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 matrix**composites (MMCs) are required for use in oil sands operations. Typically a NiCrSiB alloy powder is mixed**with tungsten carbide (WC) powders and fed through a nozzle into a plasma protected by inert gas and**deposited onto a substrate. For PTA-AM applications, we propose to build layer by layer two parts of interest**to Syncrude and specific to their operations, a flanged pipe and an injection nozzle head. This will be the first**research 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 InnoTech**Alberta. By combining the expertise of both groups, the feasibility of this approach to AM can be fully**explored. As we anticipate success, our collaboration with InnoTech Alberta will ensure excellent transfer of**technology to industry and for future scale-up studies. For this project, the combined expertise of materials**processing, Henein, the operation of the PTA, Wolfe, the re-design of PTA for AM applications, Qureshi, and**the 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 Qualified**People (HQP). We plan to have three students working on this project each year of its proposed four year**duration. A 50% time of a Research Associate is also required in order to provide day to day supervision of**students using laboratory facilities such as Differential Scanning Calorimetry. In order to facilitate future**scale-up the experimental tests will be carried out at the PTA unit located at InnoTech Alberta. Costs of access**are included in the proposal as well as in-kind contributions from InnoTech Alberta in support of this**collaboration. Syncrude is providing both cash and in-kind contributions as outlined in detail.