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
- Environmental Barrier Coatings (EBCs) for Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) R&D in Surftec – Engineering Ceramic-Based Aerospace Gas Turbine Engines
- High Performance Protective Coatings for Inner Diameters of Landing Gear and Other Applications with Confined Surfaces for the Replacement of Hard Chrome
- Engineering the Next Generation of Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs) via Thermal Spraying
- Thermally Sprayed Functional High-entropy Allow (HEA) Coatings for Advanced Transport and Energy Applications
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.
- Baker-Hughes – Nuovo Pignone Tec
- Corrosion and Abrasion Solutions Ltd.
- 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.
- SprayWerx Technologies Inc.
- Siemens Canada Limited
- Tecnar Automation Ltée
- Treibacher Industrie AG
- Vac Aero International Inc.
Academic Collaborators
- Centre technologique en aérospatiale (CTA)
- Concordia University
- École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS)
- University of Toronto
Major partners
- Canadian Space Agency
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
Deepak Sabharwal, Business Development Officer
Email: Deepak.Sabharwal@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Targeted industries
Aerospace, industrial gas turbines, automotive, and oil and gas sectors.