Evaluating Conditions for Manufacturing Suspension Plasma TBCs

With numerous studies reporting the TBC performance benefits of suspension plasma spray (SPS) yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) microstructures, questions regarding the manufacturing of these coatings are becoming common in the TBC industry.  To help answer these questions, this study will present data on optimizing SPS YSZ deposition efficiency along with the deposition rate.  The results of this optimization process with different commercial YSZ suspensions will also be compared.  Additionally, the effects on the coating microstructure of deposition rate, standoff distance, and spraying pattern will be discussed.  The information gained from the process evaluation will then be utilized to produce a SPS YSZ TBC on a geometry typical of aerospace components, and the challenges encounter during this process will be examined.