Dr. Chinmayee Nayak
,
UNIVERSITY OF TURKU, Turku, Turku, Finland
Mr. Arman Hasani
,
University of Turku, Turku, Finland
Dr. Malgorzata Grazyna Makowska
,
Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, Villigen, Brugg, Swaziland
Mr. Ebenezer Owusu
,
Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK, Nottingham, United Kingdom
Prof. Tanvir Hussain
,
Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK, Nottingham, United Kingdom
Dr. Sneha Goel
,
VTT, Espoo, Finland, Espoo, Finland
Prof. Antti Salminen
,
UNIVERSITY OF TURKU, Turku, Turku, Finland
Dr. Ashish Ganvir
,
University of Turku, Turku, Turku, Finland
Mr. Vinay Gidla
,
Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Rupnagar, Punjab, India, University of Turku, Turku, Turku, Finland
The Suspension Plasma Spray (SPS) technique is revolutionizing the development of thin, high-performance environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) for next-gen aero engines. SPS enables the creation of thinner coatings with finer microstructures compared to conventional Atmospheric Plasma Spray (APS), allowing precise control from micrometer to nanometer scales, greatly enhancing EBC performance. This fine-tuning is vital for optimizing the multi-layered EBC structure, including bond and top coats. Detailed microscale analysis, especially at layer interfaces, is key to preventing localized degradation under extreme conditions, which can lead to coating failure.
Localized characterization is essential due to the heterogeneity of SPS coatings and their interfaces. Conventional methods like XRD and XRF provide only broad overviews, missing critical local details. To address this, we introduce advanced synchrotron µXRD and µXRF techniques for detailed local analysis at 1µm² resolution. Our case study on SPS-produced EBCs (Ytterbium disilicate top coat, silicon bond coat, and silicon carbide substrate) demonstrates this method's effectiveness. Using focused ion beam (FIB) milling, we prepared thin samples and found a uniform distribution of phases and elements, revealing the impact of environmental exposure like CMAS. These results highlight the importance of localized analysis for enhancing coating performance.
