Membrane technology could cut emissions from refining crude oil

This is the claim of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, and ExxonMobil whose lab tests suggest the polymer membrane could replace some conventional heat-based distillation processes. A paper detailing the team’s work is published in Science.

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According to Georgia Tech, fractionation of crude oil mixtures using heat-based distillation is a large-scale, energy-intensive process that accounts for nearly one per cent of the world's energy use. By substituting the low-energy membranes for certain steps in the distillation process, the new technology could allow the implementation of a hybrid refining system that may possibly help reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption compared to traditional refining processes.

"Much in our modern lives comes from oil, so the separation of these molecules makes our modern civilisation possible," said M.G. Finn, professor and chair of Georgia Tech's School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "The scale of the separation required to provide the products we use is incredibly large. This membrane technology could make a significant impact on global energy consumption and the resulting emissions of petroleum processing."