Observations of the spallation modes in an overlay coating and the corresponding thermal barrier coating system

Abstract

The oxidation dynamics of an overlay coating and the corresponding thermal barrier coating system are presented. The particular systems examined are composed of a nickel-based superalloy with an air plasma-sprayed NiCrAlY bond coat and the thermal barrier coating system consists of air plasmasprayed yttria stabilized zirconia layer. Failure can occur in these systems by crack propagation within the ceramic outer layer at the interface with the bond coat. Defects, such as microcracks and pores, are common in plasma-sprayed coatings and within the thermally grown oxide scales. These can act as initiation sites for cracks. The subsequent growth of these cracks can lead to loss of the outer protective materials. Considerable information is available by microscopic examination of sections through test specimens that have been held at temperature for varying amounts of time. By careful sample preparation it is possible to monitor the development of the oxide scale formed during high temperature testing and the sites of failure. Identification of the initiation sites and growth of cracks is important in understanding the spallation process. In this study, scanning electron microscopy is used to provide evidence of the processes involved in the two systems. A comparison of the two coating systems reveals the effect the outer ceramic layer has on the oxide scale growth, and the spallation processes crucial to the understanding of the failure mechanisms of these coating systems.     

The effect of bond coat oxidation on the microstructure and endurance of a thermal barrier coating system

Abstract

Isothermal oxidation tests have been carried out on a thermal barrier coating (TBC) system consisting of a nickel-based superalloy, CoNiCrAlY bond coat applied by HVOF and yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) top coat applied by EB-PVD. Bond coat microstructure, coating cracking and failure were characterised using high resolution scanning electron microscopy complemented with compositional analyses using energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. A protective alumina layer formed during the deposition of the YSZ top coat and this grew with sub-parabolic kinetics during subsequent isothermal oxidation at temperatures in the range 950 to 1150°C. After short exposures at 1050°C and final cooling, small sub-critical cracks were found to exist within the YSZ but adjacent to bond coat protuberances. Their formation is related to the development of local tensile strains associated with the growth of an alumina layer (TGO) on the non-planar bond coat surface. However, for the specimens examined, these cracks did not propagate, in contrast to other TBC systems, and final spallation was always found to have occurred at the bond coat/TGO interface. This shows that the strain energy within the TGO layer made a significant contribution to the delamination process.     

The effect of superalloy substrate on the behaviour of high-purity low-density air plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings

Abstract

Several superalloy-bond coat couples were prepared without ceramic topcoat layers to better understand the effects of superalloy substrate on the oxidation behaviour of NiCoCrAlY bond coats. The same composition NiCoCrAlY bond coats were deposited on three superalloy substrates (Inconel 718, Haynes 188 and Rene’ N5) via argon-shrouded plasma spraying. The specimens were exposed to cyclic oxidation in laboratory air at 1100°C in a bottom loading furnace. Scaling behaviour and rate of aluminum depletion were compared between the various specimens. The bond coats on all three superalloys experienced some form of chemical failure after an extended number of cycles. The number of cycles until chemical failure was shortest for the IN718 specimen followed by the HA188 specimen, both of which experienced complete bond coat chemical failure, and then the Rene’ N5 specimen, which experienced localized chemical failure. The cycles to chemical failure coincide with the cycles to thermal barrier coating (TBC) spallation from previous work, indicating chemical failure of the bond coat is a critical event in the lifetime of TBCs. The effect of bond coat surface finish and porosity on the scaling behaviour has been investigated using specimens with the same superalloy substrate but with different bond coat surface finishes and porosity levels which were produced by utilizing two separate sized starting bond coat metallic powders. Bond coats with minimal porosity and smooth surface finishes did not experience chemical failure, at least in the time frame they were tested; however, oxide scale spallation was more apparent in the smooth bond coats as compared to the specimens with the rough surface finishes and high levels of porosity.     

圆柱基体热障涂层热冲击下失效的瞬态应力分析

用等离子喷涂方法在合金圆柱体上制备了热障涂层,并用水冷的方法进行了热冲击实验,试样的失效现象为轴向的开裂和剥落.利用有限元分析工具对热障涂层的热冲击进行模拟,通过对涂层内部应力随时间分布的分析发现:热冲击过程中陶瓷层表面的周向应力随着时间由拉转变为压,冷却初期陶瓷层的周向拉应力值较大,超过了陶瓷层的抗拉强度,因而淬冷初期的周向应力是导致轴向裂纹萌发的主要原因;陶瓷层与粘结层接触面上的径向拉应力与粘结层的氧化生长引起界面开裂;轴向裂纹和界面开裂共同导致陶瓷层的剥落.     

An oxidation study of an MCrAlY overlay coating

Abstract

Metallic overlay coatings of the MCrAlY type (where M is Ni, Co or a combination of both) are regularly used in high-temperature plant to provide resistance to oxidation and high-temperature corrosion through the formation of a protective surface layer of alumina. Such coatings are also frequently used as a bond coat in thermal barrier coating systems. For both applications, the endurance of the coating system depends on the maintenance of the protective alumina layer. In particular, a high resistance to spallation is required and also a sufficient reservoir of aluminium within the coating so that re-healing of the alumina layer will occur should spallation occur.

In this paper the results of a study into the oxidation behaviour of an LPPS MCrAlY coating on a CM186LC alloy are presented. During the study extensive TGO thickness measurements were made at varying times at 1100°C from which the oxidation kinetics have been calculated up to the point where extensive spallation occurred. Over the time range where partial spallation of the TGO occurred, between 50 to 100 h, a duplex structure in the oxide scale was revealed. Micrographs and analyses of the oxide are presented and the two values of TGO thickness at this time at temperature are shown and discussed in terms of the early oxidation kinetics.     

Thermally grown oxide scales on γ-TiAl coated with thermal protection systems

Abstract

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) of yttria partially stabilized zirconia were deposited on gamma TiAl samples using electron-beam physical vapour deposition. The specimens were coated with intermetallic Ti –Al – Cr layers and CrAlYN/CrN nanoscale multilayer coatings. The lifetime of the TBC systems was determined performing cyclic oxidation tests in air at temperatures between 850 and 950–C. The TBC systems with Ti –Al – Cr and CrAlYN/CrN layers did not fail at 850 and 900–C during the maximum exposure time period of 1000 cycles of 1 h dwell time at high temperature. No spallation of the thermal barrier coatings was observed. As revealed by post-oxidation microstructural analysis, the protective coatings were severely degraded when exposed at 900–C, resulting in growth of mixed oxides on the substrate. Underneath the thermal barrier coating an outer oxide scale with a columnar structure was observed, consisting of rutile and α-Al₂O₃. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis revealed zirconia and chromia being dissolved in the outer oxide scale. The columnar structure and the presence of zirconia indicated an effect of the TBC on the morphology of the outer oxide scale. The zirconia top coat exhibited an excellent adherence to this oxide scale formed on the protective layers when degraded, and at defects like cracks. When thermally cycled at 950–C, the TBC system on specimens coated with Ti –Al – Cr failed by spallation of the thermally grown mixed oxides, whereas the thermal barrier coating was well adherent to the outer oxide scale at this temperature, too.     

Adhesion of thermal barrier coatings systems after long term oxidation : influence of preoxidation temperature and surface state of the bond coat

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the pre-oxidation temperature and surface state of the bond coat on the microstructure of the oxide scale formed at the first stages of oxidation and on its adhesion after subsequent long-term oxidation (1000 h) at 1100–C. Short-term isothermal oxidations of 1 h were performed at several temperatures (900–C, 1100–C) on a Pt-modified NiAl bond coat with two different surface states (as-aluminized or grit-blasted) deposited on a superalloy (AM1). The adherence of the different systems after an additional isothermal ageing treatment in air at 1100–C for 1000 h, was compared in order to deduce the initial oxide scale leading to the best resistance to spallation. Characterization was performed using SEM and analytical TEM. The crystalline structure and the morphology of the as-formed oxide scale were studied as a function of the different parameters.     

On the performance and failure mechanism of thermal barrier coating systems used in gas turbine blade applications: Influence of bond coat/superalloy combination

Surface engineering plays a major role in achieving the performance and design lives of gas turbine components such as the high pressure turbine aerofoils which operate under the most arduous conditions of temperature and stress leading to a wide range of thermal and mechanical loading during service. In this study, emphasis is placed upon the role of composite systems consisting of bond coat and superalloy substrate in determining the performance and useful life of thermal barrier coatings using yttria-stabilized zirconia as top coat processed by electron-beam physical vapor deposition. Three platinum-modified bond coats of the diffusion type and three nickel-based superalloys are included in the study. Thermal exposure tests at 1150 °C in air with a 24-hour cycling period to room temperature have been used to rank the performance of the coating systems. Various electron-optical techniques have been used to characterize the sequence of events leading to coating failure as marked by spallation of the top ceramic coat. It is shown that for a given superalloy substrate, the coating performance is dependent upon the type of bond coat. Conversely, for a given bond coat, the performance becomes a function of the superalloy composition used in the application. However, in both cases, coating failure is found to be predominated by loss of adhesion between the thermally grown oxide and bond coat indicating that the respective interface is the weakest link in the system. The results are interpreted in terms of the phase transformations which occur in the bond coats during exposure at elevated temperatures and the corresponding effects on their oxidation behavior.     

Microstructural changes to metal bond coatings on gas turbine alloys with time at high temperature

Complex coating systems are required to protect nickel-based super alloys from high temperature oxidation and corrosion. Industrial gas turbine blades and heat shields are generally plasma sprayed with a metal bond coating containing nickel, chromium, cobalt, aluminium and yttrium, and then an external thermal barrier coating of yttria-stabilised zirconia is applied. In this study, samples of an IN939 alloy heat shield with both a metal bond coat and a ceramic thermal barrier coating have been heated in air at high temperature for up to 2000 hours to assess the long term stability of the metal bond coat. Polished sections of the heat treated samples were examined by SEM and EDX to determine microstructural changes. The Ni-Cr-Co-Al-Y coating was found to be a very effective barrier against oxidation; the only apparent oxidation being the growth of an alumina layer between the bond coat and ceramic thermal barrier coating. With time, the growth of the Ni₃Al phase in the metallic bond coat was observed, with extensive diffusion of other elements to and from the bond coat.     

Comparative performance of selected bond coats in advanced thermal barrier coating systems

An investigation was carried out to determine the comparative performance of selected bond coats representing the diffusion aluminides and overlays in thermal barrier coating systems. Emphasis was placed upon oxidation behavior, thermal stability, and failure mechanism. Isothermal oxidation tests were carried out attemperatures in the range of 1000 °C to 1150 °C. Scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the coating microstructure. Among the bond coats examined, overlays exhibited the best performance followed by Pt-aluminides and simple alunimides for a given alloy substrate. However, for all types of bond coats, failure of the coating system occurred by decohesion of the oxide scale at the oxide-bond coat interface. All bond coats examined were found to be degraded by oxidation and interdiffusion with the alloy substrate permitting the formation of non-protective oxide scale near the bond coat surface. Platinum as well as active elements such as Hf and Y were identified as key elements in improving the performance of thermal barrier coating systems.     

Failure aspects of thermal barrier coatings

Abstract

The paper describes aspects of thermal barrier coating (TBC) microstructure and the physical and mechanical properties which they influence. The stress-strain behaviour of air plasma sprayed (APS) TBCs is discussed, including the role of residual stresses. Failure phenomena as well as the TMF behaviour of TBC coated nickel base superalloys are described. The role of bond coat oxidation on TBC life is discussed as well as some mechanical properties of vacuum plasma sprayed MCrAlY-bond coatings. Finally, life prediction methodologies are addressed and discussed in terms of a critical strain accumulation concept. From this is derived an equation which covers time dependent effects such as bond coat oxidation and sintering. The paper concludes with a brief summary of the evolution of TBCs in aero and industrial gas turbines, and the failure modes in each. In particular the increased importance of erosion, in industrial gas turbines, due to water injection is highlighted.     

热喷涂复合结构MCrAlY/8YSZ热障涂层的抗剥落能力

在陶瓷涂层与金属粘接层之间制备一层NiCoCrAlTaY/YSZ复合过渡层和通过半熔化团聚YSZ粉末制备层状/多孔团状复合结构YSZ隔热层,用SEM表征了涂层的显微组织;依照ASTM C633标准测试了涂层的结合强度;用压痕法测试了陶瓷层的弹性模量和断裂韧性。用激光脉冲法测试了陶瓷层的热导率。用高温水淬快速冷却实验验证涂层的抗剥落性能。结果表明,在不降低涂层隔热效果的前提下复合过渡层和和隔热层显著提高了涂层的抗剥落能力。HVOF制备的NiCoCrAlTaY粘接层组织致密,没有明显的氧化物;APS制备的NiCoCrAlTaY/YSZ复合过渡层内层间的结合良好,组织致密,金属与陶瓷粒子呈现出典型的层状交替分布特征;陶瓷层由典型层状结构内包含约11%未完全熔化团聚粉末形成的弥散分布多孔团状组织构成。复合结构使等离子喷涂TBC的结合强度由25.8 MPa提高到38.6 MPa,陶瓷层的弹性模量和热导率没有明显的变化,但是断裂韧性提高了1倍以上,涂层出现30%剥落的平均水淬周次由19.7次提高到72.1次,表明抗剥落能力显著提高。     

Correlation of processing technique and microstructure of platinum aluminide bond coats with performance of thermal barrier coatings deposited on nickel base superalloy

Abstract

We show that the performance of thermal barrier coating systems is critically dependent upon the processing technique and microstructure of platinum aluminides utilised as bond coats. It is demonstrated by thermal exposure tests at 1150°C in air with 24 h cycling period to room temperature that the average useful life of a coating system employing zirconia–7 wt-% yttria as top coat and alloy MAR M002DS as substrate is increased from 192 to 480 h by replacing a three-layer bond coat aluminised by conventional pack cementation with a two-layer bond coat aluminised by chemical vapour deposition. Before each aluminising process, the superalloy has been electroplated with a platinum layer about 7 μm in thickness. Microstructural characterisation using scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, electron-probe microanalysis, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction indicates that the superior performance provided by the two-layer bond coat is related to its higher thermal stability enhancing the adhesion of the thermally grown oxide. However, both coating systems are found to fail by the same mechanism involving loss of adhesion between the thermally grown oxide and bond coat.     

Chronological evaluation of interfacial damage in TBC due to thermal cycling

A two layer electron beam-physical vapor deposited (EV-PVD) thermal barrier coating (TBC) on a single crystal superalloy (René N5) substrate was characterized prior to and after thermal cycling at 2, 18, 25, 44, 50, 75, 100, 110, 150, and 175 cycles in between 200 C-1177 C. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and thermal wave imaging techniques were used to characterize the interfacial damage. Pt-Al was used as bond coat and 8 wt % YSZ was used as outer top layer. Interfacial cracking was observed even at two thermal cycles. Thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer increased with the number of thermal cycles. After numerous cycles over 100, interfacial separation was observed to be higher at the middle than at the edges of the sample. This observation is consistent with buckling induced delamination—a possible mechanism for spallation.     

Microstructural characterization of the failures of thermal barrier coatings on Ni-base superalloys

Abstract

Typical thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems consist of a nickel-base superalloy substrate coated with a MCrAlY or diffusion aluminide bond coat, onto which is deposited a yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) TBC. The bond coats are usually deposited via diffusion aluminizing processes or low pressure plasma spray processes (LPPS). The YSZ can be deposited by air plasma spraying (APS) or electron beam physical vapor deposition (EBPVD). A layer of thermally-grown oxide (TGO), which is usually alumina, forms between the bond coat and YSZ during TBC deposition and subsequent high-temperature exposure. The conventional wisdom is that APS coatings tend to fail in the YSZ and that EBPVD coatings tend to fail at the interface between the TGO and bond coat. However, current research has shown that the situation is much more complex and that the actual fracture path can be a function of the type of bond coat, the type of high-temperature exposure, and coating process parameters. This paper describes the results of a study of the failure of state-of-the-art EBPVD TBCs deposited on NiCoCrAlY and platinum-modified diffusion aluminide bond coats. The failure times and fracture morphology are described as a function of bond coat type. The failure times were found to be a strong function of temperature for both bond coats. The failure for NiCoCrAlY bond coats was found to initiate at defects in the coating, particularly at the TGO/YSZ interface, but the fracture propagated primarily along the TGO–bond coat interface. The failure times and morphologies for platinum-modified diffusion aluminide bond coats depended strongly on bond coat surface preparation. The mechanisms for failure of the two bond coats are described. Also, the effects of modifications to the bond coats and variations in processing parameters on these mechanisms are presented.     

Adhesion of thermal barrier coatings – the development of metastable alumina

Abstract

The adhesion of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) is dependent upon the characteristics of the thermally grown oxide (TGO) that forms between the TBC and the corrosion resistant bond coat. Work has been carried out to investigate the properties of the TGO as a function of ageing treatments using piezospectroscopy. Residual stress maps were generated for an electron beam physical vapour deposited (EB-PVD) TBC which showed a large variation in residual stress over the surface of a coated sample. The two peaks generally associated with a alumina (R1 and R2) frequently appear as doublets with a high and low stress component. In addition, the presence of a metastable θ alumina was detected in aged samples. It is believed that these observations can be related to incipient spallation of the TBC. The development of residual stress and the metastable oxide have been studied and correlated with the spallation behaviour of the TBC.     

Damage mechanisms of coated systems under thermomechanical fatigue

Abstract

The damage mechanisms of several kinds of coatings on a single crystal nickel base superalloy under thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) are described. The systems investigated were diffusion platinum aluminide coatings, Co–Ni–Cr–Al–Y overlay coatings, and thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). The TMF experiments were carried out on hollow specimens over a temperature range from 300 to 1050°C, at strain ranges Δ? = 0·5 and 0·7%, and at a strain ratio R = -∞. No coating cracking was found for the platinum aluminide coating. Instead, specimens failed owing to oxidation induced crack initiation from the uncoated inner surface of the hollow testpieces, although coating surface roughening caused by non-homogeneous oxidation was observed. For the overlay coating, roughening in terms of coating rumpling and coating cracking occurred, resulting in reduced TMF life. For TBC specimens with a thin ceramic coating processed by electron beam–physical vapour deposition (EB–PVD), TMF life was comparable with that of specimens with the overlay coating. Failure once again occurred owing to Co–Ni–Cr–Al–Y bond coat cracking and propagation into the substrate. In this system, some bond coat cracks penetrated through the top ceramic coat although others did not. In contrast with specimens coated with the overlay alone, no significant rumpling on the bond coat surface was observed and the crack density was low.     

Effect of superalloy substrate composition on the performance of a thermal barrier coating system

An investigation was carried out to determine the performance of a thermal barrier coating system consisting of (ZrO₂-8% Y₂O₃)/(Pt) on two single-crystal Ni-base superalloys. Coating/alloy behavior was studied with reference to: (i) initial microstructural features, (ii) oxidation properties, (iii) thermal stability characteristics, and (iv) failure mechanism. All thermal exposure tests were carried out at 1150°C in still air with a 24-h cycling period to room temperature. Failure of the coating system was indicated by macroscopic spallation of the ceramic top coat. Scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy as well as X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the microstructure.Decohesion between the thermally grown oxide and bond coat was found to be the mode of failure of the coating system for both alloys. This was correlated with the formation of Ti-rich and/or Ti+Ta-rich oxide particles near the oxide-bond coat interface degrading the adherence of the thermally grown oxide. However, the thickening rate of the oxide had very little or no effect on the relative coating performance. It was concluded that the coating performance is critically dependent on alloy substrate composition particularly the concentration of elements, which could have adverse effects on oxidation resistance such as Ti.     

Einfluss einer PVD‐Al‐Zwischenschicht auf die Eigenschaften eines thermisch gespritzten Wärmedämmschichtsystems nach Temperaturwechselbelastung

Thermal barrier coatings (TBC) generally consist of a metallic bond coat (BC) and a ceramic top coat (TC). Co–Ni–Cr–Al–Y metallic super alloys and Yttria stabilised zirconia (YSZ) have been widely used as bond coat and top coat for thermal barrier coatings systems, respectively. As a result of long‐term exposure of thermal barrier coatings systems to oxygen‐containing atmospheres at high temperatures, a diffusion of oxygen through the porous ceramic layer occurs and consequently an oxidation zone is formed in the interface between ceramic top coat and metallic bond coat. Alloying components of the BC layer create a so‐called thermally grown oxides layer (TGO). One included oxide type is α‐Al₂O₃. α‐Al₂O₃ lowers oxygen diffusion and thus slows down the oxidation process of the bond coat and consequently affects the service life of the coating system positively. The distribution of the alloying elements in the bond coat layer, however, generally causes the formation of mixed oxide phases. The different oxide phases have different growth rates, which cause local stresses, micro‐cracking and, finally, delamination and failure of the ceramic top coat layer. In the present study, a thin Al inter‐layer was deposited by DC‐Magnetron Sputtering on top of the Co–Ni–Cr–Al–Y metallic bond coat, followed by thermal spraying of yttria‐stabilised zirconia (YSZ) as a top coat layer. The deposited Al inter‐layer is meant to transform under operating conditions into a closed layer with high share of α‐Al₂O₃ that slows down the growth rate of the resulting thermally grown oxides layer. Surface morphology and microstructure characteristics as well as thermal cycling behaviour were investigated to study the effect of the intermediate Al layer on the oxidation of the bond coat compared to standard system. The system with Al inter‐layer shows a smaller thermally grown oxides layer thickness compared to standard system after thermal cycling under same conditions.     

Determining a critical strain for APS thermal barrier coatings under service relevant loading conditions

Despite the huge progress made in recent years in analysing the degradation behavior and the reliability of thermal barrier coating systems, there is still some deficit in the capability to predict damage evolution in terms of crack initiation and crack growth, which ultimately leads to macroscopic delamination and spallation of the coating system. In order to obtain this prediction capability, a fundamental understanding of the damage evolution processes under isothermal, thermo-cyclic and under thermo-mechanical loading conditions has to be developed.The aim of the presented work is to determine the critical strain, i.e. the strain at which cracking initiates, and to analyse the evolution of a network of cracks for widely used atmospheric plasma sprayed (APS) thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems. The TBC system has been exposed in our study to service relevant loading conditions, namely to thermal gradient mechanical fatigue (TGMF). TGMF tests for in-phase as well as out-of-phase loading cycles were performed on hollow cylindrical specimens made of the single crystal super alloy CMSX-4, loaded mechanically in 〈0 0 1〉 orientation, and being coated with a duplex system comprised of a CoNiCrAlY bond coat and a 8 wt.% Yttria partially stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) TBC. The CoNiCrAlY bond coat was deposited by Low Pressure Plasma Spraying (LPPS), while the ceramic top coat was deposited using the APS process. The loading cycles were chosen to represent an industrial gas turbine engine. Critical strains measured for delamination (within the ceramic coating or at the CoNiCrAlY – TBC interface) and through cracking, i.e. segmentation of the ceramic top coat was determined using a special compression test equipped with in situ acoustic emission technique. The mechanical testing was performed at room temperature after TGMF exposure. In order to study the impact of thermally grown oxide (TGO), specimens have been TGMF tested in the “as received” conditions as well as after isothermal aging (up to 3000 h at 1000 °C). To correlate the signal obtained by acoustic emission (AE) with the evolution of (micro-) cracks, the specimens have been carefully sectioned and investigated by standard metallographic means.The measured critical strains are used as a data basis for a strain-based lifetime model developed for isothermal and cyclic oxidation as well as thermo-mechanical loading. The lifetime model considers two failure modes, namely delamination and (vertical) through cracking.Metallographically obtained crack patterns within the TBC system have been incorporated into finite element models to quantify stress–relaxation as a consequence of damage evolution in the TBC system.The observations show that thermal gradient fatigue loading under in-phase loading leads to a shorter lifetime compared to out-of-phase loading.For the delamination mode, the critical strain values of the model are in good agreement with the experimental data of the TGMF experiments. The modeled critical strain for through cracking, on the other hand, is consistently lower than the experimentally determined failure strains, implying that the model describes the failure situation in a conservative manner.