Dr. Y. Zak Friedman pioneered the use of first-principle process models for inferential control, in three categories: wide cut fractionators, narrow cut fractionators and reactors.

In 1992, following a career with Exxon Research and Engineering and KBC Advanced Technology, Dr. Friedman founded Petrocontrol - a consulting firm in Advanced Process Control (APC) and On-line Optimization.

Petrocontrol specializes in the following:
 
 

 

Petrocontrol has performed work on the following units:

 

 Amine absorption and Claus units.
  Aromatics: BTX reforming, extraction and separation.
  Atmospheric and vacuum crude distillation.
  Blending gasoline, middle distillates, fuels and lubes.
  Boilers, furnaces and utilities.
  Distillation processes: a large variety of distillation columns.
  Ethylene cracking and olefins separation.
  Fluid catalytic cracking.
  Gasoline processes: reforming, alkylation, isomerization, benzene saturation.
  Hydrogen processes: hydrogen production, desulfurization and hydrocracking.
 
 Thermal processes: thermal cracking, visbreaking, delayed coking.
  Lubes processes: deasphalting, dewaxing and extraction.