Molecular refining is a concept and technology that recognizes
and optimizes the oil refining process from a molecular level by aiming
to enhance the value of each molecule and achieve a high-value-added
transformation of oil products into chemicals and materials. The structure-oriented
lumping (SOL) method is one of the methods for molecular refining.
The SOL method can predict the physical and chemical properties of
petroleum fractions on the basis of their molecular structure and
composition and simulate their transformation behavior under different
reaction conditions. This method has been successfully applied to
various refining processes, such as catalytic cracking, delayed coking,
selective hydrogenation desulfurization, etc., thereby providing an
effective tool for establishing molecular models, optimizing operating
conditions, and verifying industrial data. This review summarizes
some typical examples of using this method to simulate and optimize
refining processes, thereby illustrating the guiding significance
of this method at the molecular level for oil refining.