South Korean researchers say they have developed a new technology to process naphtha, which is a type of highly volatile flammable liquid distilled from petroleum.

The Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology and SK Energy say they have developed a technology to break down naphtha through the use of low-temperature processing rather than the existing method of using high levels of heat.

Naphtha is produced during the refining process of crude oil. Decomposing the chemical can enable the production of basic petrochemical substances such as ethylene and propylene.

The previous method of processing naphtha required heat levels of at least 700 degrees centigrade. The new method allows for processing to be done using temps below 670 degrees.