Scientists Develop Cheap Filter That Could Slash Oil Refining Energy Use by 32%

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Scientists have developed an inexpensive polymer membrane method that separates crude oil molecules without the high-temperature heating used in conventional refining. The approach could reduce energy use in oil refining by as much as 32%, though the report does not specify deployment or commercial timelines.

Scientists have made a surprising discovery that could slash the amount of energy used in oil refining by eliminating part of the high-temperature heating process required to separate the fractions of crude oil. The scientific breakthrough has found a simple and inexpensive way to separate crude oil molecules through a polymer membrane, radically different from previous attempts to fractionate crude oil via membranes. In previous studies of membrane-based fractionations, scientists believed a selective layer should be coated onto the surface to…