Deep Cryogenic Treatment of High Performance Metals and Related Composites**

Based in Blandford, Nova Scotia, Deep Cryogenics International specialise in the development and application of deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) to a broad range of advanced materials, such as tool steels, ceramic-metal composites (or 'cermets'), and light alloys. They have already developed and hold valuable intellectual property in this area, and are planning to expand their industrial presence and process technology into a variety of industries that are economically important to Canada (oil and gas, shipbuilding, mining, defence, etc.). The DCT process involves controlled rate cooling of engineering components to liquid nitrogen temperature (-196 degrees C), and then holding at this temperature for a fixed period of time (typically up to 24 hours). The benefits of DCT have been extensively documented, in terms of increased hardness, wear and corrosion resistance, tensile strength, etc., and are regularly applied in the tool and die industry. The proposed work will evaluate the effects of DCT applied to three material systems: (i) D2 tool steel, (ii) Ti-6Al-4V, and (iii) a novel TiC-Ni3Al cermet. The mechanical, tribological and corrosion response of these materials will be evaluated both before and after DCT (for up to 24 hours at -196 degrees C), with the tool steels subjected to appropriate austenitising/tempering treatments prior to DCT. The proposed work will enable further future expansion of this growing technology, with direct economic benefits to Deep Cryogenics International, the Atlantic Provinces region, and Canada. It is anticipated that the outlined research will enable their expansion into several major new market sectors, notably oil and gas, mining, defence, and shipbuilding. At the same time, it will provide important training for at least two HQP at Dalhousie, who will have access to stay-of-the-art facilities for materials processing and characterisation.*