Researchers from South Korea and the United States have developed a new technology that can reduce the energy used in crude oil refining.
Professor Lee Tae-hoon of Sungkyunkwan University's Department of Future Energy Engineering noted that his research team, in collaboration with researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has developed a high-performance membrane (filter) that can replace existing crude oil refining processes. This research was published in the international journal Science on the 22nd.
Currently, the distillation method that applies high heat to boil crude oil is mainly used. This method is inefficient, accounting for about 1% of the world's energy consumption and approximately 6% of carbon dioxide emissions. As an alternative to improve this, methods using polymer membranes have been researched; however, existing membranes have been expensive and unstable, making commercialization difficult.
In response, the research team developed a membrane made from new materials and structures. They applied 'imine bonding' instead of chemical bonds used in existing membranes to strengthen the structure. Additionally, they introduced a special molecular structure that allows precise selection of crude oil components by molecular size. The developed membrane is made through a process that enables mass production, thus enhancing its industrial applicability.
Experimental results indicated that the membrane can reduce energy consumption by as much as several tens of percent compared to the existing distillation method.
The research team said, "If this technology is commercialized, it will significantly reduce the energy used in refining processes in the petroleum and chemical industries and will greatly decrease carbon dioxide emissions as well. We expect it can make a significant contribution to the fields of environmentally friendly fuel production and refining processes."
References
Science (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adv6886