Additive manufacturing in the oil and gas industries

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a process for creating prototypes and functional components achieved by consolidation of material layer upon layer. Applications of AM technologies have been witnessed in the healthcare, automotive, architecture, power generation, electronics and aviation industries. Some of the main benefits of AM include effective material utilisation, new design possibilities, improved functionality of the products and flexible production. The opportunities for the applications of additive manufacturing in the oil and gas industries are only just being explored. In this study, a review of the potential opportunities of AM technologies in oil and gas industries was reported. The adoption of the AM technologies necessitated the need for a rethink on design for manufacture and assembly of oil and gas component parts such as high-tech end burners, metal fuel nozzles, and submersible pump components amongst others. The possibility of employing AM technologies on-site for the production of spare parts for replacement of damage components in oil and gas equipment and facilities is commendable, as this brings about reduction in production downtime and replacement cost. The future of AM in the oil and gas industries is highly promising, however before AM can actualize its full-fledged potentials in these industries, further research is required in the area of new materials development and processing, improved surface finish of AM fabricated parts, enhanced fabrication speed and parametric optimisation to improve the mechanical properties of the fabricated components

Corrosion resistance of surface-conditioned 301 and 304 stainless steels by salt spray test

The corrosion rate of surface-conditioned 301 and 304 stainless steels (SS) was determined by salt spray test in a controlled accelerated corrosive medium (9.5 L of pure distilled water + 500 g NaCl). By surface conditioning via mechanical attrition treatment, a gradient-structured layer was firstly generated on the surface of the samples before the salt spray test. The corrosion rate was determined by the weight loss before and after the salt spray test. Compared to the untreated 301 SS sample with a weight loss of 0.15 g, the surface-conditioned samples treated for 300 s and 1200 s experienced a lower weight loss of 0.04 and 0.02 g, respectively. A similar reduction in weight loss was achieved for 304 SS sample when treated for 5, 10, and 20 mins

Corrosion resistance of surface-conditioned 301 and 304 stainless steels by salt spray test

The corrosion rate of surface-conditioned 301 and 304 stainless steels (SS) was determined by salt spray test in a controlled accelerated corrosive medium (9.5 L of pure distilled water + 500 g NaCl). Surface conditioning via mechanical attrition treatment was firstly carried out before the salt spray test. The corrosion rate was determined by weight loss method before and after the salt spray test. Compared to the untreated 301 SS sample with a weight loss of 0.15 g, the surface-conditioned 301 SS samples treated for 300 s and 1200 s experienced a lower weight loss of 0.04 and 0.02 g, respectively. A similar reduction in weight loss was achieved for 304 SS sample when treated for 300, 600, and 1200 s

Additive manufacturing in the oil and gas industries : a review

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a process for creating prototypes and functional components achieved by consolidation of material layer upon layer. Applications of AM technologies have been witnessed in the healthcare, automotive, architecture, power generation, electronics and aviation industries. Some of the main benefits of AM include effective material utilisation, new design possibilities, improved functionality of the products and flexible production. The opportunities for the applications of additive manufacturing in the oil and gas industries are only just being explored. In this study, a review of the potential opportunities of AM technologies in oil and gas industries was reported. The adoption of the AM technologies necessitated the need for a rethink on design for manufacture and assembly of oil and gas component parts such as high-tech end burners, metal fuel nozzles, and submersible pump components amongst others. The possibility of employing AM technologies on-site for the production of spare parts for replacement of damage components in oil and gas equipment and facilities is commendable, as this brings about reduction in production downtime and replacement cost. The future of AM in the oil and gas industries is highly promising, however before AM can actualize its full-fledged potentials in these industries, further research is required in the area of new materials development and processing, improved surface finish of AM fabricated parts, enhanced fabrication speed and parametric optimisation to improve the mechanical properties of the fabricated components

Simulation-based analytical design for aluminium recycling processing plant

Indiscriminate disposal of beverage cans as waste poses a great threat to the environment, causing flooding, landfill, and blockage of drainages, leading to land pollution and sometimes accident. Hence, there is a need to design a system capable of converting these wastes into usable products. In this study, a simulation-based analytical design for aluminium recycling processing plant was carried out to ascertain the efficiency and reliability of the design before fabrication using finite element analysis (FEA) approach. The simulation results revealed a lesser maximum stress of 6.323 MPa for the furnace outer casing under the action of load with a displacement of 0.0795 mm. The stress of the machine components is less than the yield strength of the selected materials, making the machine fit and workable. The analytical results agree with the numerical analysis; hence the conceptual design is fit for fabrication based on the design analysis and evaluation. After the design analysis and simulation, the designed recycling process plant parts are found to be under negligible deflection and stress which is far below the yield strength of chosen materials

Simulation-based analytical design for aluminium recycling processing plant

Indiscriminate disposal of beverage cans as waste poses a great threat to the environment, causing flooding, landfill, and blockage of drainages, leading to land pollution and sometimes accident. Hence, there is a need to design a system capable of converting these wastes into usable products. In this study, a simulation-based analytical design for aluminum recycling processing plant was carried out to ascertain the efficiency and reliability of the design before fabrication using finite element analysis (FEA) approach. The simulation results revealed a lesser maximum stress of 6.323 MPa for the furnace outer casing under the action of load with a displacement of 0.0795 mm. The stress of the machine components is less than the yield strength of the selected materials, making the machine fit and workable. The analytical results agree with the numerical analysis; hence the conceptual design is fit for fabrication based on the design analysis and evaluation. After the design analysis and simulation, the designed recycling process plant parts are found to be under negligible deflection and stress which is far below the yield strength of chosen materials

Corrosion Study and Surface Analysis of the Passivation Film on Surface-Deformed AISI 304 Stainless Steel

The surface analysis of the passivation film formed on surface-deformed AISI 304 stainless steel was carried out in the present study, and its corrosion properties were also determined. The morphology of the surface layer and the phase identification before and after surface modification was examined via scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques, respectively. The composition of the resulting passive film as well as Cr distribution as a function of sputter depth was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) method. The XPS spectra revealed the existence of Cr, Fe, O, Ni, and C as the principal elements in the resulting passive films formed on the treated 304 steel sample with a high percentage of Cr at the top surface layer. Compared to the untreated sample, the potentiodynamic polarization tests revealed that the treated sample exhibited a better corrosion behavior in terms of higher corrosion potential, lower corrosion current density, and higher impedance.<br/

Corrosion, Corrosion Fatigue, and Protection of Magnesium Alloys: Mechanisms, Measurements, and Mitigation

Magnesium (Mg) alloys are non-toxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible special metallic biomaterials for biomedical applications, but less corrosion-resistant in physiological and chloride-containing environments. This often limits their use as potential biomedical implants due to loss of their mechanical integrity. This can be addressed by adopting several approaches such as surface modifications and coatings as well as pre-treatments including anodization, microarc oxidation, and electrodeposition. To further provide insights into better ways to improve the corrosion resistance of Mg alloys in saline and physiological environments, the present work provides a comprehensive overview of the electrochemical properties of Mg alloys as a biodegradable material. More importantly, the corrosion and corrosion fatigue mechanisms in surface-modified Mg alloys are explicitly reviewed. The significant influence of alloying on the corrosion resistance behaviors of biodegradable Mg alloys is also reviewed and discussed explicitly. The different methods of measuring the corrosion rates of Mg and its alloys are reviewed and summarized. As potential implant materials, the recent progress and developments on Mg alloys in the biomedical fields and their resulting corrosion properties are discussed and the research trends for future works are highlighted

Electrochemical Properties of Heat-Treated Al Alloy A6061-T6 in 0.5 M H2SO4 Solution

The present study investigated the effects of heat treatment by low-temperature annealing and temperature change on the electrochemical properties of aluminium (Al) alloy A6061-T6 in 0.5 M sulphuric acid (H2SO4) solution. Subsequent to heat treatment at five different temperatures of 250 °C, 300 °C, 350 °C, 400 °C, and 500 °C (constant time of 1 h.), the heat-treated Al alloy A6061-T6 samples were subjected to corrosion tests via potentiodynamic polarization techniques at room temperature. Optical microscopy was used for the characterization of the corroded areas for both the control and heat-treated samples. Compared to the control Al alloy A6061-T6 sample with a higher corrosion current density of 391.38 µA/cm2, the Al alloy A6061-T6 samples annealed at 250 °C, 300 °C, 350 °C, 400 °C, and 450 °C possessed a lower corrosion current density of 390.62 µA/cm2, 191.66 µA/cm2, 113.89 µA/cm2, 64.23 µA/cm2, and 60.99 µA/cm2, respectively. The annealed samples are characterized by lower corrosion density as well as the presence of little or no corrosion products and pits. Heat treatment by low-temperature annealing improves the electrochemical properties of Al alloy A6061-T6, and the corrosion resistance increases with increasing annealing temperature

Electrochemical Properties of Heat-Treated Al Alloy A6061-T6 in 0.5 M H2SO4 Solution

The present study investigated the effects of heat treatment by low-temperature annealing and temperature change on the electrochemical properties of aluminium (Al) alloy A6061-T6 in 0.5 M sulphuric acid (H2SO4) solution. Subsequent to heat treatment at five different temperatures of 250 °C, 300 °C, 350 °C, 400 °C, and 500 °C (constant time of 1 h.), the heat-treated Al alloy A6061-T6 samples were subjected to corrosion tests via potentiodynamic polarization techniques at room temperature. Optical microscopy was used for the characterization of the corroded areas for both the control and heat-treated samples. Compared to the control Al alloy A6061-T6 sample with a higher corrosion current density of 391.38 µA/cm2, the Al alloy A6061-T6 samples annealed at 250 °C, 300 °C, 350 °C, 400 °C, and 450 °C possessed a lower corrosion current density of 390.62 µA/cm2, 191.66 µA/cm2, 113.89 µA/cm2, 64.23 µA/cm2, and 60.99 µA/cm2, respectively. The annealed samples are characterized by lower corrosion density as well as the presence of little or no corrosion products and pits. Heat treatment by low-temperature annealing improves the electrochemical properties of Al alloy A6061-T6, and the corrosion resistance increases with increasing annealing temperature