Refining

Refining is the process of purification of a substance. The term is usually used of a natural resource that is almost in a usable form, but which is more useful in its pure form. For instance, most types of natural petroleum will burn straight from the ground, but it will burn poorly and quickly clog an engine with residues and byproducts. The term is broad, and may include more drastic transformations, such as the reduction of ore to metal (for which see Refining (metallurgy)).

The refining of liquids is often accomplished by distillation or fractionation. Gases can be refined in this way as well, by being cooled and/or compressed until they liquefy. Gases and liquids can also be refined by extraction with a selective solvent that dissolves away either the substance of interest, or the unwanted impurities.

With the demand for petroleum products increasing globally, refineries are operating at their absolute maximum capacity and new facilities and being planned and developed all around the world. Building on global technology expertise and resources, Yokogawa’s industrial instrumentation maintains the operational integrity of new and existing petrochemical production industries to ensure optimal efficiency throughout the years to come.