromatic compounds.
During tests on Arabian Light crude oil, the two-stage purification system increased the aliphatic compound content from 54.5% to 96.1%.
The researchers also demonstrated the technology’s potential for industrial production. They manufactured a 50-meter-long membrane sheet that operated continuously for over 250 hours in a pilot plant.
The new system’s energy consumption was approximately 20.7 MJ per barrel of crude oil, whereas traditional distillation requires 50–200 MJ per barrel. According to the authors, the use of pressure recovery systems could further reduce these costs.
If the technology can be implemented on a large scale at oil refineries, it could potentially reduce the cost of fuel production.
Source: Science magazine.
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