Grant: Alliance Grants

This proposal is dedicated to accelerating Canada's accessibility to, and exploitation of, metal additive manufacturing (AM) technology. Metal AM presents massive opportunities for many sectors in Canada as it emboldens the end-user with nearly unlimited freedom in design to a point where component geometries historically unattainable can now be readily fabricated. Steady progress in the maturation of commercial-scale metal AM technologies has led to exponential market growth and intense investments in Canada. To further strengthen Canada's position within the global AM enterprise, this proposal seeks to develop and apply effective AM processing sequences for alloys that are of strategic value to Canada but remain heavily undeveloped in an AM context; specifically, corrosion-resistant materials that contain high concentrations of copper. As conventional wrought/cast systems, hundreds of different copper alloys are deployed within Canada's defence, aerospace, manufacturing, and energy industries. The marine defence sector is a particularly prolific consumer as excellent resistance to corrosion in a saltwater environment is imperative to end-use applications within this domain and typically the primary trait of copper alloys that sets them apart from alternatives. As such, the proposed research will be completed against a central backdrop of the priorities, challenges, and opportunities inherent to this sector. The research team includes four research chairs and eighteen research professionals from partners in the federal government and private sector. Together with sizable cohort of research trainees, this comprehensive group shall engage fundamental research on gas atomization of powder feedstock and the response of copper alloys to AM modalities employed for component fabrication ( laser powder bed fusion, binder jet printing) and repair (powder fed laser directed energy deposition, wire arc additive manufacturing). These efforts will integrate the effects of cutting-edge lasers, in-depth material characterization completed in accordance with international defence standards, and proactive investigation of NextGen naval alloys and opportunities.