Marcus Preston Borom

Role of Environmental Deposits in Spallation of Thermal Barrier Coatings on Aeroengine and Land-Based Gas Turbine Hardware

Thermal barrier coating (TBC) spallation on power generation combustors was compared with TBC spallation observed both in military turboshaft engines, and in commercial turboprop engines. In each case, irrespective of operating conditions or geographic location, spallation was linked to the presence and infiltration of high temperature molten phases of similar composition. Electron microprobe analysis found that, from all the possible oxides available in the external environment, only CaO, MgO, Al2O3 and SiO2 (CMAS) are incorporated in the molten phase that infiltrates the TBC microstructure. Iron and nickel oxides from turbine components and zirconia and yttria from the TBC were also found in varying amounts in the molten phase.Melting of environmental deposits in conjunction with infiltration was found to result in: densification of the TBC, an increase in its Young’s modulus and an increase in the room temperature compressive stress in the TBC. Delamination of the TBC during thermal cycling is, thereby, attributed to changes in the mechanical properties and associated changes in the stress state of the coating due to infiltration of the environmental deposit.Copyright