Effect of Particle State Parameters on the Repeatability of Atmospheric Plasma Sprayed TBC Coatings

Coatings repeatability is one of the major issues with plasma sprayed TBCs. The increasing demand of higher operating temperature for better efficiency of engines requires the production of prime reliant coatings. It has been reported that the properties of APS TBCs coatings sprayed with constant process conditions can change from day-to-day as well as from one location to another. Recent observation has suggested that the day-to-day variability associated with particle state parameters such as temperature (T) and velocity (V) for YSZ is dependent on the combination of T and V. A study is conducted to assess the repeatability of coatings produced with these particle state parameters. The assessment was made based on conventional characterization such as thickness, density and thermal conductivity as well as our advanced characterization of coatings’ anelasticity.