Reliability of thermal barrier coatings (TBC) hinges on the adhesion of a thermally grown oxide scale to an insulative ceramic topcoat and an underlying metallic bondcoat. The width of the scale and its interfaces makes transmission electron microscopy (TEM) an appropriate tool for its analysis. However, specimen preparation has proven to be a challenging obstacle leading to a dearth of TEM research on TBCs. A new approach to cross-section TBC TEM specimen preparation is described. The principal advantages of this technique are reproducibility, reduced specimen damage, and time savings resulting from decreased ion milling. This technique has been successfully applied to numerous TBC specimens with various thermal histories.
Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) insulate gas turbine hot section components from the hot (∽1200 - 1450°C) combustion gas exhaust stream. An airline company can save millions of dollars per year by using TBCs to protect vital engine components and to improve fuel efficiency. TBCs typically consist of an 8 wt.% yttria-partially-stabilized zirconia (YPSZ) ceramic topcoat deposited on a platinum-nickel-aluminide (Pt-Ni-Al) bondcoat covering a nickel-based superalloy substrate. Thermal exposure during YPSZ electron beam-physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) and engine operation promotes the formation of a thermally grown oxide (TGO) between the Pt-Ni-Al and the YPSZ layers. Stresses can develop at the Pt-Ni-Al/TGO and TGO/YPSZ interfaces due to TGO growth and thermal expansion coefficient mismatch. These stresses eventually cause spallation of the YPSZ, leaving the metallic substrate vulnerable to high temperature degradation since exhaust temperatures are often higher than the melting temperature of most nickel-based superalloys (∽1200 - 1450°C).
Reliability of thermal barrier coatings (TBC) hinges on the adhesion of
a thermally grown oxide scale to an insulative ceramic topcoat and an
underlying metallic bondcoat. The width of the scale and its interfaces
makes transmission electron microscopy (TEM) an appropriate tool for its
analysis. However, specimen preparation has proven to be a challenging
obstacle leading to a dearth of TEM research on TBCs. A new approach to
cross-section TBC TEM specimen preparation is described. The principal
advantages of this technique are reproducibility, reduced specimen damage,
and time savings resulting from decreased ion milling. This technique has
been successfully applied to numerous TBC specimens with various thermal
histories.
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