L2M –Next-Generation Marine and Offshore Components via Canadian High-Entropy Alloys and Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF)

This project focuses on developing next-generation marine and offshore components using high-entropy alloys (HEAs) derived from Canadian resources and manufactured through Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), an advanced metal additive manufacturing technology. The marine and offshore oil and gas industries operate in some of the world’s most corrosive and mechanically demanding environments, where corrosion, fatigue, and biofouling severely limit component lifetimes and drive up maintenance costs. Conventional materials, including stainless steels, bronzes, and nickel alloys, offer only partial solutions and cannot meet the complex design and durability requirements of modern marine systems.

To address these challenges, this project introduces a two-stage innovation framework. The first stage focuses on designing HEAs using strategic Canadian elements, niobium (Nb), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), and iron (Fe), to achieve outstanding resistance to corrosion, fatigue, and biofouling. These alloys are engineered at the microstructural level to withstand harsh seawater exposure, reduce maintenance intervals, and improve energy efficiency. The second stage leverages LPBF additive manufacturing to fabricate intricate geometries such as pump blades, valve housings, impellers, and fluid-handling components that are impossible to produce by traditional methods.

The integration of HEA alloy design with LPBF manufacturing will establish a Canadian-led innovation framework that links domestic materials resources with advanced manufacturing expertise. This project not only addresses critical needs in marine and offshore industries but also strengthens Canada’s position in the global blue economy by developing sustainable, high-performance solutions from homegrown materials. The outcomes, optimized alloy compositions, validated manufacturing parameters, and demonstrated prototypes, will provide a foundation for future industrial adoption, supporting Canada’s economic growth, technological leadership, and environmental resilience.

Faculty Supervisor:

Mohsen Mohammadi

Student:

Partner:

Springboard Atlantic Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Advanced Manufacturing; Oil and Gas; Ocean Tech

University:

University of New Brunswick

Program: