Effect of laser remelting on the tribological performance of thermal barrier coatings

Gas turbine's efficiency improves as operating temperature is increased. For this reason, metallic components used in turbine engines, for propulsion and power generation, are protected by thermal barrier coatings (TBC). Laser glazing has been used to enhance the oxidation and corrosion resistance of thermally sprayed TBC, but there is no information about the effect of this treatment on the tribological performance. ZrO2(CaO) top coat and NiAIMo bond coating were flame sprayed onto an AlSI 1045 carbon steel. The top coat was laser remelted and a densified ceramic layer was induced in the top surface of the ceramic coating. Both, the as sprayed and the laser remelted top coatings, were formed by cubic ZrO2 with some tetragonal precipitates. The grain size was reduced by the laser treatment. The mechanical properties and the local wear rate were evaluated by depth sensing indentation and scratch tests respectively. The nanoscale wear behaviour was always improved by the laser treatment.     

Evaluation of mixed oxide formation and sintering behavior in thermal barrier coatings on nickel‐based superalloy

Thermal barrier coatings are widely used in aircraft turbines to protect nickel‐based superalloys from the effect of high temperature oxidation and hot corrosion. In this study, both NiCrAlY bond coat and yttria‐stabilized zirconia top coat were deposited using atmospheric plasma spray technique. After coating production, specimens were exposed to oxidation in air atmosphere at 900 °C, 1000 °C and 1100 °C for different periods of time up to 50 h. Microstructural transformations in the ceramic top coat and growth behavior of the thermally grown oxide layer were examined using scanning electron microscopy, porosity calculation, elemental mapping and hardness measurement. Formation of different types of oxides in the thermally grown oxide layer shows that this process strongly depends on deposition technique as well as on oxidation time and temperature. Hardness values of the top coat increased with a decrease in the porosity of the top coat. Uniformity and homogeneity of the thermally grown oxide layer and densification of the top coat were evaluated in terms of the structural durability of thermal barrier coating systems.     

Hot Isostatic Pressing of Plasma Sprayed Thermal Barrier Coating Systems

Thermal barrier coatings (TBC) are important to aerospace and high performance gas turbine engines because they help to keep the temperature experienced by the base metal low; thus, prolonging the life span of the material. Plasma spraying is a technique commonly used to deposit the ceramic-based TBC. An intermediate layer is applied to enhance the bond between the substrate and the ceramic top coat. However, the oxidation of the bond coat due to the infiltration of gas through the porous ceramic layer is a major problem encountered in TBC. This in turn leads to spalling and eventual destruction of the whole coating system. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) was performed on a number of plasma sprayed thermal barrier coating systems to investigate the effects the process has on micro structure and other physical properties. Due to the fact that the majority of TBC is exposed to thermal cycling and thermal fatigue, it is hoped that the changes brought about by HIP in the porosity and microstructure will improve the life span and performance of TBC. HIP was performed in the temperature range 750-1300° C and pressures of 50-200 MPa. The bond coats that were studied include Ni-5% Al, Ni-20 percnt; Al, NiCrAl and NiCrAlY, while the ceramic coat was Zr0₂-5 wt percnt; CaO. Characterization of the coatings was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and image analyser. The results showed the porosity of the coatings to be dramatically reduced to near zero levels. In addition, the other physical properties like hardness and Young's modulus increased over a wide temperature range.     

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.     

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.     

Crack propagation studies and bond coat properties in thermal barrier coatings under bending

Ceramic based thermal barrier coatings (TBC) are currently considered as a candidate material for advanced stationary gas turbine components. Crack propagation studies under bending are described that were performed on plasma sprayed ZrO₂, bonded by MCrAlY layer to Ni base superalloy. The crack propagation behaviour of the coatings at room temperature in as received and oxidized conditions revealed a linear growth of the cracks on the coating till the yield point of the super alloy was reached. High threshold load at the interface between the ceramic layer and the bond coat was required to propagate the crack further into the bond coat. Once the threshold load was surpassed the crack propagated into the brittle bond coat without an appreciable increase in the load. At temperatures of 800°C the crack propagated only in the TBC (ceramic layer), as the ductile bond coat offered an attractive sink for the stress relaxation. Effects of bond coat oxidation on crack propagation in the interface region have been examined and are discussed.     

The effect of bond coat on mechanical properties of plasma-sprayed Al2O3 and Al2O3-13 wt% TiO2 coatings on AISI 316L stainless steel

In this study, Al₂O₃ and Al₂O₃-13 wt% TiO₂ were plasma sprayed onto AISI 316L stainless-steel substrate with and without Ni-5 wt% Al as bond coat layer. The coated specimens were characterized by optical microscopy, metallography and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Bonding strength of coatings were evaluated in accordance with the ASTM C-633 method. It was observed that the dominant phase was Al₂O₃ for both coatings. It was also found that the hardness of coating with bond coat was higher than that of coating without bond coat. Metallographic studies revealed that coating with bond coating has three different regions, which are the ceramic layer (Al₂O₃ or Al₂O₃-13 wt% TiO₂), the bond coating, and matrix, which is not affected by coating. The coating performed by plasma-spray process without bond coating has two zones, the gray one indicating the ceramic layer and the white one characterizing the matrix. No delamination or spalling was observed in coatings. However, there are some pinholes in coating layer, but they are very rare. The bonding strength of coatings with bond coat was higher than that of coating without bond coat. The strength of adhesion and cohesion was determined by means of a planemeter. It was seen that percentage of cohesion strength was higher than that of adhesion strength.     

表面粗糙度对PS-PVD YSZ陶瓷层性能的影响EI北大核心CSCD

采用PS-PVD工艺在预制有NiCoCrAlYTa黏结层的K417G高温合金上制备YSZ陶瓷层;采用万能拉伸试验机、粒子冲刷仪、静态氧化炉等设备测试PS-PVD YSZ陶瓷涂层的结合强度、抗粒子冲刷和抗高温氧化性能;采用SEM和EDS分析涂层表面、截面形貌和元素分布等。结果表明:表面粗糙度对YSZ陶瓷层拉伸结合强度、抗粒子冲刷和抗高温氧化性能的影响很大。随着粗糙度的增大,结合强度先增大而后减小。Ra=0.40μm表面上沉积的YSZ涂层,其结合强度最高,达到23.5 MPa。拉伸断裂发生在涂层内部,并距离黏结层40~70μm的位置。随着表面粗糙度的增大,冲刷速率先减小而后增大,Ra=0.40μm涂层的抗粒子冲刷性能最好,冲刷速率仅为2.8×10^-3 g/g,表面起伏小和孔隙率低是涂层具有良好抗粒子冲刷性能的重要原因。不同表面粗糙度制备的YSZ涂层均能生成致密连续的热生长氧化物(TGO)层。粗糙度大则生长的TGO起伏大,更容易导致局部增厚和应力集中而失效。     

Application Study on Ceria Based Thermal Barrier Coatings

The industrial application of APS sprayed YPSZ coatings for thermal insulation is established in several branches. As the main potential to increase the efficiency of combustion processes is thermal efficiency and the state‐of‐the‐art systems are limited to surface temperatures below 1200°C for long term applications, there is interest in concepts, that allow an increase of the process temperature. Ceria and ceria based ceramics show an outstanding potential for use at temperatures exceeding 1200°C. A triple‐layer thermal barrier system in consideration of the established system – MCrAlY bond coat and YPSZ – and an additional ceria based top coating are investigated. TBC systems with two different ceria powders are produced by APS and HVOF spraying and evaluated with concern to the microstructure, bond strength, thermal shock behaviour and long term compatibility of the constituents. HVOF sprayed coatings contain more oxygen, are more dense than APS sprayed coatings and do not show segmentation due to cracks perpendicular to the surface. APS sprayed pure ceria coatings show a columnar morphology inside single splats forming the coating. The bond between YPSZ and ceria and the total bond strength of the thermal barrier system exceeds the cohesion inside the ceria coating. The thermal shock resistance of ceria coatings with high silica and sulphur content is low. Long term sintering investigations prove the compatibility of ceria and YPSZ at 1150°C.     

In vitro and in vivo performance of Ti6Al4V implants with plasma-sprayed osteoconductive hydroxylapatite–bioinert titania bond coat “duplex” systems: an experimental study in sheep

To evaluate the in vivo performance of "duplex" hydroxylapatite top coat/TiO(2) bond coat systems, cylindrical Ti6Al4V rods of 130 mm in length and 11-13 mm in diameter were coated by atmospheric plasma spray (APS) technique with both a standard hydroxylapatite (HAp) layer and a HAp+TiO(2) bond coat "duplex" layer. In this pilot study coated and uncoated rods serving as controls were implanted into the femur of sheep so that their distal ends were freely suspended in the medulla of the femur. After an observation time of six months it was found that bone apposition and bone ingrowth were considerably increased in the presence of a osteoconductive coating. In particular, in vivo spalling and delamination frequently observed with HAp coatings was virtually absent in duplex coatings owing to the strong adhesion of the bond coat to the HAp top coat that anchored the latter solidly to the metallic surface of the implant. Some tentative mechanisms leading to this improved coating adhesion will be discussed.     

Improving long term oxidation protection for γ‐TiAl substrates

In previous work, a thermal spray multilayer system consisting of Zirconia (ZrO₂) and MCrAlY top coat showed promising results regarding the oxidation behavior of the Gamma Titanium Aluminides substrates tested, which encouraged further research activities. Diffusion of substrate material was successfully inhibited by a ceramic Zirconia coating. A building up of a dense and stable oxide layer could be achieved by additional application of an MCrAlY top coat, leading to improved oxidation resistance and thus showing feasibility. In this work the main focus for development was put on enhancing adhesion and lowering residual stresses of the coatings in order to allow long term and cyclic testing without delamination taking place. Being a very brittle material, Gamma Titanium Aluminides require special surface treatment to enable roughening which is crucial for a strong mechanical bond between substrate and coating. Alternatives to conventional grit blasting as a standard preparation method were investigated. These were micro‐abrasive blasting and blasting at elevated temperature (≈300–550°C) to allow a more ductile behavior. The paper will highlight the implications by means of these measures and will also show the present development status of the multilayer system.     

The Application of Flame and Plasma Sprayed Coatings for Cast Iron Molds

Molds made of grey iron for casting iron are subjected to severe temperature fluctuations very similar to the die casting process except for the high pressure erosion that occurs due to molten metal. Therefore, the main life limiting damage for molds is the formation of surface cracks arising from thermal fatigue. Various flame and plasma sprayed coatings were investigated to extend the life of molds for casting iron. Coating materials studied include plasma sprayed ceramic coatings with bond coat (NiCrAl, NiCrAlY, and NiCrAlCoY) as well as powder flame sprayed oxidation resistant alloys (NiCr, NiAl, and NiCrAl). The results of simulated cyclic furnace tests from room temperature to 1100°C in air indicated that the failure occurred along the interface between the bond coat and the iron substrate due to iron oxidation rather than the interface between the ceramic coating and the bond coating for superalloy substrate. The results of field tests are also discussed.     

Effect of the thickness of plasma-sprayed coating on bond strength and thermal fatigue characteristics

NiCrAlY bond coat and ZrO2–8 wt% Y2O3 top coat with various thicknesses were deposited on Hastelloy X by plasma spraying. Residual stress was calculated by the finite element method (FEM) to explain the variations in the bond strength and thermal fatigue characteristics with the thickness of the bond coat and top coat. The bond strength of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) increased with decreasing maximum residual stress in the y-direction of the top coat. The thermal fatigue characteristics increased with decrease of the maximum principal residual stress of the top coat and the thickness of oxidation layer of the bond coat.     

Effect of platinum on the oxide-to-metal adhesion in thermal barrier coating systems

An investigation was conducted to determine the role of Pt in a thermal barrier coating system deposited on a nickel-base superalloy. Three coating systems were included in the study using a layer of yttria-stabilized zirconia as a model top coat, and simple aluminide, Pt-aluminide, and Pt bond coats. Thermal exposure tests at 1,150 °C with a 24-h cycling period to room temperature were used to compare the coating performance. Additional exposure tests at 1,000, 1,050, and 1,100 °C were conducted to study the kinetics of interdiffusion. Microstructural features were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy as well as X-ray diffraction. Wavelength dispersive spectroscopy was also used to qualitatively distinguish among various refractory transition metals. Particular emphasis was placed upon: (i) thermal stability of the bond coats, (ii) thickening rate of the thermally grown oxide, and (iii) failure mechanism of the coating. Experimental results indicated that Pt acts as a “cleanser” of the oxide-bond coat interface by decelerating the kinetics of interdiffusion between the bond coat and superalloy substrate. This was found to promote selective oxidation of Al resulting in a purer Al₂O₃ scale of a slower growth rate increasing its effectiveness as “glue” holding the ceramic top coat to the underlying metallic substrate. However, the exact effect of Pt was found to be a function of the state of its presence within the outermost coating layer. Among the bond coats included in the study, a surface layer of Pt-rich γ′-phase (L1₂ superlattice) was found to provide longer coating life in comparison with a mixture of PtAl₂ and β-phase.     

On debonding of graded thermal barrier coatings

Thermal barrier coatings generally consist of a metallic substrate which is the primary structural component, a metallic bond coat which serves as oxygen diffusion barrier, a very thin layer of thermally grown oxide and a ceramic top coat that provides the main thermal shielding. Homogeneous ceramic coatings as top coats appear to have certain undesirable features such as high residual and thermal stresses, generally low toughness and relatively poor bonding strength. The new concept of compositional grading of the top coat may help to overcome some of these shortcomings by eliminating the material property discontinuities. A common mode of failure in thermal barrier coatings seems to be the debonding of the top coat. In this study the related interface crack problem for a graded ceramic/metal top coat is considered. It is assumed that the thermophysical properties of the top coat continuously vary between that of the bond coat at the top coat-bond coat interface and that of the ceramic at and near the free surface. The main objective of the study is to examine the influence of the material nonhomogeneity parameters and relative dimensions on the stress intensity factors and the crack opening displacements.     

APPLICATION OF HIPING-THICK CERAMIC COATINGS ONTO METALS

The demand for high performance in the combustion equipment used in the automobile and aerospace industries is creating renewed interest in the use of ceramic protective coatings on metal surfaces. Sometimes, thick coating layers are required as thermal barriers or for wear resistance and hardness. Although plasma spraying is one of the promising processes available for depositing thick ceramic coatings onto metal surfaces, the presence of porosity in the coating coupled with lack of corrosion resistance of the coated materials, and the generally low strengths of both the coating layer and the coating-matrix interface may limit the use of the process. HIP treatment of ceramic coatings allows one to obtain dense coatings and also to increase the interfacial bond strength. The present paper reviews the recent advances in the post-HIPing of ceramic coatings as well as the use of HIP for sinter-coating by which a ceramic powder compact is sintered and bonded simultaneously to a metal surface.     

Failure mechanism of a thermal barrier coating system on a nickel-base superalloy

An investigation was carried out to determine the failure mechanism of a thermal barrier coating system on an Ni-base superalloy. The coating system consisted of an outer layer of yttria-stabilized zirconia (top coat), and an inner layer of Pt-aluminide (bond coat). Specimens were exposed at 1010 and 1150 °C with a 24-h cycling period to room temperature. Scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy as well as X-ray diffraction were used in microstructural characterization. Spallation of the oxide scale developed by the bond coat was found to be the mode of failure. Experimental results indicated that the breakdown of oxide was affected by internal oxidation of Hf diffusing from the alloy substrate into the bond coat surface developing localized high levels of stress concentration at the oxide–bond coat interface. It was concluded that the cause of failure was degradation of thermal stability of the bond coat accelerating its oxidation rate and permitting outward diffusional transport of elements from the substrate.     

Characterization and wear behavior of plasma-sprayed Al2O3 and ZrO25CaO coatings on cast iron substrate

Plasma spraying is one of the methods used for combating wear. Despite of its wide spread industrial use, little is known about the basic friction behavior and mechanism by which such coatings wear. In this work, the abrasive wear resistance of plasma-sprayed ceramic coatings on cast iron substrate has been investigated through pin-on-disc test. It was found that the coefficient of friction and wear affected mainly by splats and porosity, surface roughness, and coating thickness. The coefficient of friction is found to be more significantly affected by load than by other test parameters. This work also includes the characterization of coatings.     

Effects of heat treatment on adhesion strength of thermal barrier coating systems

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are widely used as protective and insulative coatings on hot section components of gas turbines and their applications, like blades and combustion chambers. The quality and performance properties of TBCs are of great importance in terms of their resistance to service conditions. In a TBC system, there is a close relationship between the adhesion properties of coating layers. The adhesion strength of TBCs varies depending on the coating technique used and the surface treatments. In this study, CoNiCrAlY and YSZ (ZrO₂ + Y₂O₃) powders were deposited on stainless steel substrate. High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF) and Atmospheric Plasma Spraying (APS) techniques were used to produce the bond coats. The ceramic top layers on CoNiCrAlY bond coats were produced by the APS technique. The TBC specimens were subjected to heat-treatment tests. Adhesion strength for top coat/bond coat interface of as-sprayed and heat-treated samples was investigated. The results showed that the heat treatment of the coatings in different temperatures led to an increase in the adhesion strength of TBCs.     

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.