Production of Re doped La2Zr2O7 based TBCs and numerical analysis of their use on IC engine piston surface

In this study, first of all, a metallic bond layer was coated on the metal substrate using the HVOF method. Then, Gd and Yb doped La₂Zr₂O7 powders, which were specially produced to obtain a low thermal conductivity value, were coated on the metallic bond layer by atmospheric plasma spraying method. The coatings were produced in single-layer and double-layer designs using YSZ as the buffer layer. In the microstructure analysis, it was observed that the coatings exhibited the characteristic microstructure properties of the materials produced by atmospheric plasma spraying method. In the phase analysis, it was found that the Gd and Yb doped La₂Zr₂O₇ was in the form of defect fluorite type structure after plasma spraying. The thermal conductivity of the YSZ coating ranged from 0.88 to 1.00 W/mK, while the thermal conductivity of the doped La₂Zr₂O₇ coatings was measured between 0.38 and 0.68 W/mK. Especially, the lowest thermal conductivity values were obtained in the double-layer Gd doped coating. As a result of modeling these coatings on the piston surface of a diesel engine using the finite element method, it was found that the maximum and minimum surface temperatures of the pistons increased by 69% and 60%, respectively. There was also a reduction of up to 6.5% in the temperature of the piston substrate surface.