M.-P. Bacos, J.-M. Dorvaux, O. Lavigne, R. Mévrel, M. Poulain, C. Rio, M.-H. Vidal-Sétif
Thermal barrier coatings are used to protect blades and vanes in the hot sections of gas turbines. They consist of a thick porous ceramic layer deposited on a alumina forming metallic bond coat in contact with the nickel-based superalloy substrate. They are designed to prolong the components lifetimes or to increase gas temperature, and therefore efficiency. In service, the structure and composition of the various layers evolve, due to sintering of the ceramic layer, oxidation of the bond coat, and interdiffusion phenomena with the substrate. As a result, the properties of each layer are affected, as is the interfacial toughness. These evolutions, combined with applied external stresses, may lead to bond coat rumpling, crack formation at the bond coat/ceramic interface and the ceramic layer may eventually spall off. In addition to these intrinsic degradation modes, interactions with the environment can accelerate the system degradation. This paper reviews the
aging phenomena occurring in thermal barrier coatings at high temperatures and describes their degradation mechanisms, with illustrations from service experience and laboratory tests.