About Us

Fractionation Research, Inc. is a non-profit research consortium supported by memberships which include the largest petroleum and petrochemical companies in the world. It was founded in the 1950's to engage in research that was too expensive for any one company. That research includes the only commercial scale experimental program operating with hydrocarbon systems at pressures ranging from deep vacuum to 500psia. Thirty-seven member companies completed the organizational framework that has now grown to include the leading companies in this field of distillation, of which more than 60% are international.

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Fractionation Research, Inc. (FRI) employs a staff of outstanding researchers - deemed to be the preeminent group of researchers in the field of distillation throughout the entire international community. FRI has been responsible for some of the most significant advances in distillation throughout the last 50 years(see AIChE paper "FIFTY YEARS OF FRI CONTRIBUTIONS"), many of which have resulted in substantial economic benefits among its members. FRI members rely on FRI technology to do their distillation column design, retrofit, revamp, and troubleshooting by using FRI rating programs, database, design handbooks and technical reports. Recent accomplishments can be found in the Summary of the latest FRI Annual Report.

Mission Statement: FRI's purpose is to operate well-planned experimental programs to collect large scale mass transfer equipment hardware performance data with industrially representative chemical systems, and to report such data to its members clearly, in useful formats, and in a timely manner.

The collected data will be interpreted, analyzed, and presented promptly by clear oral presentation at membership meetings, and in Progress Reports and Topical Reports.

Accurate predictive mathematical models will be developed and furnished to the membership as computer programs and design handbooks, and in other appropriate and convenient formats.

The Data models will enable practicing engineers of member companies to select and design cost effective fractionation equipment with a high probabiltiy of success.

FRI's large scale experimental facility will serve as the primary independent test forum for new types of fractionation equipment to validate claims of improved performance relative to accepted standard equipment.

Public Value: The value to the public from Fractionation Research, Inc. research on the design and the fundamental physical phenomena affecting the performance of fractionation hardware is greater energy efficient and lower cost production of chemical, petrochemical, and petroleum products. The lower energy consumption also lowers greenhouse gas emissions to the benefit of all stakeholders worldwide.

The information and correlations developed by FRI enables refining, chemical, petrochemical, and engineering member companies to design with greater confidence and precision resulting in lower capital cost plants.

FRI supports research projects at universities around the world related to improving our understanding of fractionation equipment.

The public also benefits from the global makeup of FRI’s membership who supports and directs FRI’s research into areas of real world need.