Microstructures and Properties of Novel Thermal Barrier Coatings Deposited by Hybrid Water-Stabilized Plasma Torch

Hybrid Water-Stabilized Plasma (WSP-H) torch provides high-enthalpy plasma which may be utilized for high-throughput and yet economical spraying of coatings from powders, suspensions, and solutions. It was previously demonstrated that microstructures of the deposits may be thus tailored to a wide extent for various new applications, namely those requiring high coating thickness or coating of large components. In this study, applicability of WSP-H technology for spraying of novel thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) will be demonstrated. Microstructures, phase composition, as well as mechanical and thermal properties of the TBC coatings prepared with different deposition scenarios will be compared. Long-term stability of the deposited TBCs needed for heavy-duty industrial applications will be also discussed.