Durability Strategies for Plasma Sprayed Thermal Barrier Coatings via Layered Engineering

Mechanisms controlling the durability of plasma sprayed TBCs, both YSZ as well as other novel compositions are of significant interest. Microstructural variants of YSZ which render improved cyclic durability have been extensively investigated in the past. We offer a methodology to address such issues of TBC durability using a layered engineering approach. Additionally one novel composition, Gadolinium Zirconate (GZO) has been investigated to identify and address concerns with the performance of multimaterial coating systems. Results from this investigation suggest that while the improved thermo-chemical properties of GZO coatings could offer immense potential, the penalties associated with their lower fracture toughness present significant challenges in fabricating such coatings for higher durability. Leveraging the benefits of processing science to engineer location specific properties, we outline the critical factors that require concurrent consideration to enable such multilayered multimaterial coatings to provide enhanced cyclic performance