• Is oil refining a petrochemical facility?
  • Artistic impression of the Refinery of the Future, where oil refining (bottom left quadrant) is fully integrated with a petrochemical facility (top left quadrant). Renewable energy (top right quadrant) integration within the refining process results in nearly a CO 2 -neutral operation.
  • Should oil-derived products be replaced with renewable fuel and chemical production?
  • From petrol to plastics, oil-derived products define modern life. A bold plan to change that comes with huge costs ¡ª but researchers and policymakers should take it seriously. Today¡¯s crude-oil refineries will need to be replaced with renewable fuel and chemical production to achieve net-zero goals. Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty
  • How will the refinery of the future be achieved?
  • In the view of the authors, the Refinery of the Future will be achieved through breakthroughs in three intertwined areas: Maximization of chemicals production with integrated carbon capture and utilization leading to reduce emissions along with the use of renewable energy in the process.
  • How can the refining industry think of its future?
  • The refining industry has a unique expertise, which is to process and convert multiple feedstocks made of highly complex molecules. Refining should think of its future by building on this unique know-how, aiming to provide low carbon fuels and chemicals needed by society, while decreasing its environmental footprint. Article Summary
  • How can we reduce the cost of crude oil membranes?
  • Improving flux will be crucial to decrease the number and cost of membrane modules that are needed for separation, says Joan Brennecke, a chemical engineer at the University of Texas at Austin. Heavier crude oils will likely cause fouling issues, though, and the use of membranes might be limited to light crude oils, she says.
  • What is crude oil refining?
  • Crude oil is a mixture of tens of thousands of chemicals. The first step in petroleum refining is separating that mix through a distillation process. The raw crude oil is heated up to about 500¡ãC. Lighter components, such as those that make up gasoline, vaporize at lower temperatures and are captured.