Adjunct Professor
Western Research Institute
University of Wyoming
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering
Dept. 3295
1000 E. University Avenue
Laramie, WY 82071
365 N. 9th Street
Laramie, WY 82072
jfschabr@uwyo.edu
Phone: 307.721.2445
Education:
Work History:
Principal Scientist, Division and Program Manager, Western Research Institute (WRI), 1990- present. Plan and develop and manage multidisciplinary fossil energy and related environmental research projects in areas of heavy oil processing and characterization, new analysis techniques and methods, product development, instrumentation, chemical sensors, soil samplers, and selenium and arsenic speciation. Developing a Heavy Oil Research Center at the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources with oil company co-sponsorship. Conduct chemical forensics projects related to paving asphalt failure, fuel fouling, and process plant and refinery problems. Project sponsors include private industry, US Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Defense, and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Duties include development of new ideas, program design, proposal writing, project management, contract and license agreement negotiation, developing interdisciplinary teams, staff mentoring, supervision, and marketing team capabilities. Initiate new projects and initiatives with private industry, trade groups, and government agencies. Projects are completed on-time and on-budget. Prepare presentations, peer-reviewed publications, and technical and management reports. Develop and patent new technologies. Maintain patent, invention disclosure, and trademark files for WRI and act as interface with patent attorney. Visited research institutions throughout North America to evaluate chemical sensor development efforts. Chairman of WRI Safety Committee, 1990-93. Took Business Plan Development, Nx Level for Business Startups, and other Business, Environmental Regulation and Project Management courses. Present tutorial seminars on project management, and heavy oil composition and characterization.
Recent Highlights
Elected Region 1 Representative (Western U.S., British Columbia, Alberta) for the Petroleum Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) for 2006-2008. Trustee, ACS Petroleum Division Scholarship Endowment Fund, 2006-2009.
Developed a new analytical separation technique of automated on-column precipitation and redissolution and methods based on the technique for rapid automated measurement of asphaltenes in heavy oils and asphalts, and characterization the polar subfractions of asphaltenes (patent pending). This technique has also led to the development of new methods for rapid wax determination and characterization in crude oils and asphalt binders.
Heavy oil and residua characterization and stability research continues to receive annual leveraging cash gift contributions and related proprietary contracts from major petroleum industry companies sine 1998. Current participants include BP, Chevron, Conoco Phillips, Exxon Mobil, Shell, and UOP.
Developed a new project co-funded by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and USDOE to act as the analytical chemistry advisor to EPRI and work with NIST and EPA to develop NIST traceability for mercury vapor pressure calibrator units for continuous emissions monitoring (CEM), required by the new Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR).
Received American Chemical Society Regional Industrial Innovation Award in October 2007 for developing the new X-WandTM technology for field screening halogenated VOCs with detection limits for trichloroethylene (TCE) of 1 part per billion in soil or water (U.S. Patent 7,487,662). Two successful validation projects were sponsored by the U.S. DoD National Defense Center for Environmental Excellence in 2004 and 2005. A new ASTM method was developed, ASTM D 7203, Standard Test Method for Screening Trichloroethylene (TCE) Contaminated Soil and Water Using a Heated Diode Sensor.
Developed innovative Coking Indexes (U.S. patent 6,773,921) for refinery efficiency improvement.
Developed new ultrasonic process analyzer for monitoring refinery distillation processes to minimize heavy oil fouling due to coke formation (U.S. patent 7,223,603).
Co-inventor of the Automated Flocculation Titrimeter (ASTM D 6703, patent pending) for petroleum stability and compatibility measurements. This technology was licensed to Koehler Instruments in 2003 for manufacture and distribution.
Initiated and negotiated contract which generated the first steady royalty stream for WRI beginning in 1999 for development of ASTM D 6418 describing the use of the En Core® soil sampling/storage device, worth about $750,000 over 17 years.
Co-inventor of new Accu CoreTM subsurface VOC soil sampler (U.S. Patents 7,172.036 and 7,216,725) for use in Geoprobe Penetrometers. Negotiated royalty agreements for WRI based on sales of soil VOC sampler devices.
Received a 2001 American Chemical Society Regional Industrial Innovation Award for
developing a new analytical method and the Diesel Dog® soil test kit for soil fuel contamination (ASTM D 5831, US Patents 5,561,065 and 5,976,883).
Developed new Phase Change Liquid (PCL) and storage container system for shipping samples and materials at freezer temperatures (U.S. Patent 7,260,956).
Organize and chair symposia at international conferences: American Chemical Society (ACS) meetings (Petroleum Division), joint ACS/AIChE symposia, and Canadian National Center for Upgrading Technology (NCUT), and AT On-Site.
Appointed to the Editorial Board of the new Taylor and Francis Encyclopedia of Petroleum
and Refining Science in 2004.
Appointed Adjunct Professor, University of Wyoming Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Department, 2009.
Analytical Division Manager and Senior Research Chemist, Western Research Institute 1984- 90. Set up a new analytical support division with
fossil fuel, environmental, waste, and drinking water analysis capabilities including
organic, inorganic, and physical testing.
Implemented a new computerized sample tracking system and quality control guidelines.
The division entered the EPA contract laboratory program (CLP) for organic analysis
in 1985. The division employed 25-30 people and operated with an annual budget near
$4 million. The CLP contract was successfully renewed in 1988, and a new division
providing organic analysis was spun off. The division obtained drinking water certification
in 1989. Took courses in Management, Proposal Preparation, Effective Management of
Chemical Analysis Laboratories, Assertiveness, Fundamentals of Finance and Accounting
for Non-Financial Executives, Environmental Water Chemistry, and Supervision.
Research Chemist, Phillips Petroleum Research Center, Production Branch, Bartlesville,
Oklahoma, 1982-84. Conducted research in supercritical carbon dioxide enhanced oil
recovery using surfactants, foams, and emulsions. Authored proprietary internal publications
and research proposals. Took short courses in Petroleum Core Analysis and Basic Supervision.
Research Chemist, Phillips Petroleum Research Center, Analysis Branch, 1979-82. Performed liquid chromatography methods development, analytical problem solving, and service work. Presented short courses in Liquid and Size Exclusion Chromatography. Took short courses in Petroleum Refining, Environmental Chemistry, Stress Management, and Communication.
Chemist, Midwestern Laboratories, Omaha, Nebraska, 1974-75. Analyzed environmental,
polymer, and food samples.
Teaching Assistant, analytical, general, and organic chemistry laboratories, Creighton
University and University of Wyoming, 1973-76.
Technical Expertise:
Specific expertise in characterization, extraction, separation and analysis method development for heavy oils and fossil fuels, environmental, and polymer materials. Invented new on-column precipitation and re-dissolution separation technique for heavy oil characterization. Designed experimental conditions for a new size exclusion chromatography method for determination of polymer content of polymer modified asphalts, which was later documented by a group member as a draft AASHTO method. Developed calibration protocol for preparative size exclusion chromatography separation of asphalts and petroleum asphaltenes. Developed fossil fuel and chemical separation schemes, including isolation of compound classes and individual compounds. Specific expertise in optical spectroscopy, including UV-visible, Fourier transfer infrared (FTIR), fluorescence, and phosphorescence. Research projects have included extensive nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) liquid, solid, relaxation time, and imaging data. Projects also have included rheology and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) components. Developed technology for rapid determination of polymer additives (US Patent 4,576,917) and for determination of soil fuel contamination (Diesel Dog® soil test kit, ASTM Method D-5831, US Patents 5,561,065 and 5,976,883). Led team to develop ASTM D-6418 describing use of En Core soil volatile organic compound (VOC) sampler. Co-inventor of new Accu CoreTM subsurface VOC soil sampler (US Patent 7,172,036) for use in Geoprobe Penetrometers. Developed new X-WandTM technology for field screening halogenated VOCs (ASTM D 7203, patent allowed). Developed new approaches for petroleum residua process optimization, with annual oil company contributions (BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, GE Betz, Headwaters, Shell, UOP) (US Patent 6,773,921 and others pending). Co-inventor of the Automated Flocculation Titrimeter (ASTM D 6703, patent pending) for petroleum stability measurements. Studied air/water partitioning and membrane permeation for photoionization detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Evaluated products for impurities, and developed methods to determine additives in fuels. Familiar with sample preservation and environmental analytical protocols. Expertise in chemical sensors, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and optical (absorption, luminescence, infrared, atomic absorption and emission) spectroscopy. Worked with gas chromatography (GC), autoanalyzers, elemental analyzers, and selective ion electrodes. Constructed devices for unattended HPLC fraction collection, supercritical fluid solubility and viscosity measurements, phosphorimetry, C,H determination, and a device for cold vapor determination of mercury. Measured adsorption isotherms of surfactants on reservoir rock. A process for changing asbestos into a non-hazardous material was developed and patented by division personnel. Review proposals and manuscripts for ASTM Journal for Testing and Evaluation, AOAC International, Analytical Chemistry, DOE (SBIR, STTR), Energy and Fuels, Environmental Science and Technology, Fuel, Fuel Science & Technology International, Petroleum Science and Technology, ASTM D34 Committee on Sample Disposal, Advances in Chemistry, and Wiley-VCH Books. Appointed to the Editorial Board of the new Taylor and Francis Encyclopedia of Petroleum and Refining Science in 2004. Authored over 200 technical publications, presentations, and reports.
Membership:
American Chemical Society (ACS) 1974-present; Air & Waste Management Association 1993- 95; Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)1983-86; Sigma Xi 1987; Analytical Lab Managers Association (ALMA) 1988-1993; Northeast Oklahoma ACS Section: Arrangements Chair 1980- 81; Continuing Education Chair 1982-83; Oklahoma Pentasectional ACS Meeting Arrangements Chair 1982; Wyoming ACS Section: Long Range Planning Chair 1986; Publicity and Public Relations Chair 1987-99, Executive Committee, 1992-95; Session Chair AT-Onsite International Conference on environmental field analysis, 1996, Program Committee, National ACS Division of Petroleum Chemistry, 1998-2007. Executive Committee Member, Region 1 Representative (Western U.S., British Columbia, Alberta), ACS Petroleum Division, 2006, 2008. Trustee, ACS Petroleum Division Scholarship Endowment Fund, 2006–2007. Member, Division of Fuel Chemistry. Organized and chair ACS Petroleum Division symposia on Heavy Oil and Residua Characterization, Stability and Compatibility for 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 National ACS meetings. Co-organize and Chair 2003 and 2006 WRI / National Center for Upgrading Technology (NCUT) symposia on stability and fouling in Edmonton, Canada. Session Chair, Petersen Asphalt Research Conference 2008. Organized symposium honoring Marty Gorbaty for the Fall 2008 National ACS meeting. Member, ASTM International. Listed, 2000 Eminent Scientists of Today, 1st ed. 2003.
U.S. Patents:
Pending U.S. Patents
Publications:
Technical Presentations:
