fuelprocessing

Fuel processing is the set of industrial operations that transform raw energy sources, such as crude petroleum, natural gas, coal, biomass, and other feedstocks, into usable fuels and refined products. It includes separation, conversion, purification, upgrading, and blending to meet performance, stability, and environmental standards.

In petroleum refining, crude oil is separated into fractions by distillation and further converted by processes such as catalytic cracking, hydrocracking, and reforming to produce gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other feedstocks. Desulfurization and denitrogenation remove impurities, while hydroprocessing and hydrotreatment improve stability and tailorable properties, and blending ensures compliance with specifications like octane or cetane ratings.

Coal and biomass resources are also converted into liquid fuels or syngas. Coal can undergo gasification to produce synthesis gas for liquids via Fischer–Tropsch synthesis or be processed into indirect or direct liquid fuels. Biomass undergoes processing to biofuels, including fermentation to ethanol and esterification to biodiesel, often followed by hydroprocessing to upgrade to compatible fuels.

Natural gas and other gases are cleaned and conditioned to meet pipeline or engine requirements, and are processed to produce market products such as LNG, LPG, or hydrogen. Hydrogen is also produced from hydrocarbon feedstocks or water and used in refinery upgrading and chemical synthesis, typically via reforming and the water-gas shift.

Environmental considerations, safety, and regulatory standards influence fuel processing, including impurity limits, sulfur content, and renewable content mandates. The field continues to evolve with new catalysts, alternative feedstocks, and carbon-reduction strategies.