Effect of manufacturing related parameters on oxidation properties of MCrAlY‐bondcoats

The effect of MCrAlY‐bondcoat manufacturing parameters prior to TBC deposition on the bondcoat oxidation behavior and TBC lifetime was studied. The studied material was a NiCoCrAl(Y/Hf) free‐standing coating. It was found that variation of oxygen partial pressure during vacuum plasma spraying and the vacuum heat treatment procedure significantly affects the yttrium and hafnium distribution in the coating. In coatings sprayed at high pO₂, yttrium and hafnium were mainly tied up into oxide precipitates. This effect is apparently responsible for an early alumina scale spallation and failure of the initially studied TBC system during cyclic oxidation. In contrast, the coating sprayed at low pO₂ revealed an overdoping effect, i.e. extensive yttrium and hafnium incorporation into the scale resulting in an accelerated scale growth rate and internal oxidation. It was shown that by variation of the vacuum heat treatment parameters the yttrium and hafnium distribution in the near‐surface regions of the low oxygen coating can be modified. The latter result demonstrates the potential of minimizing the negative overdoping effect on the scale growth in the thermal‐sprayed MCrAlY coatings with low oxygen and/or high reactive element contents by optimization of the vacuum heat treatment procedure.     

Thermal shock testing of thermal barrier coating/bondcoat systems

Various methods of thermal shock testing are used by aircraft and industrial gas turbine engine (IGT) manufacturers to characterize new thermal barrier coating systems in the development stage as well as for quality control. The cyclic furnace oxidation test (FCT), widely used in aircraft applications, stresses the ceramic/bondcoat interface, predominantly through thermally grown oxide (TGO) growth stress. The jet engine thermal shock (JETS) test, derived from a burner rig test, creates a large thermal gradient across the thermal barrier coating (TBC), as well as thermomechanical stress at the interface. For IGT applications with long high-temperature exposure times, a combination of isothermal preoxidation and thermal shock testing in a fluidized bed reactor may better represent the actual engine conditions while both types of stress are present. A comparative evaluation of FCT, JETS, and a combined isothermal oxidation and fluidized bed thermal shock test has been conducted for selected ceramic/bondcoat systems. The results and the failure mechanisms as they relate to the TBC system are discussed. A recommendation on the test method of choice providing best discrimination between the thermal shock resistance of the ceramic layer, the ceramic/bondcoat interface, and even substrate related effects, is given. This paper was presented at the 2nd International Surface Engineering Congress sponsored by ASM International, on September 15–17, 2003, in Indianapolis, Indiana, and appeared on pp. 520–29.     

Influence of Surface Finish on the Cyclic Oxidation Lifetime of an EB-PVD TBC, Deposited on PtAl and Pt-diffused Bondcoats

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are well established as protective systems for gas turbine hot path components, due to their ability, with substrate cooling, to reduce the maximum surface temperature experienced by the metal component. However, when subject to high temperature oxidation, cyclic heating and cooling during service, TBCs degrade in both thermal protection capability and mechanical stability as a result of a combined thickening of the alumina-thermally grown oxide and sintering of the ceramic top coat. Eventually the ceramic top coat spalls from the metallic substrates. The detailed failure mechanisms for the TBC often are complicated, reflecting a balance between defects introduced into the TBC during manufacture and service and the stored energy generated in the TBC as a result of cyclic thermal exposure. It has been shown that the surface finish influences the residual stress in the thermally grown oxide and thus the stored energy. In this study, the influence of substrate surface finish, prior to bondcoat manufacture, on the cyclic oxidation lifetime is examined. Two EB-PVD TBC systems, a zirconia 8 wt% yttria topcoat on a platinum aluminide bondcoat and a zirconia 8 wt% yttria topcoat on a platinum diffused γ+γ′ bondcoat have been studied. For these two systems, various substrate surface finishes have been investigated, including ground, grit blasted and polished and grit blasted surfaces. The lifetime data for these cyclic oxidation tests of EB-PVD TBCs on these two diffusion bondcoats, platinum aluminide and platinum diffused, on CMSX4, have been analysed statistically for the various surface finishes. It is shown that the variability in measured lifetime can be modelled using Weibull statistics. The role of surface finish on the Weibull model parameters, characteristic life (η) and Weibull modulus (β), are discussed in this paper and hence the role surface finish plays on the likelihood of early, short life, TBC failure. Based on this analysis a more optimised surface finish is recommended to extend TBC lifetimes with diffusion based bondcoats. Further, the platinum diffusion bondcoat is shown to outperform the platinum aluminide system once the substrate surface finish has been optimised.     

Effect of atmosphere composition on the oxidation behavior of MCrAlY coatings

In the present work the effect of atmosphere composition on the growth rate and adherence of the alumina scales was studied using free‐standing MCrAlY‐coatings and TBC‐specimens with MCrAlY‐bondcoats. The exposures comprised isothermal and cyclic exposures in laboratory air and Ar‐H₂‐H₂O at 1100 °C. It is shown that minor Zr‐addition to the bondcoat results in enhanced scale growth and internal oxidation. This effect is independent of the atmosphere composition. As a consequence of the rapid oxide formation the times to TBC failure on the Zr‐containing bondcoat in both atmospheres were much shorter compared to those with Zr‐free bondcoat. In the latter case the formation of a thin compact alumina TGO was slower in H₂/H₂O than in air resulting in significantly longer TBC‐lifetime in the former atmosphere.     

Enhanced Characteristics of HVOF-sprayed MCrAlY Bond Coats for TBC Applications

This study is focused on the variation of the microstructures of different CoNiCrAlY bond coats sprayed by the high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) process for thermal barrier coating (TBC) applications. Three different size fractions of the CoNiCrAlY bond coat powder have been considered for this investigation: AMDRY 9951 (5-37 μm), AMDRY 9954 (11-62 μm), and AMDRY 995C (45-75 μm). The influence of HVOF process parameters and process conditions have been studied in detail to achieve quality bond coats in terms of low porosity level, low oxygen content, and high surface roughness. The results have been promising and have shown that dense bond coats with low porosity can be achieved by HVOF spraying through the appropriate selection of powder size and process parameters. Importantly, HVOF bond coats appear to be competitive to VPS bond coats in terms of its oxygen content and high surface roughness.     

Characterization of chemical and microstructural evolutions of a NiPtAl bondcoat during high temperature oxidation

Bondcoats used to protect turbine blades, such as platinum modified NiAl alloys, are designed to develop a protective alumina scale during exposure conditions at high temperatures. However, during high temperature oxidation, the system is subjected to chemical and microstructural changes that arise from the consumption of aluminium to ensure alumina growth and interdiffusion between the underlying nickel-based superalloy and the bondcoat.The aim of the present work is to report experimental results concerning the chemical and microstructural evolutions of a NiPtAl bondcoat, deposited on a single crystal nickel-based superalloy, during isothermal oxidation tests at 1100 °C, up to 50 h.Analytical STEM studies were carried out, in conjunction with Auger experiments, in order to follow the various changes that occur in the bondcoat and at the Al₂O₃/bondcoat interface. Efforts were concentrated on the effect of interfacial sulfur segregation (at both intact interface and void surface) as a function of the oxidation time, as well as its dependence on phase transformations in the external layer of the bondcoat. Strong S segregation at some bondcoat NiPtAl/Al₂O₃ interface, especially at γ′/Al₂O₃, was found in co-segregation with Cr, which has diffused from the substrate.     

Oscillational corrosion potential of HastelloyC coatings fabricated by GS-HVOF spraying

Coatings of HastelloyC fabricated by HVOF spraying with a gas shroud (GS) have shown the superior barrier characteristic and corrosion resistance in seawater environment. During immersion of these coatings in artificial seawater, however, oscillation phenomenon of the corrosion potential was observed. In order to reveal and control the oscillation behaviour, some types of surface modification of the sprayed coatings and changing of the spray condition were carried out and their effect on the corrosion potential was investigated. The oscillation was caused by repetition of seawater penetration through surface oxides of the sprayed particles to their metal face and subsequent passivation of the metal. Such surface oxides were formed upon the stacking process of the sprayed particles on the substrate. Surface modification of the sprayed coatings and changes of the spray condition could reduce the oscillation effectively.     

TGO Growth and Crack Propagation in a Thermal Barrier Coating

In thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems, a continuous alumina layer developed at the ceramic topcoat/bond coat interface helps to protect the metallic bond coat from further oxidation and improve the durability of the TBC system under service conditions. However, other oxides such as spinel and nickel oxide, formed in the oxidizing environment, are believed to be detrimental to TBC durability during service at high temperatures. It was shown that in an air-plasma-sprayed (APS) TBC system, postspraying heat treatments in low-pressure oxygen environments could suppress the formation of the detrimental oxides by promoting the formation of an alumina layer at the ceramic topcoat/bond coat interface, leading to an improved TBC durability. This work presents the influence of postspraying heat treatments in low-pressure oxygen environments on the oxidation behavior and durability of a thermally sprayed TBC system with high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF)-produced Co-32Ni-21Cr-8Al-0.5Y (wt.%) bond coat. Oxidation behavior of the TBCs is evaluated by examining their microstructural evolution, growth kinetics of the thermally grown oxide (TGO) layers, and crack propagation during low-frequency thermal cycling at 1050 °C. The relationship between the TGO growth and crack propagation will also be discussed.     

Isothermal oxidation resistance comparison between air plasma sprayed, vacuum plasma sprayed and high velocity oxygen fuel sprayed CoNiCrAlY bond coats

Commercial CoNiCrAlY powders with the same chemical composition were sprayed by vacuum plasma spraying (VPS), air plasma spraying (APS) and high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) onto Hastelloy X superalloy substrates obtaining coatings of comparable thickness. After coating, samples were maintained at 1273 K in air for different periods up to 3000 h. Morphological, microstructural and compositional analyses were performed in order to assess the high temperature oxidation resistance provided by the different spraying systems. HVOF technique provided bond coats with higher oxidation resistance compared to APS and VPS.     

Damage mechanisms and lifetime behavior of plasma sprayed thermal barrier coating systems for gas turbines—Part I: Experiments

Detailed damage analyses of a plasma sprayed ZrO₂/8 wt.-% Y₂O₃-MCrAlY-CMSX-4 TBC system during isothermal and cyclic oxidation tests with different dwell times at high temperature have been performed. The resulting failure mode, i.e. the particular delamination crack path, is strongly dependent on the temperature cycle applied. Isothermal exposure promotes crack propagation within the TGO, whereas thermal cycling shifts the crack path towards the TBC. Thermal cycling with dwell time at high temperature leads to a mixed delamination crack path (partly within TBC and TGO). The respective correlation between TBC lifetimes and duration of high temperature dwell time per cycle (cycle frequency) is shown and discussed.     

Mechanical properties of thermal barrier coatings after isothermal oxidation.: Depth sensing indentation analysis

Thermal barrier coatings (TBC) are extensively used to protect metallic components in applications where the operating conditions include aggressive environment at high temperatures. Isothermal oxidation degrades the performance of these coatings, so this work analyses the mechanical properties (Young's modulus, E, and hardness, H) of TBC and its evolution after thermal exposure in air. ZrO₂(Y₂O₃) top coat and NiCrAlY bond coating were air plasma sprayed onto an Inconel 600 Ni base alloy. The TBC were isothermally oxidized in air at 950 °C and 1050 °C for 72, 144 and 336 h. Depth sensing indentation tests were carried out on the ceramic coating to evaluate E and H in the as-sprayed materials and after isothermal oxidation. An approach based on multiple tests at different loads was used to determine size independent apparent E an H. These mechanical properties, measured perpendicular to the surface, clearly decreased after isothermal oxidation as a consequence of microcracking within the ceramic coating.     

Microstructural features and properties of plasma sprayed YPSZ/NiCrAlY thermal barrier coating (TBC)

0　IntroductionThermalbarriercoatings(TBCs)arewidelyusedontheturbinebladesforaircraftpropulsionorpowergenerationtoreducethemetallicsubstratetemperature,whichleadstoincreasingengineefficiencyandloweringpollutantemissionsresultingfromallowableincreaseofoperationtemperature[1,2].Today,TBCsareattractingmoreattentionandhavewiderpotentialapplicationstoprotecthightemperaturecomponents.However,thermalbarriercoatingshaveatendencytocrackandspallinserviceduetothermalshockandthermalcyclingbetweenambient…     

Adhesion improvements of Thermal Barrier Coatings with HVOF thermally sprayed bond coats

Thermal barrier coatings (TBC) are an effective engineering solution for the improvement of in service performance of gas turbines and diesel engine components. The quality and further performance of TBC, likewise all thermally sprayed coatings or any other kind of coating, is strongly dependent on the adhesion between the coating and the substrate as well as the adhesion (or cohesion) between the metallic bond coat and the ceramic top coat layer. The debonding of the ceramic layer or of the bond coat layer will lead to the collapse of the overall thermal barrier system. Though several possible problems can occur in coating application as residual stresses, local or net defects (like pores and cracks), one could say that a satisfactory adhesion is the first and intrinsic need for a good coating. The coating adhesion is also dependent on the pair substrate-coating materials, substrate cleaning and blasting, coating application process, coating application parameters and environmental conditions. In this work, the general characteristics and adhesion properties of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) having bond coats applied using High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) thermal spraying and plasma sprayed ceramic top coats are studied. By using HVOF technique to apply the bond coats, high adherence and high corrosion resistance are expected. Furthermore, due to the characteristics of the spraying process, compressive stresses should be induced to the substrate. The compressive stresses are opposed to the tensile stresses that are typical of coatings applied by plasma spraying and eventually cause delamination of the coating in operational conditions. The evaluation of properties includes the studies of morphology, microstructure, microhardness and adhesive/cohesive resistance. From the obtained results it can be said that the main failure location is in the bond coat/ceramic interface corresponding to the lowest adhesion values.     

Structure and durability evaluation of YSZ + Al2O3 composite TBCs with APS and HVOF bond coats under thermal cycling conditions

Plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are applied to gas turbine components for providing thermal insulation and oxidation resistance. The TBC systems currently in use on superalloy substates typically consists of a metallic MCrAlY based bond coat and an insulating Y₂O₃ partially stabilized ZrO₂ as a ceramic top coat (ZrO₂ 7–8 wt.% Y₂O₃). The oxidation of bond coat underlying yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is a significant factor in controlling the failure of TBCs. The oxidation of bond coat induces to the formation of a thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer at the bond coat/YSZ interface. The thickening of the TGO layer increases the stresses and leads to the spallation of TBCs. If the TGO were composed of a continuous scale of Al₂O₃, it would act as a diffusion barrier to suppress the formation of other detrimental mixed oxides during the extended thermal exposure in service, thus helping to protect the substrate from further oxidation and improving the durability. The TBC layers are usually coated onto the superalloy substrate using the APS (Atmospheric plasma spray) process because of economic and practical considerations. As well as, HVOF (High velocity oxygen fuel) bond coat provides a good microstructure and better adhesion compared with the APS process. Therefore, there is a need to understand the cycling oxidation characteristic and failure mode in TBC systems having bond coat prepared using different processes. In the present investigation, the growth of TGO layers was studied to evaluate the cyclic oxidation behavior of YSZ/Al₂O₃ composite TBC systems with APS-NiCrAlY and HVOF-NiCrAlY bond coats. Interface morphology is significantly effective factor in occurrence of the oxide layer. Oxide layer thickening rate is slower in APS bond coated TBCs than HVOF bond coated systems under thermal cycle conditions at 1200 °C. The YSZ/Al₂O₃ particle composite systems with APS bond coat have a higher thermal cycle life time than with the HVOF bond coating.     

Sliding wear properties of HVOF sprayed WC-20%Cr3C2-7%Ni cermet coatings

WC-20 mass%Cr₃C₂-7 mass%Ni powder was sprayed onto low-carbon steel substrates by a commercial high velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) spray process as well as by an improved HVOF process equipped with a gas shroud attachment. The latter process utilizes a nitrogen gas flow to shield the region between the spray gun and the substrate in order to suppress the material's degradation caused by reaction with air such as oxidation and decarburization. Some coatings were further heat-treated in air at 773 K for 30 h to form a thin oxide film on the surface. The sliding wear properties of these coatings against an iron pin were evaluated by using a pin-on-disk wear tester. The specific wear rate of the as-sprayed cermet coatings prepared under the conventional spray condition was about three times higher than that of the chrome plating but by using the gas shroud, the wear rate was reduced to the same level with the chrome plating. The specific wear rate could be further decreased by the oxidation heat-treatment. It was found that a proper amount of oxides existing on the surface or within the coatings have a great beneficial effects on the wear properties such as to promote the transition from severe wear to mild wear and thus to reduce the wear rate remarkably. XPS analysis of the transfer particles collected from the wear track revealed a shift in the oxidation state of iron depending on the wear condition.     

Aluminium depletion in NiCrAlY bond coatings by hot corrosion as a function of projection system

Three different projection system are used to prepare NiCrAlY bond coats over metallic substrates: atmospheric plasma spray (APS), high velocity oxyfuel (HVOF) and high frequency pulse detonation (HFPD). These coatings were tested in hot corrosion experiments with sprayed Na₂SO₄ at 1000 °C for 20 and 100 h experiments in air. Coatings surface composition after thermal treatment was characterised by XRD and SEM. Cross section of coatings were analysed by SEM-EDX. A relationship between microstructural characteristics of initial coatings and final performance in hot corrosion was found in terms of porosity percentage: plasma sprayed coatings present higher percentage of porosity compared to HVOF and HFPD projection systems for the same composition and Al is heavily consumed in interparticle oxidation. This Al depletion in turn involves intrinsic chemical failure and surface layer is comprised by a porous spinel of mixed oxides. On the other hand, high energy projection systems produce dense coatings allowing the Al migration to external alumina layer, particularly in the case of HVOF coating.     

Al-rich precipitation in CoNiCrAlY bondcoat at high temperature

A thermal barrier coating (TBC) is applied on a surface of a gas turbine blade to provide a thermal barrier and oxidation resistant properties for the components. The ability to resist oxidation of the coating arises from the self-healing, protective Al₂O₃ scale on top of the bondcoat, which is formed during service. However, if Al depletion occurs within the bondcoat, the protective scale will lose its self-healing ability, and hence, its oxidation-resistant property. This paper investigated the depletion of Al within the bondcoat by studying the microstructure of the bondcoat on a gas turbine blade after it has been in 4000 h service at 1200 °C. The results showed that Al depletion had occurred at different levels throughout the turbine blade. In the area where Al depletion had not yet occurred, precipitation of an Al-rich phase was detected. Most of the Al was contained within this phase, leaving only small amount of Al in the surrounding matrix. A well-defined boundary was observed between the depleted and non-depleted regions.     

Influence of Bondcoat Spray Process on Lifetime of Suspension Plasma-Sprayed Thermal Barrier Coatings

Development of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) manufactured by suspension plasma spraying (SPS) is of high commercial interest as SPS has been shown capable of producing highly porous columnar microstructures similar to the conventionally used electron beam–physical vapor deposition. However, lifetime of SPS coatings needs to be improved further to be used in commercial applications. The bondcoat microstructure as well as topcoat–bondcoat interface topography affects the TBC lifetime significantly. The objective of this work was to investigate the influence of different bondcoat deposition processes for SPS topcoats. In this work, a NiCoCrAlY bondcoat deposited by high velocity air fuel (HVAF) was compared to commercial vacuum plasma-sprayed NiCoCrAlY and PtAl diffusion bondcoats. All bondcoat variations were prepared with and without grit blasting the bondcoat surface. SPS was used to deposit the topcoats on all samples using the same spray parameters. Lifetime of these samples was examined by thermal cyclic fatigue testing. Isothermal heat treatment was performed to study bondcoat oxidation over time. The effect of bondcoat deposition process and interface topography on lifetime in each case has been discussed. The results show that HVAF could be a suitable process for bondcoat deposition in SPS TBCs.     

Oxidation resistance of YSZ-alumina composites compared to normal YSZ TBC coatings at 1100 °C

In the present work oxidation behavior of plasma sprayed YSZ-alumina composite TBC coatings on Ni-base (IN-738LC) super alloy substrate was studied and compared to normal YSZ. Cyclic oxidation process in 4 h intervals was performed in an air electrical furnace at 1100 °C and the specimens were cooled in the furnace during each cycle. Preliminary checking was done with naked eye and further investigation was achieved using scanning electron microscopy. If there were any cracks or spallation in the coating's edge, the tests were stopped, the time was recorded and coating microstructure was studied. YSZ-alumina composites were made by applying alumina layer at the top of YSZ or mixed with YSZ as a TBC layer on the bond coat. Composite coatings of YSZ-alumina having alumina as a top coat and the mixed YSZ-alumina layer, showed better resistance than normal YSZ in oxidation test. It was observed that alumina overlay on YSZ has promoted the oxidation resistance of the coatings for longer times by preventing infiltration of oxygen through YSZ layer.     

Isothermal oxidation behaviour of Nb-W-Cr Alloys

A study of the effect of Cr content on the microstructure and isothermal oxidation behaviour of four alloys from the Nb-Cr-W system has been performed. Selection of specific alloy compositions has been based on the ternary isothermal sections. Oxidation experiments were conducted in air at 900 and 1300 °C for 24 h under isothermal conditions. Weight gain per unit area as function of the temperature has been used to evaluate the oxidation resistance. The phases present in the alloys and the oxide scales were characterized by XRD, SEM, and EDS. Microstructure consists of Nb solid solution and NbCr₂, Laves phase. The oxidation kinetics follows a parabolic behaviour at 1300 °C; the addition of 30% Cr resulted in the significant reduction of the parabolic oxidation rate. At 900 °C, alloys with higher Cr content exhibit higher oxidation rates in comparison to alloys with lower Cr content. The oxidation products are a mixture of CrNbO₄ and Nb₂O₅ and the amount of each oxide present in the mixture is related to the intermetallic phase content and the oxidation temperature. The characterization results delineate the effect of the Cr content on the oxidation mechanisms of these alloys that represent a promising base for high-temperature alloy development.