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Low Thermal Conductivity Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Thermal Barrier Coatings Using the Solution Precursor Plasma Spray Process

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Abstract

The primary function of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) is to insulate the underlying metal from high temperature gases in gas turbine engines. As a consequence, low thermal conductivity and high durability are the primary properties of interest. In this work, the solution precursor plasma spray (SPPS) process was used to create layered porosity, called inter-pass boundaries, in yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) TBCs. IPBs have been shown to be effective in reducing thermal conductivity. Optimization of the IPB microstructure by the SPPS process produced YSZ TBCs with a thermal conductivity of 0.6 W/mK, an approximately 50% reduction compared to standard air plasma sprayed (APS) coatings. In preliminary tests, SPPS YSZ with IPBs exhibited equal or greater furnace thermal cycles and erosion resistance compared to regular SPPS and commercially made APS YSZ TBCs.

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Abbreviations

k :

Thermal conductivity, W/mK

α:

Thermal diffusivity, m2/s

c p :

Specific heat, J/gK

ρ:

Density, kg/m3

TBC:

Thermal barrier coatings

SPPS:

Solution precursor plasma spray

IPB:

Inter-pass boundaries

Y(F/P)SZ:

Yttria(-fully/partially)-stabilized zirconia

APS:

Air plasma spray

FOD:

Foreign object damage

OEM:

Original equipment manufacturer

HVOF:

High velocity oxygen fuel

LPPS:

Low pressure plasma spray

SEM:

Scanning electron microscope

FEA:

Finite element analysis

EB-PVD:

Electron beam physical vapor deposition

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Acknowledgments

This research is supported by the US Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Lab through the University Turbine Systems Research (UTSR) program award DE-FE-0007382. Special thanks to NETSZCH Instruments for doing parallel measurements to validate our laser-flash system. The authors would also like to thank Prof. Douglas Wolfe at Penn State University for the erosion testing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA

    Eric H. Jordan

  2. Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA

    Eric H. Jordan, Chen Jiang, Jeffrey Roth & Maurice Gell

  3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA

    Chen Jiang & Maurice Gell

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  1. Eric H. Jordan
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  2. Chen Jiang
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  4. Maurice Gell
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Correspondence to Chen Jiang.

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Jordan, E.H., Jiang, C., Roth, J. et al. Low Thermal Conductivity Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Thermal Barrier Coatings Using the Solution Precursor Plasma Spray Process. J Therm Spray Tech 23, 849–859 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11666-014-0082-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11666-014-0082-5

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