Our recent work with collaborators at KAIST on membrane-based crude oil fractionation was highlighted in a Nature Research Briefing. The feature discusses how an inexpensive porous polymer membrane can use components already present in crude oil to form selective channels, enabling separation of lighter, naphtha-range hydrocarbons without heat.
The approach could reduce energy use and CO₂ emissions by approximately 30% compared with conventional distillation, highlighting the potential of membranes for more sustainable crude oil refining.
Read the Nature Research Briefing here.
