Fractionation Research

What Fractionation Research does

Fractionation Research Inc. (FRI) is a non-profit industrial research consortium founded in 1952 and headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma, dedicated exclusively to large-scale distillation and mass transfer research. The organization operates a one-of-a-kind experimental facility with commercial-scale 4-foot and 8-foot diameter distillation columns (including a high-pressure unit rated to MAWP 525 psi) used to test trays, packings, and column internals under industrially representative conditions with chemically realistic systems. FRI's product portfolio centers on the proprietary Device Rating Program (DRP) software, an internal database of more than 32,500 experimental data points, two industry-standard design handbooks (Design Guidance and Design Practices), over 966 technical reports, and the FRI Distillation Academy training program. The consortium serves 70+ member companies spanning petroleum refining, chemical manufacturing, engineering contractors, and equipment manufacturers, providing them with unbiased third-party performance data and correlations used to design, revamp, and troubleshoot distillation columns.

FRI operates under a member-funded subscription model: companies pay annual membership dues (set via a triennial budget review with annual escalation), with each member holding one vote on the Technical Advisory Committee regardless of size. Additional revenue streams include device testing fees, Academy tuition, and government grants (notably OCAST awards via U.S. Treasury SSBCI funding). Research direction is member-driven — the 57 current projects in the Prospectus are identified by members, and Category 1 Device Testing allows members to vote annually on which tray and packing devices to test. The organization's value proposition rests on data, infrastructure, and expertise that no single member could economically replicate independently. As of 2026, FRI is transitioning leadership from retiring President Sergio Kapusta to Bob Miller (former UOP Global Sales Director for Distillation & Heat Transfer Equipment), and is expanding into new research areas including Dividing Wall Columns, full-scale air-liquid simulation, and digital twin modeling in collaboration with Oklahoma State University.

Name

Fractionation Research

Legal name

Fractionation Research Inc.

Website

https://fri.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fractionation Research Inc. (FRI) is a non-profit industrial research consortium founded in 1952 that conducts large-scale distillation and mass transfer research for 70+ petroleum, chemical, and engineering member companies worldwide, producing proprietary software, design handbooks, and experimental data from commercial-scale columns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Stillwater

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: FRI is a non-profit organization funded by membership fees. Each three years the staff reviews financial projections and develops a budget that balances membership fees with expected expenses. A simple escalation factor adjusts membership dues annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FRI executes member-driven experimental programs in commercial-scale distillation columns (4 ft and 8 ft diameter) to collect industrially representative mass transfer and hydraulic performance data on trays and packings. It delivers this research to members through a proprietary software tool (Device Rating Program/DRP), an experimental database of 32,500+ data points, two design handbooks, 966+ technical reports, the FRI Distillation Academy training program, and annual Category 1 Device Testing services.

Product overview

Fractionation Research Inc. (FRI) is a non-profit research consortium offering a portfolio of products and services centered on distillation and mass transfer technology research. The core offerings include the Device Rating Program (DRP), a proprietary software tool for calculating tray and packing performance; the FRI Database containing over 32,500 experimental data points; and comprehensive handbooks (Design Practices and Design Guidance Handbooks) providing best practices and technical correlations. Supporting these are over 966 research reports, training videos, the FRI Distillation Academy educational program, and Category 1 Device Testing services where members vote annually to test proprietary trays and packings. Recent research includes Dividing Wall Column (DWC) technology studies conducted with industry partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Device Rating Program (DRP) FRI's proprietary computer program that uses FRI's correlations derived from over 70 years of experimental research data to calculate tray and packing capacities and pressure drops with higher accuracy than other available methods. Available to member companies.
• FRI Database Electronic repository containing over 32,500 experimental data points collected from testing seven different trays and packings across a wide range of physical properties. Documents device performance and hardware design information. Available to members.
• Design Guidance Handbook

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 January 2026Three-year Industry Innovation Program award for development of Full-Scale Air-Liquid Simulator for Advancing Separation Technologies. Funded by U.S. Treasury's State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). FRI's Technical Director Dr. Izak Nieuwoudt and Chief Scientist Dr. Tony Cai are principal investigators.
• Oklahoma State University (OSU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 September 2024Dr. Yu Feng at OSU received a grant to develop digital twin system for distillation columns. FRI collaborates with OSU on research, including a paper on improved overall efficiency correlation that was selected as Editor's Choice in Chemical Engineering Research and Design.
• Beijing Zehua Chemical Engineering Co.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 17 April 2024Assisted in locating suitable facility for hosting FRI Distillation Academy and technical meetings in Beijing. 25 attendees from 9 member companies attended the Beijing academy session.
• UIT SolutionsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 17 April 2024Assisted in organizing technical meeting in Seoul, South Korea. 29 attendees from 8 companies attended the Seoul meeting.
• Koch-Glitsch LPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFRI and Koch-Glitsch LP are conducting a pilot plant study on hydraulic performance and efficiency of commercial-sized semicircular trays for Dividing Wall Columns (DWCs). Study includes standard FRI assessments of efficiency, pressure drop, and capacity.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Separations Research Program, UT Austin (McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering): UT Austin's Separations Research Program is an industry-sponsored research consortium focused on distillation, absorption, and other separation technologies, making it the closest functional peer to FRI in terms of mission, membership model, and research scope.

Broad incumbents

• Koch-Glitsch LP: Koch-Glitsch is a leading manufacturer of distillation trays, packings, and column internals that is both an FRI member and an active research partner (e.g., DWC pilot plant study). It overlaps with FRI as the industry-standard supplier whose products FRI independently tests and validates.
• Sulzer Chemtech: Sulzer Chemtech is a major global supplier of mass transfer equipment (structured and random packings, trays, columns) and an FRI member company. It is comparable as a complementary industrial player in the distillation technology ecosystem that benefits from and contributes to FRI research.
• Julius Montz GmbH: Julius Montz (now part of Koch-Glitsch) is a specialist in distillation column internals, packings, and trays used in chemical and pharmaceutical processing. Comparable as a peer equipment manufacturer whose products are tested and validated within FRI research programs.
• Raschig GmbH: Raschig is a German manufacturer of random packings (including Raschig Rings, the basis of FRI's earliest packing tests) and other column internals. Comparable as a long-established European equipment manufacturer whose products have been evaluated within FRI testing programs.

Regional players

• Beijing Zehua Chemical Engineering Co. Beijing Zehua is a Chinese distillation and chemical engineering firm that partners with FRI to host Distillation Academy sessions and technical meetings in China. It is comparable as a regional distillation services provider interfacing with FRI's China member ecosystem.
• DECHEMA (Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology): DECHEMA is a German non-profit technical-scientific society that organizes industry-academia collaboration in chemical engineering, including distillation and separation research. It is comparable as a European research consortium serving similar industries with overlapping mission in process technology R&D.
• European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE): EFCE is a European non-profit federation coordinating chemical engineering research and hosting the Distillation & Absorption conference series that FRI participates in. Comparable as a complementary European organization supporting distillation research community.

Others

• AIChE Separations Division: AIChE's Separations Division is a professional community within AIChE that FRI actively partners with (awards sponsorship, conference participation). It is adjacent rather than competitive, providing the academic and industry forum where FRI disseminates research and recruits members.

Emerging players

• GTC Technology (now part of GTC Process): GTC Technology provides licensed process technologies, consulting, and mass transfer solutions for refining and petrochemicals. Comparable as a technical services and technology provider in the distillation space that intersects with FRI's research area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Fractionation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fractionation Research