Membrane Technology Breakthrough for Fractionating Hydrocarbons Announced: Ultrathin Polymer Membranes with Locked Intrinsic Microporosity

     Last year, I posted about the potential of polymer membrane technology that can fractionate hydrocarbons via reverse osmosis and its potential to revolutionize refining. Now, a team of international researchers has developed a new class of ultrathin polymer membranes that can separate complex hydrocarbon mixtures. This new method, like the reverse osmosis method, can significantly reduce the energy required to separate the hydrocarbons, which currently is one of the most energy-intensive industrial processes. As recounted by Tech Xplore, the researchers discovered:

“…a new way to form the separating layers in polymer membranes for molecular separations. The breakthrough derives from the way the cross-linking agent for the polymer film is added to the polymer during membrane fabrication.”

“The membranes combine extremely high molecular selectivity with fast liquid transport—a combination that has long eluded scientists and engineers working in this field.”

     The results of the testing were reported in a paper in Science:

     Currently, the thermal distillation of hydrocarbons uses about 1% of the global energy supply. Membrane technologies have long been in development, but have been limited by the materials used.

"Membranes can, in principle, do the same job as distillation or evaporation, using far less energy," explains lead researcher Andrew Livingston, professor of chemical engineering and vice president of research and innovation at Queen Mary University of London, and CEO of Exactmer.

"The problem has been finding materials that are both fast and selective when exposed to real hydrocarbon mixtures."

     The key to the new method is manufacturing polymer membranes so that their nanoscale pores are "locked" in place during formation. Sub-nanometer pores separate molecules by size and type, but the polymers normally swell when exposed to hydrocarbons, causing the pores to expand and lose selectivity.

“To overcome this, the team developed an in-situ cross-linking approach that stabilizes the polymer structure while the membrane is being formed. This process locks the pores in their optimal configuration, producing what the researchers call polymers of locked intrinsic microporosity (PLIMs).”

"The key was stabilizing the structure before the polymer had a chance to swell," explains Dr. Zhiwei Jiang, who led the research as head of membrane research at Exactmer and who is now assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

"This preserves the tiny pores that make molecular separation possible, while still allowing hydrocarbons to flow through very quickly."

     Quasi-elastic neutron scattering at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, the U.K.'s national pulsed neutron facility, was used to develop the process.

     As noted below, the method tested quite successfully with light Arabian oil. It also tested successfully by separating a mixture of virgin naphtha with C4-C6 hydrocarbons from heavier naphtha hydrocarbon components.

     The researchers also demonstrated that the membranes can be manufactured at scale. Testing showed stable performance over 30 days of continuous operation. As noted below, the membranes can be manufactured as drop-in membranes into existing module designs.

"These membranes aren't just laboratory curiosities," said Dr. Adam Oxley, first author of the research paper and now deputy vice president of membranes at Exactmer. "They can be produced using established manufacturing techniques and fitted into existing industrial module designs. At Exactmer, we are building these new techniques into membranes used for high-value separations in organic solvents."

     Below, the researchers note that the membrane process can be used in petroleum refining, petrochemicals production, for industrial solvents, in the pharmaceutical industry, and with biofuel feedstocks.

     Future research directions include deploying the PLIM membrane tech alongside existing refinery processes and deriving pharmaceuticals in organic solvents.

"This work shows that membrane-based molecular separation in organic liquids is no longer just a theoretical possibility," said Livingston. "With the right materials design, it can be fast, selective, scalable—and ready for industry."

     Dr. Zachary P. Smith, associate professor of chemical engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), said,

"As all chemists know, 'like dissolves like.' So how can you separate hydrocarbon liquids using a hydrocarbon polymer without the polymer itself dissolving while in use? Livingston and his team have developed an approach to 'lock' their polymers in place, making them stable under aggressive conditions.

"More than that, they have shown that this approach works with some of the newest and most innovative emerging polymers in membrane science, helping to push the field into untapped areas of application."

     Ryan P. Lively, professor in the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, added,

"One of the key technological barriers facing membrane deployment in crude oil refining [is/was] the very low productivity of the membrane units. The membranes from Livingston's research are more than 100 times more productive than the first-generation membrane materials—the fact that this was achieved along with improved separation efficiency is a remarkable achievement.

“The composition of the membrane selective layer is interesting. The polymer backbones used had been considered previously, and cross-linked polymers had been considered previously, but the special combination that the team discovered really hit a sweet spot in terms of membrane performance.”

"Being able to go from a small postage-stamp test to a full-size membrane module in such a short time indicates that the prospects for membrane-based oil refining are bright. Indeed, this article and others in the academic literature continue to indicate that there are real economic and environmental benefits to moving forward with membranes for oil refining at larger and larger scales."

     Membrane technologies appear to be the future of oil refining, but will likely take years to further develop.

 

  

References:

 

Ultrathin membranes could transform hydrocarbon processing by slashing energy use. Science X staff. University of London. TechXplore. June 18, 2026. Ultrathin membranes could transform hydrocarbon processing by slashing energy use

Ultrathin polymer membranes with locked intrinsic microporosity for hydrocarbon fractionation. Adam Oxley, Chunchun Ye, Seok Ju Han, Guoke Zhao, Yihao Guo, Xin Shi, Jie Liu, Keenan Smith, Mona Sarter, and Zhiwei Jiang +13 authors. Science. 18 Jun 2026. Vol 392, Issue 6804. pp. 1268-1273. Ultrathin polymer membranes with locked intrinsic microporosity for hydrocarbon fractionation | Science