An evaluation of additive manufacturing of MMCs for oil sands applications

该项目将解决在石油和天然气工业中使用等离子转移弧工艺进行添加剂制造(PTA-AM)的问题。由于油砂的高磨损性和腐蚀性，油砂作业中需要使用金属基复合材料(MMC)。通常，NiCrSiB合金粉末与碳化钨(WC)粉末混合，通过喷嘴送入由惰性气体保护的等离子体中，然后沉积在衬底上。对于PTA-AM应用，我们建议一层又一层地建立两个特定于其操作的感兴趣的部件：法兰管道和喷嘴喷头。这将是加拿大第一个使用PTA过程对AM进行的研究，也可能是世界上第一个将MMC应用于AM的研究。该项目将涉及来自艾伯塔大学和阿尔伯塔创新技术公司的四名研究人员之间的合作。通过结合两个小组的专业知识，可以充分探索这种方法应用于AM的可行性。由于我们预期会取得成功，我们与艾伯塔省InnoTech的合作将确保将技术出色地转移到行业和未来的放大研究中。在这个项目中，材料加工、Henein、PTA的操作、Wolfe、针对AM应用的PTA的重新设计、Qureshi和AM样品的冶金分析的专业知识的结合，提供了一个独特的跨学科专业知识的组合。这种专业知识的组合也将为高素质人才(HQP)的培训提供独特的氛围。我们计划每年有三名学生参与这个项目，为期四年。还需要50%的研究助理时间，以便为使用差示扫描量热仪等实验室设施的学生提供日常监督。为了促进未来的规模扩大，将在位于艾伯塔省InnoTech的PTA单元进行实验测试。接入费用包括在提案中，以及艾伯塔省创新技术公司为支持这一合作而提供的实物捐助。如详细介绍的那样，辛克鲁德同时提供现金和实物捐助。

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.