EXPLORATION • DRILLING • FIELD SERVICES
3D printed components offer enormous flexibility in design. With AM geometries and constructions are possible that couldn’t be made with conventional manufacturing methods
CEMENTEDCARBIDES THE EVOLUTIONOF
Tom Rayeck reveals how the combination of optimised carbide grades, AM and conventional manufacturing leads to durable valve components
F
low control is crucial within the oil and gas industry. Terefore, choke valves in numerous variations and dimensions are essential components for controlling the pressure and flow of well products. Having to endure severe conditions of multi-flow media, these components may suffer extreme mass loss by exposure to solid particle erosion and acidic corrosion. Maintaining or replacing worn-out parts is by far the least desirable option in the long term. Instead, choosing the most durable and reliable solution that easily withstands erosion as well as corrosion is preferable. For such situations, cemented carbides
have been a well-proven solution: high hardness, wear resistance and toughness,
combined with other mostly adaptable, high-performance characteristics, make cemented carbide the ideal material for numerous applications. At present, Ceratizit has over 100 different carbide grades with varying compositions for specific applications available. Tey are optimised for erosion, corrosion, thermal fatigue resistance, optimal hardness/ toughness balance or non-magnetic properties – depending on their intended use and the material combination.
EXTREMELY DURABLE, YET 3D-PRINTABLE Most cemented carbides use a cobalt binder phase. But due to their limited corrosion resistance and their being prone to binder leaching, pure WC-Co carbides
are often not suitable for application fields where corrosion is likely to occur. Te only solution is to use materials such as Co/Cr, Co/Ni or Ni/Cr rather than pure cobalt binders. Tese grades, such as Ceratizit’s ultrafine nickel-binder grade CTU17R, have almost the same characteristics as WC-Co (hardness, dimensional stability, high resistance to wear and tear), but with one significant difference: they offer greatly improved resistance to corrosion and abrasion. Now imagine the proven reliability of these carbide grades combined with the freedom of valve design offered by additive manufacturing (AM). Te role of AM is still on the rise, either as a complementary technology to existing manufacturing processes, or even being accepted as a fully
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