New method to measure TAN of crude oil and refinery distillation fractions

Bryce McGarvey received his PhD in physical chemistry from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, in the field of heterogeneous catalyst preparation and characterization. Following post-doctoral fellowships at l’Institut Francais du Petrole and the University of Calgary, Dr. McGarvey joined Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. During his five years with AECL, his research focused on aqueous inorganic chemistry, particularly in the context of corrosion and fouling of heat exchangers and nuclear steam generators. In 1998, Dr. McGarvey joined the research department of Imperial Oil in Sarnia, Ontario. During his time with Imperial, he has worked in several areas of petroleum science, including refinery fouling and corrosion, process chemistry and hydrocarbon treating chemistry.

Colette McGarvey received her PhD in chemistry from the University of Waterloo in the field of polymer chemistry. Following post-doctoral fellowships at l’Institut Francais du Petrole and the University of Calgary, she completed an assignment in environmental analytical chemistry at Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. In 1998, Ms. McGarvey joined the research department of Imperial Oil in Sarnia, Ontario. At Imperial, her initial assignments were in the areas of asphalt and environmental research. For the past 10 years, she has been the team lead for the analytical group and quality advisor for the department.

Bert Thakkar is a Senior Research Technologist for Imperial Oil’s Sarnia Technology and Research group in Sarnia, Ontario. He holds degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering technology from Lampton College and the University of Western Ontario, respectively. He joined Imperial Oil in 1977 and has developed expertise throughout the refinery process. At present, Mr. Thakkar focuses on physical testing like titration, although his experience includes working as a fuel specialist in refinery quality assurance and performing crude assays in the distillation lab.

Larry Tucker is Vice President of Business Development at Metrohm USA. He actively participates in ASTM committee D02 Petroleum Products, Liquid Fuels and Lubricants, where he serves as Vice Chairman of Subcommittee 6 Liquid Fuels and Lubricants. He has led and participated in the development and improvement of numerous ASTM test methods and standards. Mr. Tucker received his BS degree in chemistry from the University of West Florida, and has more than 35 years of industry experience in developing analytical test methods.

Lori Spafford is the Product Manager for Titration for Metrohm USA. She holds a BS degree in chemistry from St. Joseph’s College in Indiana, and has more than 10 years of experience in the chemical, food and beverage, and environmental industries. During her prior three years as an applications chemist at Metrohm USA, she focused on the development of thermometric titration. Ms. Spafford has successfully brought innovative solutions to difficult applications in a variety of industries.