Surftec is a multi-partner research initiative led by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) which specializes and focuses on industry-driven needs for thermal spray technologies.
Thermal spray coatings are used primarily to protect underlying materials from harsh environments such as those created by very high temperature, wear or corrosion.
In operation since 1995, the NRC's Surftec Industrial R&D Group, leads pre-competitive market-driven research and development (R&D) projects focusing on 3 areas:
- Advanced gas turbine coatings
- Bond coat engineering
- Suspension plasma spray (SPS) of thermal barrier coatings (TBC)
- Environment barrier coatings (EBC) for ceramic matrix composite (CMCs)
- Thermal/environmental barrier coatings (T/EBCs) for hydrogen fueled turbine engines
- High-performance protective coatings
- Internal diameter high velocity oxygen fuel and high velocity air fuel development
- Energy and mining applications validation
- Lean processing
- Thermal spray 4.0
- Monitoring and process control
- Thermal spray digitalization
These R&D projects aim to advance thermal spray technologies and aid in cost reduction, process optimization, environment preservation and any other short-term outcomes that support business innovation for our industry members.
Why join Surftec?
Tapping into a multidisciplinary team composed of NRC experts, members will benefit from:
- de-risked, innovative and impactful solutions through pre-competitive projects
- high return on investment from their cash contribution
- networking opportunities with peers from across the entire value chain
- insight into latest thermal spray technologies
- accessing the NRC's and its academic collaborators' background IP and arising IP derived from pre-competitive projects
- having the opportunity to prove their solutions against similar or benchmark products in an unbiased environment using the latest technologies and best-in-class expertise
- R&D projects defined on active consultation of the members
- a competitive edge
the ability to launch projects to advance IP for their specific application and/or explore particular needs for developing an idea into a marketable product
Current Surftec projects
- Engineering Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs) for Gas Turbines Towards Sustainable Aviation & Power Generation (2023 – 2025)
- Thermally Sprayed Functional High-entropy Allow (HEA) Coatings for Advanced Transport and Energy Applications
- Data-driven Air Plasma Spray (APS) Development for Prediction of Control Parameters Associated to In-Flight Particles Characteristics
- Protective and Functional Coatings and Overlays Using ID-HVOF/HVAF Spray Systems
- Development of ytterbium-based coatings for next-generation gas turbine engines
- Sustainable Protective Coatings on the Inner Diameter of Landing Gear and Industrial Components for the Replacement of Hard Chrome (Cr VI) Plating: WC-Co-Cr and Beyond
Our members
Members span across the entire value chain, encompassing equipment and feedstock suppliers, OEMs, maintenance organizations, applicators and end users from aerospace, industrial gas turbines, automotive and energy.
- Advanced Ceramic Coatings, LLC
- Baker-Hughes – Nuovo Pignone Tec
- CASL Surface Technologies / Kymera International
- Cincinnati Thermal Spray, Inc.
- Flame Spray SpA
- North American Höganäs High Alloys, LLC.
- Honeywell International Inc.
- Liburdi Turbine Services, Inc.
- Northwest Mettech Corp.
- Polycontrols Technologies Inc.
- Pratt & Whitney Corp.
- Praxair Surface Technologies Inc.
- Rem-Tech Industries Inc.
- SprayWerx Technologies Inc.
- Tecnar Automation Ltée
- Treibacher Industrie AG
- Vac Aero International Inc.
Academic Collaborators
- Concordia University
- École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS)
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS)
- McGill University
- University of Toronto
Major partners
- Canadian Space Agency
- Consortium de recherche et d’innovation en transformation métallique (CRITM)
How Surftec works
- Members can join the Surftec Industrial R&D Group by paying a one-year membership fee of $10,000 per year for SMEs or $30,000 per year for MNEs
- R&D projects are proposed and discussed with the members.
- R&D projects are executed by the NRC and its academic collaborators.
- R&D results are presented in biannual meetings.
- Intellectual property developed within the R&D group and its academic collaborators is protected and managed by the NRC in order to maximize competitive advantage to members.
Contact us
For more information about Surftec and its current projects, contact:
Polly-Lee Moore, Surftec Manager
Email: polly-lee.moore@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Telephone: 450-641-5219
David Fraser, Director, Business Development
Email: David.Fraser@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Targeted industries
Aerospace, industrial gas turbines, automotive, and oil and gas sectors.