Many refineries now include syngas plants that produce valuable commodities like hydrogen through the gasification process. Photo via Department of Energy. Courtesy Gasification Technologies Council and National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).
The imaginative and pioneering efforts of chemical engineers have been responsible for the development of a complex array of chemical conversion processes. These processes are used to create physical changes in crude oil and natural gas, which yield the many end products we rely on today. These products run the gamut from gasoline and diesel fuel, to kerosene, lubricating oils, waxes, and asphalt, as well as many intermediate petrochemical products.
Chemical conversion processes
Some of the important chemical process operations instrumental in modern-day refining include
- Thermal cracking,
- Distillation,
- Fluid catalytic cracking,
- Hydrocracking, and
- Powerforming.
This list is merely representative, as the total number of petroleum-refining operations to which chemical engineers have made significant contributions is very large.
Refining the refineries
The chemical-engineering community is constantly working to modify and improve the petroleum-refining processes. Their objectives are to
- Achieve higher conversion rates and greater yields,
- Improve overall energy efficiency,
- Produce cleaner fuels,
- Reduce refinery emissions, and
- Reduce operating costs.
Copyright © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers and Chemical Heritage Foundation. All rights reserved.