An evaluation of additive manufacturing of MMCs for oil sands applications

该项目将解决在石油和天然气行业中使用等离子体转移电弧工艺进行增材制造（PTA-AM）应用的问题。由于油砂的高磨损和腐蚀作用，金属基复合材料（MMCs）需要在油砂作业中使用。通常，NiCrSiB合金粉末与碳化钨（WC）粉末混合，通过喷嘴进入惰性气体保护的等离子体，并沉积在基板上。对于PTA-AM应用，我们建议逐层构建Syncrude感兴趣且特定于其操作的两个部分，一个法兰管和一个注射喷嘴头。这将是加拿大第一个使用PTA工艺的AM研究，也可能是世界上第一个MMC应用。该项目将涉及来自阿尔伯塔大学和innotechaberta的四名研究人员之间的合作。通过结合两组的专业知识，可以充分探索这种AM方法的可行性。正如我们预期的那样，我们与艾伯塔省InnoTech的合作将确保技术向工业和未来规模研究的优秀转移。对于这个项目，材料加工的专业知识，Henein， PTA的操作，Wolfe，为增材制造应用重新设计PTA， Qureshi，以及增材制造样品的冶金分析，Li，提供了一个独特的跨学科专业知识的组合。这种专业知识的结合也将为高素质人才（HQP）的培训提供独特的氛围。我们计划在为期四年的项目中，每年有三名学生参与这个项目。还需要50%的研究助理时间，以便使用差示扫描量热法等实验室设备对学生进行日常监督。为了便于今后扩大规模，实验测试将在位于艾伯塔省InnoTech的PTA单位进行。提案中包括的设备费用以及来自艾伯塔省创新科技公司的实物捐助，以支持这一合作。Syncrude将提供现金和实物捐助，详情已列明。

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.