Processing and Thermal Cycling Effects on the Erosion Behavior of Thermal Barrier Coatings

The erosion behavior of yttria stabilized zirconia thermal barrier coatings is investigated with respect to powder particle size. Solid particle erosion experiments were conducted at room temperature to determine the mechanism of erosion for ceramic thermal spray coatings. Testing was carried out on as-sprayed as well as thermally cycled specimens. Porosity and bend testing measurements indicate that a decrease in porosity and an increase in inter-lamellar strength leads to an increase in the erosion resistance of ceramic thermal spray coatings.