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Title: Hardfacing fights wear in oil sands operation

Journal Article · · Welding Journal
OSTI ID:27994
;  [1]
  1. Syncrude Canada Ltd., Edmonton, Alberta (Canada)

Wear attack is responsible for high production losses and over $40 million per year in equipment repairs and replacement costs at Syncrude`s synthetic crude oil plant near Fort McMurray in Northern Alberta. Most of this damage is caused by the fine quartz particle constituents which predominate in oil sands. It occurs in a multiplicity of forms which can be classified into three primary mechanisms: Sliding abrasive wear and sporadic impact, which affects mainly mining equipment; Slurry abrasion and erosion, which occur in bitumen extraction, separation plants, and in tailings lines; and High-temperature erosion, which is often augmented by corrosion in bitumen upgrading operations. Process streams in this area also contain fine coke particles and catalyst debris. The paper gives an overview of Syncrude`s operations in mining, extraction, and upgrading, then describes the following: wear materials and protection systems, surface engineering systems, weld deposited hardfacing, benefits, surface modification system experience, thermal spray coating experience, disk centrifuge bowls, investigation of plasma arc spraying, and combating pump erosion.

OSTI ID:
27994
Journal Information:
Welding Journal, Vol. 74, Issue 3; Other Information: DN: Presented October 23, 1993, in Montreal and October 24, 1993, in Toronto at conference on coatings and surface engineering; PBD: Mar 1995
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English