On the Nature of Coatings for F-Technology Components

Degradation of hot section components in the turbine section of gas turbines used in the power generation industry can cause significant problems including financial penalties associated with down time and a decrease in operating efficiency.  High temperature oxidation and hot corrosion can cause severe material loss, leading to loss in power generation efficiency and a concomitant rise in operating cost.  The use of coatings to mitigate such factors is becoming increasingly common and has been used for many years in land-based gas turbines.  There is a plethora of coatings available from the OEM and non-OEM providers.   The purpose of this paper is to share some of the experiences of a service provider in discussing various options available to the user of the gas turbine.  A property-performance based approach will be discussed in selecting a coating for a particular application or component. A few case studies will be discussed to address the service performance of certain components.