Bulk Electroforming and Cold-Spraying of Advanced High-strength/Corrosion-resistant/Anti-wetting Alloys and Composites

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This 5-year research program is concerned with the development, characterization, and property measurements of several groups of advanced electroformed and cold-sprayed materials that are currently not available elsewhere in the world. The first group is corrosion-resistant copper made by electroforming/cold spraying on the outer surface of Used Fuel Containers (UFCs) for safe and long-term storage (>1 million years) of radioactive waste generated by Canada's fleet of nuclear reactors in a deep geological repository (DGR). The construction of the DGR is expected to begin in 2033 and to become operational in the early 2040's. This part of our research program is a crucial component of a multi-researcher, multi-university research effort to study the long-term performance of the UFC in the expected DGR environment. The second type of material deals with the development of high strength and high temperature stable electroformed nanocrystalline alloys (Ni-Co, Co-P, and high-entropy alloys) that could find application in the aerospace or automotive industries. The last group of electroformed materials addresses superhydrophobic composite electroforms for application as advanced heat-transfer and corrosion-resistance materials for heat exchanger applications in Canada's power industries. Both the alloy and composite electroform work is expected to produce new materials in the medium time frame of 5-10 years. The research builds on previous successful material developments by the applicant and his research team in the areas of advanced nanocrystalline electrodeposits and grain-boundary-engineered materials. The program will be executed in strong collaboration with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO, Toronto), the National Research Council (NRC, Boucherville) and Integran Technologies, Inc. (Mississauga). The research will contribute to the training of 19 highly qualified personnel (HQP) who will directly interact with several researchers at the collaborating external partners. This fundamental research program has great potential to contribute to the development of several advanced materials technologies that are wholly Canadian owned for several industry applications particularly for Canadian manufacturing industries.