Emerging materials and processes for thermal barrier systems

Thermal barrier systems have been the subject of vigorous research and development activities over the past few years, driven by the demands for enhanced reliability and substantially higher operating temperatures envisaged for the next generations of gas turbine engines. The menu of candidate materials and architectures has expanded considerably, including numerous concepts based on zirconia as well as radically different materials, multilayers and modulated distributions of porosity and chemical composition. Advances in deposition processes enable increased flexibility for tailoring composition and microstructure to local requirements within the coating system, e.g. for thermal insulation, control of interdiffusion, enhanced resistance against environmental degradation and condition monitoring. Many challenges remain but healthy and growing collaborations between the science and technology communities bode well for future progress in this area.