Thermal cycling behavior of plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coatings with various MCrAlX bond coats

The influence of bond coat composition on the spallation resistance of plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) on single-crystal René N5 substrates was assessed by furnace thermal cycle testing of TBCs with various vacuum plasma spray (VPS) or air plasma-spray (APS) MCrAlX (M=Ni and/or Co; and X=Y, Hf, and/or Si) bond coats. The TBC specimens with VPS bond coats were fabricated using identical parameters, with the exception of bond coat composition. The TBC lifetimes were compared with respect to MCrAlX composition (before and after oxidation testing) and MCrAlX properties (surface roughness, thermal expansion, hardness, and Young’s modulus). The average TBC spallation lifetimes varied significantly (from 174 to 344 1 h cycles at 1150 °C) as a function of bond coat composition. Results suggested a relationship between TBC durability and bond coat thermal expansion behavior below 900 °C. Although there were only slight differences in their relative rates of cyclic oxidation weight gain, VPS MCrAlX bond coats with better oxide scale adhesion provided superior TBC lifetimes.     

Formation and behavior of thermal barrier coatings on nickel-base superalloys

Plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) have been used to extend the life of combustors. Electron beam physical vapor deposited (EB-PVD) ceramic coating has been developed for more demanding rotating as well as stationary turbine components. Here 3 kW RF magnetron sputtering equipment was used to gain zirconia ceramic coatings on hollow turbine blades and vanes, which had been deposited NiCrAIY by cathodic arc deposition. NiCrAlY coating surface was treated by shot peening; the effects of shot peening on the residual stress are presented. The results show that RF sputtered TBCs are columnar ceramics, strongly bonded to metal substrates. NiCrAlY bond coat is made of β, γ‘ and Cr phases, ZrO2 ceramic layer consists of t‘ and c phases. No degradation occurs to RF ceramic coatings after 100 h high temperature oxidation at 1150℃ and 500 thermal cycles at 1150℃ for 2 min, air-cooling.     

THE INFLUENCE OF Mo DIFFUSION ON THE THERMAL BEHAVIOR OF TBCs ON Ni_3Al BASED ALLOY IC-6

Conventional two-layered structure thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) were prepared onto γ'-Ni3Al based alloy IC-6 by electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD). Isothermal oxidation and thermal cycling tests were carried out to investigate the effect of Mo content at the interface between bond coat and ceramic top coat caused by diffusion. It has been found that the alloy coated with TBCs presented the lowest oxidation weight gain value for the reason that the ceramic top coat in TBC system can effectively stop Mo oxides evaporating. The life time of TBCs has close relation with Mo content at the interface between the bond coat and top coat. Spaliation of ceramic top coat occurred during thermal cyclic testing when Mo atoms accumulated at the interface up to certain amount to decline the combination between the bond coat and top coat.     

Thermal cycling failure of new LaMgAl11O19/YSZ double ceramic top coat thermal barrier coating systems

New LaMgAl₁₁O₁₉ (LaMA)/YSZ double ceramic top coat thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) with the potential application in advanced gas-turbines and diesel engines to realize improved efficiency and durability were prepared by plasma spraying, and their thermal cycling failure were investigated. The microstructure evolutions as well as the crystal chemistry characteristics of LaMA coating which seemed to have strong influences on the thermal cycling failure of LaMA and the new double ceramic top coat TBCs based on LaMA/YSZ system were studied. For double ceramic top coat TBC system, interface modification of LaMA/YSZ by preparing thin composite coatings seemed to be more preferred due to the formations of multiple cracks during thermal cycling making the TBC to be more strain tolerant and as well as resulting in an improved thermal cycling property. The effects of the TGO stresses on the failure behavior of the TBCs were discussed through fluorescence piezo-spectroscopy analysis.     

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.     

Thermal stability and mechanical properties of thick thermal barrier coatings with vertical type cracks

The thermal stability and failure mechanism of thick thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) with and without vertical type cracks were investigated through the cyclic thermal exposure and thermal-shock tests. The TBC systems with thickness of about 2000 µm in the top coat were prepared by an air plasma spray (APS) on the bond coat of about 150 µm in thickness prepared by APS. The adhesive strength values of the as-prepared TBCs with and without vertical type cracks were determined to be 24.7 and 11.0 MPa, respectively, indicating the better interface stability in the TBC with vertical type cracks. The TBC with vertical type cracks shows a better thermal durability than that without vertical type cracks in the thermal cyclic exposure and thermal-shock tests. The hardness values of the as-prepared TBCs with and without vertical type cracks were found to be 6.6 and 5.3 GPa, respectively, which were increased to 9.5 and 5.5 GPa, respectively, after the cyclic thermal exposure tests. These results indicate that the vertical type cracks developed in the top coat are important in improving the lifetime performance of thick TBC in high temperature environment.     

Thermal barrier coatings issues in advanced land-based gas turbines

The Department of Energy’s Advanced Turbine Systems (ATS) program is aimed at fostering the devel-opment of a new generation of land-based gas turbine systems with overall efficiencies significantly be-yond those of current state-of-the-art machines, as well as greatly increased times between inspection and refurbishment, improved environmental impact, and decreased cost. The proposed duty cycle of ATS ma-chines will emphasize different criteria in the selection of materials for the critical components. In par-ticular, thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) will be an essential feature of the hot gas path components in these machines. The goals of the ATS will require significant improvements in TBC technology, since these turbines will be totally reliant on TBCs, which will be required to function on critical components such as the first-stage vanes and blades for times considerably longer than those experienced in current applications. Important issues include the mechanical and chemical stability of the ceramic layer and the metallic bond coat, the thermal expansion characteristics and compliance of the ceramic layer, and the thermal conductivity across the thickness of the ceramic layer.     

Properties of plasma-sprayed bond coats

Increasing bond coat oxidation resistance has been clearly linked to increasing durability of the ceramic layer of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). However, recent studies have shown that significant differences in TBC life can be achieved for different bond coats that exhibit little or no difference in oxidation behav-ior. These data suggest that bond coat properties other than oxidation resistance can also influence TBC life. Determination of which properties affect TBC life and how they do so could be valuable in designing new, more durable TBCs. This paper reviews the results of comparative studies of the properties of three bond coat compositions that have similar oxidation behavior but different TBC lives. An analysis of the properties indicates that the thermal cycle residual stress, calculated from the coefficient of thermal ex-pansion and the stress relaxation behavior of the three alloys, is strongly correlated to the observed dif-ferences in TBC life.     

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.     

高温拉压环境下DZ125高温合金的热障涂层失效

采用电子束物理气相沉积法（EB-PVD）在定向凝固Ni基高温合金DZ125基体上制备了NiCoCrAlY粘结层和YSZ陶瓷层，研究了高温拉压环境下热障涂层的失效模式，并对其进行了有限元分析。实验结果表明，热障涂层的失效与仅受热载荷作用下的有很大不同，仅有热载荷作用下的热障涂层裂纹多萌生于热氧化层（TGO）内部，进而扩展引起热障涂层的失效。而高温拉压试验后热障涂层体系存在两种裂纹，分别萌生于TGO／粘结层界面和粘结层／扩散层界面附近。有限元模拟结果显示TGO／陶瓷层和TGO／粘结层处存在应力状态的转变和应力值的突变，径向应力的突变导致了界面分离现象的产生，而轴向应力的突变加速了垂直于界面裂纹的扩展，并导致了试样的最终断裂。     

Improved Thermal Cycling Durability of Thermal Barrier Coatings Manufactured by PS-PVD

The plasma spray-physical vapor deposition (PS-PVD) process is a promising method to manufacture thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). It fills the gap between traditional thermal spray processes and electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD). The durability of PS-PVD manufactured columnar TBCs is strongly influenced by the compatibility of the metallic bondcoat (BC) and the ceramic TBC. Earlier investigations have shown that a smooth BC surface is beneficial for the durability during thermal cycling. Further improvements of the bonding between BC and TBC could be achieved by optimizing the formation of the thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer. In the present study, the parameters of pre-heating and deposition of the first coating layer were investigated in order to adjust the growth of the TGO. Finally, the durability of the PS-PVD coatings was improved while the main advantage of PS-PVD, i.e., much higher deposition rate in comparison to EB-PVD, could be maintained. For such coatings, improved thermal cycling lifetimes more than two times higher than conventionally sprayed TBCs, were measured in burner rigs at ~1250 °C/1050 °C surface/substrate exposure temperatures.     

Failure of thermal barrier coating systems under cyclic thermomechanical loading

The failure mechanisms of thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems applied on gas turbine blades and vanes are investigated using thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) tests and finite element (FE) modeling. TMF tests were performed at two levels of applied mechanical strain, namely five times and three times the critical in-service mechanical strain of an industrial gas turbine. TMF testing under the higher mechanical strain of air plasma-sprayed (APS) and electron beam–physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) coated samples showed that both systems failed after a similar number of cycles by cracks that initiated at the bond coat/thermally grown oxide (TGO) interface and propagated through the bond coat to the substrate. When the applied mechanical strain was decreased, cracking of the bond coat in EB-PVD coated systems was suppressed, the life of the coated system increased significantly and delamination of the top-coat was observed. A subsequent FE analysis showed that, by subjecting the system to the higher mechanical strain, significant tensile stresses develop in the TGO and the bond coat that are thought to be responsible for the observed crack initiation and propagation. The FE model also predicts that cracking initiates at specific geometric features of the rough interface of a PS coated system, which was confirmed by metallographic examination of failed samples. The decrease of the applied mechanical strain and hence of the developed stresses led to the suppression of failure by bond coat cracking and activate delamination. These results outline the importance of designing TMF tests and selecting the appropriate mechanical loading in order to accelerate testing and still trigger the same failure mechanisms as observed in-service.     

Failure Mechanism for Thermal Fatigue of Thermal Barrier Coating Systems

Thick thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), consisting of a CoNiCrAlY bond coat and yttria-partially stabilized zirconia top coat with different porosity values, were produced by air plasma spray (APS). The thermal fatigue resistance limit of the TBCs was tested by furnace cycling tests (FCT) according to the specifications of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The morphology, residual stresses, and micromechanical properties (microhardness, indentation fracture toughness) of the TBC systems before and after FCT were analyzed. The thermal fatigue resistance increases with the amount of porosity in the top coat. The compressive in-plane stresses increase in the TBC systems after thermal cycling; nevertheless the increasing rate has a trend contrary to the porosity level of top coat. The data suggest that the spallation happens at the TGO/top coat interface. The failure mechanism of thick TBCs was found to be similar to that of conventional thin TBC systems made by APS.     

Commercial thermal barrier coatings with a double-layer bond coat on turbine vanes and the process repeatability

An investigation was conducted to develop a commercial thermal barrier coating (TBC) system with a double-layer bond coat on Ni-base superalloy turbine vanes. Surface morphology and cross-section microstructure of the developed coatings were studied by using Optical Microscope and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Experimental and production results showed that a TBC system with good adherence and a repeatable process to apply the coatings were obtained. Furthermore, the repeatability of the vapor phase coating process, high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF), and air plasma spray (APS) process were discussed. Finally, the advantage and the future possible improvement of the investigated TBC system were also proposed.     

CoNiCrAlY黏结层结构设计及其对热障涂层结合强度和抗热震性能的影响

目的 设计热障涂层黏结层结构,改善涂层结合强度和抗热震性能。方法 制备了5种结构的CoNiCrAlY黏结层,即超音速火焰喷涂(HVOF)底层+等离子喷涂(APS)上层的双层结构黏结层试样,对其进行1 050℃真空热处理3 h后的试样,APS黏结层试样,HVOF黏结层试样及其真空热处理试样。再在以上5种试样表面制备Y₂O₃部分稳定ZrO₂(YSZ)陶瓷层,研究黏结层的表面粗糙度、相组成、微观组织结构及其对涂层试样结合强度、热震性能的影响。结果 制备态的黏结层由γ/γ’和β-NiAl两相组成,真空热处理后β相含量增多,表面粗糙度下降。在所有涂层试样中,双黏结层的涂层试样的结合强度最低,为28.43 MPa;对其真空热处理后得到的涂层试样的结合强度最高,达到39.42 MPa,主要原因在于热处理促进了两黏结层之间的扩散,提高了界面强度。双黏结层的涂层试样的抗热震性能最好,200次热震后涂层无明显剥落,而APS黏结层的涂层试样的抗热震性能最差,涂层抗热震性能的差异在于黏结层微观结构的不同。结论 双黏结层的结构设计综合了APS、H...     

Development of a Thermal Transport Database for Air Plasma Sprayed ZrO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Y<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> Thermal Barrier Coatings

Thermal diffusivities of air plasma sprayed (APS) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) were measured by the laser flash method. The data were used to calculate thermal conductivity of TBCs when provided with density and specific heat data. Due to the complicated microstructure and other processing-related parameters, thermal diffusivity of TBCs can vary as much as three- to four-fold. Data collected from over 200 free-standing ZrO₂-7-8wt.%Y₂O₃ TBCs are presented. The large database gives a clear picture of the expected “band” of thermal diffusivity values. When this band is used as a reference for thermal diffusivity of a specific TBC, the thermal transport property of the TBC can be more precisely described. This database is intended to serve researchers and manufacturers of TBCs as a valuable resource for the evaluation of TBCs.     

Effect of Particle Size on the Micro-cracking of Plasma-Sprayed YSZ Coatings During Thermal Cycle Testing

The failure of plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) during service or thermal cycle testing usually results from internal cracking in the top coat, erosion and CMAS (calcium-magnesium-alumina-silicate)-induced damage, etc. The microstructure of ceramic coatings affects their durability and other properties of TBCs. In the present study, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coatings were deposited by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) using feedstocks with different particle sizes. In addition, the effect of particle size on damage evolution in the top coat was investigated. It is found that the coatings deposited using coarse particles show the higher thermal cycle life. Crack length grew with increasing numbers of thermal cycles. The faster crack growth rate can be found for the coatings deposited from fine particles. The porosity of the coating made from the coarse powder is larger than the porosity of the coating made from fine powder both in the as-sprayed condition and after thermal cycling. The changes in crack growth rate and the porosity are related to the effect of sintering and stress evolution in coatings during the thermal cyclic tests.     

Failure of physical vapor deposition/plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coatings during thermal cycling

ZrO₂-7 wt.% Y₂O₃ plasma-sprayed (PS) coatings were applied on high-temperature Ni-based alloys precoated by physical vapor deposition with a thin, dense, stabilized zirconia coating (PVD bond coat). The PS coatings were applied by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) and inert gas plasma spraying (IPS) at 2 bar for different substrate temperatures. The thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) were tested by furnace isothermal cycling and flame thermal cycling at maximum temperatures between 1000 and 1150 °C. The temperature gradients within the duplex PVD/PS thermal barrier coatings during the thermal cycling process were modeled using an unsteady heat transfer program. This modeling enables calculation of the transient thermal strains and stresses, which contributes to a better understanding of the failure mechanisms of the TBC during thermal cycling. The adherence and failure modes of these coating systems were experimentally studied during the high-temperature testing. The TBC failure mechanism during thermal cycling is discussed in light of coating transient stresses and substrate oxidation.     

Influence of Thermal Cycle Frequency on the TGO Growth and Cracking Behaviors of an APS-TBC

The durability of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) is controlled by fracture near the interface between the ceramic topcoat and the metallic bond coat, where a layer of thermally grown oxide (TGO) forms during service exposure. In the present work, the influence of thermal cycle frequency on the oxidation performance, in terms of TGO growth and cracking behavior, of an air-plasma-sprayed (APS) Co-32Ni-21Cr-8Al-0.5Y (wt.%) bond coat was studied. The results show that while TGO growth exhibited an initial parabolic growth behavior followed by an accelerated growth stage, higher cycle frequency resulted in a faster TGO growth and a higher crack propagation rate. It is found that a power-law relationship exists between the maximum crack length and the TGO thickness, which is independent of the cycle frequency. This relationship may warrant a TBC life prediction methodology based on the maximum crack length criterion.     

Microstructural evolution of CoCrAlY bond coat on Ni-based superalloy DZ 125 at 1050 °C

CoCrAlY alloy has been widely used as metallic protective coatings or the bond coats in thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) to protect the underlying superalloy from oxidation and hot-corrosion. In this paper, the TBC consisting of yttria stabilized zirconia (7YSZ) ceramic top coat and CoCrAlY bond coat was deposited onto directionally solidified nickel based superalloy DZ 125 by electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD). The microstructural evolution of the bond coat on this superalloy was investigated after thermal exposure for 100 h at 1050 °C. Due to a significant inward diffusion of Al, Co and Cr from the coating and outward diffusion of Ni, Hf, W and Ti from the substrate, the phase transformation from the Co-based Al-rich β-CoAl phase to the Al-deficient γ-CoNi solid solution phase occurred in the bond coat. Simultaneously, a large amount of Ni-based β-NiCoAl phase was present in the bond coat. In addition, the particles containing substrate strengthening elements Hf and/or W are abundant in the thermally grown oxides (TGO) and within the bond coat. The mechanism for the microstructural evolution is discussed.