Effects of variations in coating materials and process conditions on the thermal cycle properties of NiCrAlY/YSZ thermal barrier coatings

Thermal cycle tests were conducted on a variety of thermal barrier coating (TBC) specimens with bond coats that had been prepared in different ways. Variables include: (1) different thermal spray processes (high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spray and low pressure plasma spray (LPPS)), (2) different feedstock powder (gas-atomized and cryomilled), (3) the introduction of nano-sized alumina additives (particles and whiskers) and (4) with and without a post-spray vacuum heat treatment. The results show that the cryomilling of the NiCrAlY powder and the post-spray heat treatment in vacuum can both lead to significant improvement in the thermal cycle lifetime of the TBCs. The TBC specimens with LPPS bond coats also generally showed longer lifetimes than those with HVOF bond coats. In contrast, the intentional dispersion of alumina particles or whiskers in the NiCrAlY powders during cryomilling did not result in the further improvement of the lifetime of the TBCs. Microstructural evolution, including the thermally grown oxide (TGO) formation, the distribution of the dispersoids in the bond coat, the internal oxidation of the bond coat, the bond coat shrinkage during the thermal cycle tests and the reduction of the ZrO2 in the top coat during the heat treatment in vacuum, was investigated.