Thermal Cycling Behavior of Quasi-Columnar YSZ Coatings Deposited by PS-PVD

Columnar structured coatings, due to their high strain tolerance, are well suited for thermal shock applications and thermal cycling service. In this study, plasma spray-physical vapor deposition (PS-PVD) was used to produce YSZ coatings with quasi-columnar microstructure. Thermal cycling and thermal shock tests were performed, and coating microstructure, phase composition, and residual stresses were evaluated before and after testing. Coatings obtained prior to process optimization, on average, made it to 623 cycles at 1250 °C before 10% of the coating surface showed signs of spallation.