Refining Petroleum with Membranes

H. Seo and D.-Y. Koh* Science, 376, 6597, 1053-1054 (2022)

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abq3186

The utility of membrane technology in a wide range of industries is being driven by the integration of advanced materials into process-ready devices, rising energy prices, and the need for decarbonization. The groundbreaking invention of an asymmetric cellulose acetate membrane in the early 1960s popularized the concept of pressuredriven separation. The desalination and gas purification fields, in particular, embraced this technology and have since developed more energy-efficient systems for various applications. This paradigm shift is now being further accelerated in membrane-based petroleum refining…