An evaluation of additive manufacturing of MMCs for oil sands applications

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This project will address the use of the Plasma Transfer Arc process for Additive Manufacturing (PTA-AM)applications in the oil and gas industry. Due to the high wear and corrosion action of oil sands, metal matrixcomposites (MMCs) are required for use in oil sands operations. Typically a NiCrSiB alloy powder is mixedwith tungsten carbide (WC) powders and fed through a nozzle into a plasma protected by inert gas anddeposited onto a substrate. For PTA-AM applications, we propose to build layer by layer two parts of interestto Syncrude and specific to their operations, a flanged pipe and an injection nozzle head. This will be the firstresearch study of AM using the PTA process in Canada and likely the first in the world for MMC applications.This project will involve a collaboration between four researchers from the University of Alberta and InnoTechAlberta. By combining the expertise of both groups, the feasibility of this approach to AM can be fullyexplored. As we anticipate success, our collaboration with InnoTech Alberta will ensure excellent transfer oftechnology to industry and for future scale-up studies. For this project, the combined expertise of materialsprocessing, Henein, the operation of the PTA, Wolfe, the re-design of PTA for AM applications, Qureshi, andthe metallurgical analysis of the AM samples, Li, offers a unique combination of interdisciplinary expertise.Such a combination of expertise will also provide a unique atmosphere for the training of Highly QualifiedPeople (HQP). We plan to have three students working on this project each year of its proposed four yearduration. A 50% time of a Research Associate is also required in order to provide day to day supervision ofstudents using laboratory facilities such as Differential Scanning Calorimetry. In order to facilitate futurescale-up the experimental tests will be carried out at the PTA unit located at InnoTech Alberta. Costs of accessare included in the proposal as well as in-kind contributions from InnoTech Alberta in support of thiscollaboration. Syncrude is providing both cash and in-kind contributions as outlined in detail.