Edith Flanigen More on  Edith Flanigen • Edith Flanigen Edith Flanigen was the inventor of a petroleum refining method.

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Edith Flanigen is one of the most inventive chemists of all time. She had a 42-year career at Union Carbide. In 1956, Edith Flanigen began to work on the emerging technology of "molecular sieves," crystalline structures that contain molecule-sized pores. The compounds with their tiny pore sizes can be used to filter and break down crude oil during the refining process.

Edith Flanigen's work made the production of Zeolyte Y (an alumino-silicate) commercially viable. Her molecular sieves have made gasoline production more efficient, cleaner, and safer worldwide. Edith Flanigen's more recent work on alumino-phosphates has applications for lubricating oils.

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