Dynamic-stiffening-induced aggravated cracking behavior driven by metal-substrate-constraint in a coating/substrate system

Air plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings(APS-TBCs)saw their wide application in high-temperaturerelated cutting-edge fields.The lamellar structure of APS-TBCs provides a significant advantage on thermal insulation.However,short life span is a major headache for APS-TBCs.This is highly related to the property changes and passive behaviors of the coatings during thermal service.Herein,a finite element model was developed to investigate the dynamic stiffening and substrate constraint on total spallation process.Results show that the stiffening accelerates the crack propagation of APS-TBCs.The driving force for crack propagation,which is characterized by strain energy release rate(SERR),is significantly enlarged.Consequently,the crack starts to propagate when the SERR exceeds the fracture toughness.In addition,the changing trends of SERR and crack propagation features are highly associated with temperatures.A higher temperature corresponds to more significant effect of stiffening on substrate constraint.In brief,temperature-dependent stiffening significantly aggravates the substrate constraint effect on APS-TBCs,which is one of the major causes for the spallation.Given that,lowering stiffening degree is essential to maintain high strain tolerance,and to further extend the life span of APS-TBCs.This understanding contributes to the development of advanced TBCs in future applications.     

Spallation of a substrate by thermal shock and thermal expansion differential during splat cooling

The manufacture of metal-matrix composite materials by spray deposition is a very attractive process, but impaired by the spallation that may take place after impact of molten metal droplets on the fibers. In this work, the spallation of a quartz substrate was investigated through video and acoustic measurements and through temperature measurements of the splat surface. The time scales pertaining to the fracture mechanisms are examined from acoustic measurements of the spallation. The spall formation mechanism was quantified by analyzing the geometric configuration of the splats and spalls under varying conditions of droplet superheat, droplet size, and droplet or substrate material. Furthermore, the thermal contact resistance between the splat and the substrate was evaluated by matching the measured temperatures of the top or bottom surface of the splat with numerical results from a heat conduction model with phase change.     

Impact of the non-homogenous temperature distribution and the coatings process modeling on the thermal barrier coatings system

The present study deals with a numerical investigation of the residual stresses arising during the plasma-sprayed coatings process and their effects on the final stress state of the thermal barrier coatings system (TBCs) during service. A new thermo-mechanical finite element model (FEM) has been designed to function using a non-homogenous temperature distribution. Several phenomena are taken into account in the model such as: residual stresses generated during the spraying of coatings, morphology of the top-coat/bond-coat interface, oxidation at the top-coat/bond-coat interface, thermal mismatch of the material components, plastic deformation of the bond-coat and creep of all layers during thermal cycling. These phenomena induce local stresses in the TBCs that are responsible of micro-crack propagation during cooling and thermal cycling, specifically near the ceramic/metal interface.     

Modeling of residual stresses variation with thermal cycling in thermal barrier coatings

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are commonly used as protective coatings for engine metal components to improve performance. Many investigations have shown that residual stresses in TBCs applications play an important role, but the residual stresses are mainly obtained by simulation method. As we know, there are a few analytical solutions of residual stress in TBCs system. In this paper, a new two-dimensional analytical solution has been obtained under the condition of non-linear coupled effects of temperature gradient, thermal fatigue, deposited residual stress, thermally grown oxide (TGO) thickening, elasto-plasticity deformation and creep deformation of TBC. Moreover, the influences of bending moment and curvature on stress variation in TBCs are considered during thermal cycling. The calculated results are in agreement with the prior experimental results.     

On stresses induced in a thermal barrier coating due to indentation testing

Instrumented indentation has been suggested as a method to determine interfacial fracture toughness of thermal barrier coatings. However, in a previous experimental study we showed that the results are ambiguous. In this work, we investigate the experimental results by numerical simulations incorporating the material microstructure. In the numerical simulations, based on finite element analyses, the stress fields that are associated with the loading and unloading of the indenter are investigated. By comparing these stress fields to the damage observed in the experimental study, including crack path and interfacial delaminations, we explain key findings from the experimental observations. Our results suggest that indentation testing of multilayered coated structures might not induce the delamination in the overall weakest interface and therefore the test results must be evaluated with care.     

Development of coating by thermal plasma spraying under very low-pressure condition <1 mbar

Very Low-Pressure Plasma Spray (VLPPS under 1 mbar) has been developed and used for deposition of copper powder (10-63 μm) coating on stainless steel substrate. In order to improve the understanding of this technique and to study the volatilization of the injected powder in supersonic plasma, optical emission spectroscopy study has been carried out. Preliminary results of the properties and the structure of VLPPS copper coating are presented. It is shown that the plasma expansion with decreasing chamber pressure increases the volatilization of particles and allows to obtain a very dense coating with crystalline structures and avoids oxygen, due to the preheating of the substrate with plasma (length about 1.50 m).     

Diamond deposition on Mo with thermal stress buffer layer coated mild steel substrate by combustion flame CVD

In order to develop wear resistance diamond/molybdenum (Mo) hybrid coating process can be conducted in open air. Diamond deposition on the molybdenum with thermal stress buffer layer coated mild steel substrate by the combustion flame chemical vapor deposition (CFCVD) was carried out. As the thermal stress buffer layer, atmospheric plasma sprayed Mo/Fe mixture coating was deposited between Mo top coat and mild steel substrate. Consequently, crack generation and peeling off of the coating occurred due to thermal influences on the condition of Mo coated mild steel substrate in our previous study, diamond particles could be created on the Mo coating without fracture and peeling off. Besides, an additional Mo coating after diamond deposition increases the adhesion force between the diamond coating and the initial Mo coating. This encapsulation of the diamond particles between two Mo layers dramatically improves the resistance of the global coating making it strong enough to resist to the wearing test. These results demonstrate the high potential of thermal sprayed coating for the wear resistance improvement.     

Analysis and simulation of cracking patterns in coating under biaxial tensile or thermal stress using analysis/FEM strain-accommodation method

The cracking patterns in coatings under biaxial tensile or thermal stress are analyzed by the “analysis/FEM strain-accommodation method” that combines the strain of the substrate with a coating obtained from thermo-elastic analysis with the strain of the substrate calculated by a finite element method. The simulation using this method is effective not only for expressing the cracking patterns observed in punch press tests of disk specimens with WC-Co cermet and Al₂O₃-TiO₂ ceramic coatings but also predicting the cracking process for the coating deposited on a part with a complex shape under thermal stress.     

热稳定化过程中PAN纤维热应力与热化学反应的关联性

借助DSC、FTIR、EA、WAXD和热应力变化等表征手段,系统研究了六种聚丙烯腈（PAN）纤维在热稳定化过程中应力变化特征与纤维热化学反应的内在关联.结果表明：在热稳化定化过程中PAN纤维化学应力峰的起始温度和峰顶温度很好地对应了纤维DSC起始与峰顶的温度,因而可采用化学热应力表征PAN纤维环化的反应速率和程度.由于化学应力峰的变化与PAN大分子的组成、有序度、芳构化指数以及密度等特征结构参数的变化具有较紧密对应关系,意味着热应力可用于连续热稳定化过程中在线控制纤维的结构.     

Bimodal TBCs with low thermal conductivity deposited by a powder-suspension co-spray process

Advanced thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) with better thermal barrier performance are required by both advanced gas turbine and air engine. In this work, novel bimodal TBCs with low thermal conductivity were deposited and characterized by a novel co-spray approach with both solid powder and suspension. Experimental and finite element analyses were used to optimize the process parameters to prepare the specific morphology nanostructure features. With a comprehensive understanding on the influence of spraying parameters on the morphology of nano-particles, homogeneous nano-particle heaps with a large aspect ratio were introduced to conventional layered coatings by plasma co-spraying with suspension and solid powder. Co-sprayed bimodal microstructure composite coatings resulted from both wet suspension droplets and molten particle droplets exhibited low thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity of the composite coating was 1/5 lower than that of the counterpart coatings by conventional plasma spraying with solid powder. This study sheds light to the structural tailoring towards the advanced TBCs with low thermal conductivity.     

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.     

EB-PVD process and thermal properties of hafnia-based thermal barrier coating

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are being developed for the key technology of gas turbine and diesel engine applications. In general, 8 mass% Y₂O₃–ZrO₂ (8YSZ) coating materials are used as the top coating of TBCs. The development of hafnia-based TBC was started in order to realize the high reliability and durability in comparison with 8YSZ, and the 7.5 mass% Y₂O₃–HfO₂ (7.5YSH) was selected for coating material. By the investigation of electron-beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) process using 7.5YSH ceramic ingot, 7.5YSH top coating with about 200 µm thickness could be formed. The microstructure of the 7.5YSH coated at coating temperature of 850 °C showed columnars of laminated thin crystals. On the other hand, the structure of the 7.5YSH coated at coating temperature of 950 °C showed solid columnars. From the result of sintering behavior obtained by heating test of 7.5YSH coating, it was recognized that the thermal durability of 7.5YSH coating was improved up to about 100 °C in comparison with 8YSZ coating. This tendency was confirmed by the experimental result of the thermal expansion characteristics of sintered 7.5YSH and 8YSZ.

©2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.     

Fracture analysis of a nonhomogeneous coating/substrate system with an interface under thermal shock

The work is devoted to establish a model for the interface problem of a nonhomogeneous coating/substrate system. In the model, according to the distribution of material properties, three types of interface problems are considered: (i) The material properties and their derivatives are continuous on the interface; (ii) the material properties are continuous, but their derivatives are discontinuous on the interface; and (iii) the material properties as well as their derivatives are discontinuous on the interface. In order to solve the complex interface problems, a transient interaction energy integral method (IEIM) is developed in this paper. The transient thermal stress intensity factors are evaluated using the IEIM combined with the finite element method and the finite difference method. The influences of the interface discontinuity and the geometric parameters on the transient TSIFs are investigated. Particularly, the crack growth behavior with different interface discontinuities is discussed.     

Analysis of crack nets development in thermal barrier coatings

After a relatively short time in service, components with thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) protection typically develop a system of cracks that propagate from the coated surface toward the interface. Usually these cracks propagate across the thickness of the protective coating and branch along the interface between the coating and the bank metal. The presence of these crack nets is a concern for the durability of the components with TBCs. In the study of thin TBCs by Rubinstein and Tang (Int J Solids Struct 42:5831–5847, 2005), it was found that in a number of cases, these components may still serve for a long time because of crack growth resistance development for cracks growing along the interface, which was found to be the most stable crack path under thermal loading conditions. One of the aims of this study is to determine whether similar fracture resistance is typical for thick TBC coatings as well. The emphases of the analysis presented here are on cases when the coating thickness is comparable to the thickness of the bank material, and on the effect of heat conduction changes due to branching of the developing cracks in a direction parallel to or along the interface. These items were not addressed in sufficient detail in the previous investigations.     

Modeling of relaxation of viscoelastic stresses in multi-layered thin films/substrate systems due to thermal mismatch

Assume the ratio of the total axial rigidity of thin films to that of the substrate is smaller than 0.02, an approximate closed-form solution for viscoelastic stresses in multi-layered thin films/substrate systems due to thermal mismatch is derived. This is achieved by utilizing the analogy between the governing field equation of elasticity and the Laplace transform with respect to time of the viscoelastic field equation. Based on two solutions, simplified solutions for relaxation of residual stresses distributed in multiple layers of thin films deposited on a thick substrate are obtained. The effect of the thickness, thermal expansion coefficient, Young's modulus, and viscosity coefficient of the substrate and thin films on the relaxation of residual stresses is considered. This simplified solution can be applied to some special cases such as one layered or periodic multi-layered thin films on a thick substrate.     

Measurements of the thermal gradient over EB-PVD thermal barrier coatings

Conventional two-layered structure thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), graded thermal barrier coatings (GTBCs) and graded thermal barrier coatings with micropores were prepared onto superalloy DZ22 tube by electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD). Thermal gradient of the TBCs was evaluated by embedding two thermal couples in the surfaces of the tube and the top coat at different surrounding temperatures with and without cooling gas flowing through the tube. The results showed that higher thermal gradient could be achieved for the GTBCs with micropores compared to the two-layered structure TBCs and GTBCs. However, after the samples were heated at 1050°C, the thermal gradient for the GTBCs with or without micropores decreased with the increase of heating time. On the other hand, the thermal gradient for the TBCs increased with the increase of heating time. Cross-section observations by scanning electron microscopy showed that the change in microstructure was the main reason for the change of the thermal gradient.     

Finite element simulation of residual stress of double-ceramic-layer La2Zr2O7/8YSZ thermal barrier coatings using birth and death element technique

In this paper, the residual stress of double-ceramic-layer (DCL) La₂Zr₂O₇/8YSZ thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) fabricated by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) was calculated by finite element simulation using birth and death element technique. The residual stress was composed of two parts, i.e. the quenching stress and the thermal stress. The simulation results indicated that the surface and the edge of interface are often the positions of stress concentration. The DCL La₂Zr₂O₇/8YSZ has lower residual stress compared with that of the single-ceramic-layer (SCL) 8YSZ TBCs with the same thickness. In addition, the influence of defects on the residual stress has been calculated and discussed using finite element method combined with Computational Micro-Mechanics (CMM). As the DCL TBCs has better thermal insulation effect, sintering resistance ability and lower residual stress compared with that of the SCL 8YSZ at the same time, it was expected to be an ideal candidate material for the application in the future.     

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.     

Thermal shock resistance analysis methodology of ceramic coating/metal substrate systems

The paper establishes a methodology for the study of thermal shock resistance behavior of ceramic coating/metal substrate systems, based on multiple cracking analysis. The stress criterion and the toughness criterion are used to predict the failure behavior of the system. Multi-scale analysis of the thermal shock resistance of the system is made and variations of the thermal shock resistance of the system with crack density are displayed for different values of coating to substrate thickness ratio. Some critical size parameters, which control the applicability of the stress-based criterion and the fracture mechanics-based criterion for the determination of the thermal shock resistance of the coating/substrate systems, are explored.     

Mechanical model for the interfacial thermal stress in porous ceramic foam coatings bonded to a substrate

Abstract

Coatings of porous ceramic foams have potential applications in thermal protection systems of space shuttles. This paper develops a mechanics model for evaluation of thermal stress of porous ceramic foam coating/substrate structures under thermal shock temperature variation. Numerical results show that interfacial stresses exhibit singularity at the edge of ceramic foam coating. Stress intensity factor will reduce when ceramic foam coating has a larger density or a larger thermal conductivity. Comparison between beam model and membrane model is made and it suggests that consideration of bending stiffness is essential for correct evaluation of the thermal stress in the ceramic foams.