Structure of NiCrAlY coatings deposited on single-crystal alloy turbine blade material by laser cladding

In the present work single and multiple layer NiCrAlY coatings were produced by laser cladding on (100) single-crystalline substrates of SRR99 Ni-based superalloy. Detailed structural characterisation and texture analysis by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Rutherford backscattering showed that the NiCrAlY coatings consisted essentially of γ phase with yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃) and a small proportion of yttrium–aluminum garnet (Al₅Y₃O₁₂) precipitated in the interdendritic regions. The coatings presented a columnar dendritic structure grown by epitaxial solidification on the substrate and inherited the single-crystalline nature and the orientation of the substrate. The coating material also showed a mosaicity and a defect density similar to those of the substrate. It can be expected that the protective effect of these coatings against oxidation is greatly enhanced compared with polycrystalline coatings because high diffusivity paths, such as grain boundaries, are eliminated in single-crystalline coatings, thus reducing mass transport through the coating.