The Becht Team
Winston K. (Win) Robbins, PhD.
Analytical Chemistry Expert
Win Robbins has over 50 years’ experience in analytical testing and organic chemistry within the petroleum refining industry. His experience includes characterization of petroleum / petroleum fractions / combustion products, separations and characterization of hydrocarbon and heteroatom classes, analytical technique development, and testing and characterization of reactive sulfur compounds and naphthenic acids. Mr. Robbins holds 13 patents and has authored or co-authored over 60 papers related to petroleum composition analyses.
Selected positions and responsibilities:
- Leading development of a new model for a refinery hot oil corrosion: Simultaneous Naphthenic Acid and Sulfidation (SNAPS) incorporating terms that account for differences in mass transport between theoretical laboratory tests and refinery experience.
- Serves as an independent consultant providing analytical testing and consulting expertise. Evaluated fuel pipeline corrosion and designed analytical protocol for characterization of pigging deposits. Completed a review of documentation requirements for a refiner entering jet fuel production business. Prepared a thorough review of analytical methods for S-speciation in crude oil and its fractions. Assisted in troubleshooting off-spec wet chemical jet fuel production at several refineries. Consulted with major refiners on a variety of crude-related fouling, coking and corrosion problems. Provided litigation support in evaluating Merox unit operations. Supported additive vendor with chemical mechanisms in desalting fouling, corrosion and coking. Reviewed impacts on phosphate frac fluids on Canadian jet products. Documented crude challenges & potential techniques for addressing jet fuel stability measurement. Interpreted effects of feed composition on vis-breaking fouling at a major European refinery.
- Serves as an Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Corrosion and Multiphase Behavior Technologies (ICMT) at Ohio University. Participated as expert in petroleum chemistry in semi-annual in other ICMT JIP Projects. Advised the IMCT Naphthenic Acid JIP on petroleum chemistry and corrosion mechanisms. Prepared literature reviews of SNAP corrosion testing, reactive sulfur types, and naphthenic acid analyses. Collected and distributed background literature relevant to ICMT projects.
- Consulted with the Future Fuels Institute at Florida State University. Guided FSU graduate students in developing aromatic ring class separations (HPLC). Modified an Evaporative Light Scattering (ELS) to allow quantitative universal mass detection in HPLC. Co-authored posters and papers presented at several Petrophase Conferences. Collaborated with FFI staff in developing a method for Ag-based quantifying for reactive/non-reactive Sulfur and for characterization of naphthenic acids. Applied both methods in support of laboratory corrosion studies.
- Retired in 2003 after 34 years at Corporate Strategic Research & Analytical and Information Division at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company. Developed in-house test methods for measuring corrosion rates for heavy distillates that help sort out acid and sulfur contributions. Investigated relationships between crude source and corrosive compounds. Rationalized the role of calcium in some corrosive crudes. Created IP and competitive intelligence positions for EMRE relative to corrosive crudes. Recognized as an expert in crude composition, especially impurity characteristics in 650+ oils. Developed, patented and applied HPLC-2 technology for ring type characterization of 650+ oils. Participated in model developments based on HPLC-2; deployed 22 HPLC-2 instruments in 14 locations worldwide. Expanded EMRE capabilities for capabilities in quantifying polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PNA) using radio-tracer techniques. Extended PNA techniques to heterocyclic analogs (S-PNA, N-PNA) in petroleum, shale oil and coal liquids.
- All
- Advisor Resources
- Business Administration
- Business Development
- Capital Projects
- Corrosion Materials
- Digital Solutions
- Due Diligence
- Fired Heaters
- Inst/Elec Controls
- Leadership
- Machinery
- Maintenance & Turnarounds
- Mechanical Eng
- Mechanical Integrity
- Nuclear
- Piping
- Process Eng
- Reliability
- Strategic Business Planning
- Training
- Business Administration
Gordon Lawrence
Global Group Lead - Turnaround Services – Reliability, Maintenance & Turnarounds Division Regional Manager – EMEA & APAC: Project Assurance
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Maureen Brody
Training Lead – Private Training & Curriculum Development, Becht Learning & Development Division
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Hearl Mead, Jr
Refining Metallurgical & Corrosion Engineer & Asset Integrity Management Expert
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Paul Southerland
Project Manager - Fixed Equipment, Mechanical Integrity, and Reliability Engineering
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