Modification of thermal barrier coating architecture by in situ laser remelting

Abstract

Yttria partially stabilized zirconia thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are widely used to protect components of aero gas turbines against high heat fluxes and hence increase their properties by reducing their in-service temperature. However, these coatings degrade in service conditions. Therefore, manufacturing TBC which present both low thermal conductivity and high life-time is a real challenge. Engineering the coating architecture by an adapted process is a prerequisite to modify TBC characteristics. In this study, laser remelting was combined to thermal spraying in order to modify the TBC properties. In situ laser treatment (i) changes structure from lamellar to dendritic columnar; (ii) generates a pore architecture less sensitive to sintering, maintaining the TBC thermal and mechanical properties during thermal treatments at high temperatures; (iii) improves the thermal insulation properties of the TBC by decreasing its thermal conductivity of about 30%; (iv) decreases its permeability permitting to reduce oxidation and corrosion phenomena of the underneath layers and substrate; (v) increases the resistance to isothermal shocks (with the possibility to double the number of cycles); (vi) conducts to a metastable tetragonal phase more stable during thermal shocks; (vii) without modifying the elastic response of the deposit.