Chinese scientists develop new oil refining method that may cut energy use by 90%

AI Summary

Chinese scientists have developed a new oil refining method that could reduce energy consumption by approximately 90%, potentially lowering costs and emissions. If scalable, this innovation could improve precision in separating crude oil components and boost product value in refining industries.

Chinese scientists say they have devised a new technique for refining oil that cuts the amount of energy consumed during the process by roughly 90 per cent. If the technology used in the study could be scaled up for industry, it would not only greatly reduce production costs and emissions, but also make the process more precise and boost product value. Crude oil cannot be turned directly into petrol or plastics. Instead, refineries must separate it into different parts before each one can be put...