SINOPEC Research Institute of Petroleum Processing (RIPP), founded in 1956, is a comprehensive research and development organization specialized in petroleum refining and petrochemical engineering. Subordinated to SINOPEC Corporation, RIPP is mainly devoted to the development and application of technologies for petroleum refining, while laying stress on refining-petrochemical integration and corresponding petrochemical technologies as well. In recent years, it has been reinforcing its innovation in new alternative fuels and renewable energy fields. RIPP now is on the way of transition to an all-directional energy R&D organization mainly engaged in petroleum refining and refining-petrochemical integration.

In the past decades, RIPP has laid great emphasis not only on the cooperation with enterprises and designing institutes to meet the ever-changing market demands, but also on the directional and applied fundamental research to accumulate scientific understanding and experience in process and engineering, and to drive technology innovation. Now RIPP is capable of providing integrated technologies for the whole refinery based on its strength in crude oil evaluation, petroleum processing technologies and catalysts R&D, as well as petroleum product preparation and evaluation. Its research areas cover refining technologies, petrochemical technologies, material technologies, product technologies, renewable energy technologies, environmental protection technologies, intelligent technologies and so on.

The 20 research departments in RIPP have nurtured a comprehensive and professional scientific research team, with 1,172 staffs sharing the future with this institute. Among them, there are 4 members of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, 3 Sinopec Chief Specialist and 8 Sinopec Senior Specialists. RIPP is equipped with approximately 1,000 sets of bench scale and pilot plant test units together with a large array of advanced analytical equipment engaged in R&D of oil refining, petrochemicals, fine chemicals, additives, and petroleum products application.

Many national and Sinopec research centers and laboratories are based in RIPP. Three professional journals, ACTA PETROLEI SINICA, Petroleum Processing and Petrochemicals and China Petroleum Processing and Petrochemical Technology (English version), are edited and published here. In terms of education and training, RIPP has a post-graduate school and conducts post-doctoral research program, and is authorized by the state to confer PhD degrees in chemical technology and applied chemistry as well as Master's degrees in chemical technology, applied chemistry, industrial catalysis and chemical engineering.

After the development for 65 years, RIPP has become a well-equipped R&D organization integrating petroleum refining and petrochemicals technologies research and development with technology licensing, technology consulting and technical service. By the end of 2020, RIPP has made 987 scientific and technical achievements with awards above ministerial level as well as 134 State Prizes. Among them there are one State Top Science and Technology Award, two State Invention Awards (First Class), two Science and Technology Advancement Awards (Special Prize), and eight National Science and Technology Advancement Awards (First Class). To this day, RIPP has applied for 9,814 domestic patents with 6,701 granted, and 1,436 foreign patents with 889 granted. It has won eight Gold Awards, one Silver Awards and 19 Excellence Awards jointly issued by China National Intellectual Property Administration and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

In different historical periods, RIPP has developed outstanding technologies that played important roles and greatly accelerated the evolution in Chinese refining industry. In the 1960s, RIPP was engaged in the development of Fluid Catalytic Cracking, Catalytic Reforming, Delayed Coking, Urea Dewaxing and new types of catalysts and additives, which were praised as the Five Golden Flowers in China and marked the great breakthrough in the development of modern technology for Chinese oil refining industry from nothing. In the 1970s, RIPP developed Riser Catalytic Cracking Process, Zeolite FCC Catalysts, Semi-regeneration Reforming Process, Bi-metallic Reforming Catalysts that maintained the advancing trends of Chinese oil refining technology. In the 1980s, a large amount of technologies and catalysts were developed, such as  new generation of Resid FCC Catalyst, USY Zeolite and REHY Zeolite, RN-1 Hydrogenation Catalyst, Pt-Re Series Reforming Catalysts, SKI Xylene Isomerization Catalysts, Full Daqing AR RFCC Technology, Needle Coke Production Technology, High Power Tank Engine Oil, etc. RIPP began to establish its own dominant technical areas, and many technologies approached the international level. It played a key role in self-supporting the Chinese oil refining technologies and catalysts. In the 1990s, RIPP developed its FCC family technology, among which the DCC technology won the only First Prize of National Technology Invention Award in the year of 1995, and fulfilled the exportation of Chinese oil refining technology since then. Besides, a series of technologies were developed, such as new type of ZRP zeolite, Heavy Oil Processing Integrated Technology, Medium Pressure Hydro-Upgrading Technology, Medium Pressure Hydrocracking Technology, Low Pressure Combined-bed Catalytic Reforming Technology, Aromatic Extraction Technology with New Solvent. These technologies basically achieved the international standard; some of them attained international advanced level and even international leading level. Since then, RIPP had made great progress in overseas marketing with a serial of technologies and products successively sailing to Southeast Asia, Middle East, Europe and U.S.

Nowadays Chinese oil refining industry is facing various challenges such as the production of clean fuels, adjustment of product structure and reduction of operating costs. Having foreseen this, RIPP has carried out related R&D projects in advance. It has now successfully developed and commercialized many technologies, such as the production of clean gasoline and diesel fuels, deep processing of heavy crudes, increasing the yield of light oil, the processing of sour crudes, high total acid number (TAN) crudes, heavy crude and refractory crudes. These technologies not only support the development of refining industry, but also provide RIPP with necessary technology reserves. Among them, GOR series catalysts for reducing olefin content in FCC gasoline, MIP technology maximizing isoparaffin production, as well as CGP technology for producing clean gasoline and increasing propylene yields have been widely applied as clean gasoline production technology package, enabling Sinopec refineries to make remarkable economic and social benefits with relatively low investment and cost at a short time.

In 2020, 702 domestic patents and 121 foreign patents have been applied by RIPP, with 600 and 80 granted respectively. RIPP has successfully developed series of symbolic technologies, such as LTA, RTC (DCC Pro), 2^nd generation of high efficient aromatics production technology package, and slurry-bed hydrogen peroxide preparation technology. It is the first organization in China to get the CMA and CNAS certification for FCV hydrogen quality test. More RIPP catalysts and technologies have entered into global market.

Facing the future and following Sinopec guidelines, RIPP, with the goal of becoming a world-class energy research institute mainly engaged in petroleum refining and petrochemical fields, will continue to enhance its innovation capability, fully play the role of a propeller in science and technology innovation, and endeavor to provide all-around technical support to SINOPEC.​

Address: 18 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing Post Code: 100083

Telephone: 86 (10) 62327551Fax: 86 (10) 62311290

Website: www.ripp-sinopec.com

E-mail: 914.ripp@sinopec.com