In this work, interdiffusion between different nickel-based superalloys and two MCrAlY bond coats, containing different chemical compositions, is investigated. To determine the influence of the coating deposition process, the MCrAlY bond coats were applied using two different spraying processes, high velocity oxygen fuel spraying (HVOF) and low-pressure plasma spraying (LPPS). Of primary interest is the evolution of Kirkendall porosity, which can form at the interface of substrate and bond coat and depends largely on the chemical compositions of the coating and substrate. Experimental evidence suggested also a dependence on the coating deposition process. Formation of porosity at the interface causes a degradation of the bonding strength between substrate and coating, with functional breakdown of the coating system as a worst result. After coating deposition, the samples were annealed at 1050 °C for varying test periods up to 2000 hours. Microstructural and compositional analyses were performed to determine and to evaluate the Kirkendall porosity. The results reveal a strong influence of both the spraying process and the chemical composition. The amount of Kirkendall porosity formed, as well as the location of appearance and the shape, is largely influenced by the coating deposition process. In general, samples with bond coats applied by means of HVOF show accelerated element diffusion. It is hypothesized that recrystallization of the substrate material, as a consequence of the surface treatment prior to coating deposition, is the main root cause for these observations.

MCrAlY bond coats were deposited on nickel base substrate by electroplated process. The bond coats were plated using ‘CrAlY’ precursor powders suspended in an electrolytic bath containing nickel and cobalt in solution. The CrAlY powders used had size in the range generally below 10 um. The as-deposited coatings were heat-treated in a vacuum at elevated temperature. The roughness of the as-deposited coatings was on the range from 2 to 4 um (average). Yttria stabilized zirconia thermal barrier coatings, 7YSZ were deposited by air plasma spray. The thickness of the both bond coats and TBCs was varied in order to determine the effects of thickness in the stability of the thermal barrier coatings. The coated samples were tested in a static furnace and also in a thermal shock test rig where the samples could be cooled rapidly from 1000°C to 100°C at a predetermined rate. The TGO formed at temperatures in the range from 800 to 1050°C was characterized by optical, scanning electron microscope and electron beam microprobe.

Depending on the size and type defects of nickel-based alloy turbine blades two procedures are used mainly: cladding and high temperature brazing. The repair brazing of turbine blades is used to regenerate cracks and surface defects and is the focus of this work. In this contribution a two stage hybrid repair brazing process is presented which allows reducing the current process chain for repair brazing turbine blades. In the first stage of this process the filler metal (NiCrSi) then the hot gas corrosion protective coating (NiCoCrAlY) and finally the aluminium are applied in this order by atmospheric plasma spraying. In the second stage of this hybrid technology the applied coating system undergoes a heat treatment in which brazing and aluminising are combined. The temperature-time regime has an influence on the microstructure of the coating which is investigated in this work.

The most advanced thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems for aircraft engine and power generation hot section components consist of EBPVD applied yttria stabilized zirconia and platinum modified diffusion aluminide bond coating. Thermally-sprayed ceramic and MCrAlY bond coatings, however, are still used extensively for combustors and power generation blades and vanes. This paper highlights the key features of plasma spray and HVOF, diffusion aluminizing and EBPVD coating processes. The coating characteristics of thermally sprayed MCrAlY bondcoat as well as low density and dense vertically cracked (DVC) Zircoat TBC are described. Essential features of a typical EBPVD TBC coating system, consisting of a diffusion aluminide and a columnar TBC, are also presented. The major coating cost elements such as material, equipment and processing are explained for the different technologies, with a performance and cost comparison given for selected examples.

The piezoresistivity of flame-sprayed NiCoCrAlTaY on an electrically insulated surface of a steel substrate was investigated through cyclic extension and compression cycles between 0 and 0.4 mm for 1000 cycles and uniaxial tensile test. The sprayed NiCoCrAlTaY was in grid form with grid thickness of 3 mm and grid length of 30 mm while the electrical insulation was fabricated by flame spraying alumina on the surface of the steel. During mechanical loading, instantaneous electrical resistance measurements were conducted to evaluate the corresponding relative resistance change. Images of the loaded samples were captured for strain calculations through Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique. After consolidation of the pores within the coating, the behavior of the flame-sprayed NiCoCrAlTaY was consistent and linear within the cyclic compression and extension limits, with strain values of approximately -1000 με and +1700 με, respectively. The coating had a consistent and steady maximum relative resistance change of approximately 5% within both limits. The tensile test revealed that the coating has two gauge factors due to the bi-linearity of the plot of relative resistance change against strain. The progression of damage within the coating layers was analyzed from its piezoresistive response and through back-scattered scanning electron microscopy images. Based on the results, the nickel alloy showed high piezoresistive sensitivity for the duration of the loading cycles, with little or no damage to the coating layers. These results suggest that the flame-sprayed nickel alloy coating has great potential as a surface damage detection sensor.

Thermal barrier coatings are gaining considerable importance for the improvement the energetic efficiency of turbines. These materials are often applied on the surface of blades and are based on a layer of antioxidation material (mainly MCrAlY alloys) and a top layer that acts as proper thermal barrier (normally Yttria partially stabilized Zirconia). Coating removal is an important aspect in the production of these blades. "Decoating" or "stripping" is needed for the production of new components as well as for the reconditioning of existing ones. The present paper is dedicated to the comparison of different stripping methods and to the characterization of the blades surface after removal of thermal spray coatings both of Zirconia and of MCrAlY. The results reported here show that chemical stripping is particularly suitable for MCrAlY coating removal and does not affect the substrate. Water jet stripping can successfully be used for Zirconia-MCrAlY system removal although care is needed to avoid substrate damage. Salt bath technologies have been formed to be effective for TBC removal but not for MCrAlY removal.

Nickel based alloys used in coating applications have been the focus of many studies, particularly in the aerospace industry. Their inherent corrosion and oxidation resistant properties have made them especially attractive for use as the metallic bond coat found in thermal barrier coating systems. Cold Spray is an emerging coating technology in which fine powder particles are accelerated in a supersonic flow and then deposited onto a substrate by means of plastic deformation. In this study, conventional CoNiCrAlY coatings and nanocrystalline nickel coatings are produced using the Cold Spray deposition technique. The coating quality is evaluated using scanning electron microscopy as well as porosity and microhardness measurements.

Oxidation behavior of NiCrAlY powder, blended with nano and micro sized Al 2 O 3 and Y 2 O 3 was studied to understand the effect of nano/micro oxide powder dispersion. The blended powders were applied on the IN 718 substrates by HVOF technique. The present work compares the oxidation behavior of IN 718 superalloy, coated with NiCrAlY powders, dispersed with nano and micro Y 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 oxide. Coated samples were characterized by XRD, SEM/EDAX in terms of surface composition, scale cross section and the identification of different phases. The oxidation tests were carried out at 1223K, 1323K, 1423K in air. Oxidation kinetics infer that at 1223 K and 1323 K, nano yittria addition, in fact, resulted in higher oxidation rate, while nano alumina addition resulted in lower oxidation rate. The effect was more pronounced at 1423 K, where the nano and micro size alumina, yttria addition, resulted in bringing down the oxidation rate considerably.

Spherical CoNiCrAlY powders (~45 + 5 μm) were sprayed using a Jet Kote II HVOF gun working with propane and oxygen. The coatings sprayed on two base materials: Inconel 625 (Ni base) and MarM 509 (Co base) were between 1,6 and 3 mm thick. The aim of the study was to examine the adherence problems in relation with this thickness and the imposed thermal cycles (thermal diffusion treatment and aluminizing). The studied parameters were the expansion coefficients evolution before and after the different treatments and the residual stresses between coating and substrate measured by incremental hole dilling method.

Agglomerate sintered and blended NiCrAlY-Y 2 O 3 cermets were prepared from NiCrAlY and Y 2 O 3 powders by two process routes. The particle morphologies and powder characteristics of both cermets feedstock using for thermal spraying were investigated. Both types of NiCrAlY-Y 2 O 3 cermets and one commercial CoCrAlY-Y 2 O 3 cermets were HVOF thermal sprayed onto the stainless steel substrate to obtain coatings having a thickness about 100 microns. Porosity and thermal shock resistance of coatings were examined. Four thermal sprayed coatings were comparatively evaluated build-up resistance by contacting reaction with MnO, Fe 3 O 4 powders and manganese bearing carbon steel statically at high temperatures. The agglomerate sintered NiCrAlY-Y 2 O 3 coatings have good resistance to manganese oxide build-up but bad resistance to iron oxide build-up. The agglomerate sintered cermets coating has better build-up resistance than blended cermets coating.

The gas turbine blades in a severe environment are overlaid with MCrAlY coatings by Low Pressure Plasma Spray (LPS) process for protection against hot corrosion. However, the service life of each blade is limited by damage due to embrittlement layer, which is formed by reaction diffusion at the interface between the coating and the substrate. Reaction diffusion behavior between the CoNiCrAlY coatings and substrates was investigated. In addition, high-temperature oxidation behavior of the CoNiCrAlY coating by LPS was evaluated. The CoNiCrAlY coatings for reaction diffusion test were carried out by 3 kinds of spray process (LPS, High Velocity Oxygen Fuel Spray: HVOF, Atmospheric Plasma Spray: APS) on 2 kinds of substrate (Directional Solidification and Single Crystal Ni-based super alloys). It has been found that the CoNiCrAlY coating by APS inhibited the reaction diffusion at the boundary of the coating and the base material as compared with LPS coating. It was also confirmed that the protective dense layer of aluminum oxide against hot corrosion was formed in the surface of the CoNiCrAlY coatings by LPS.

This work compares the oxidation behaviour of CoNiCrAlY coatings manufactured by the HVOF, APS and CGDS processes when submitted to temperatures of 1000°C and 1100°C. The as-sprayed coating microstructural features were characterised using SEM and XRD analysis before being subjected to isothermal heat treatments in an air furnace. Oxide scale composition was determined using XRD, SEM and EDS analysis while the oxide growth rates were obtained using mass gain measurements. The as-sprayed HVOF and CGDS coatings exhibit similar microstructures while the APS samples have a significantly higher porosity and oxide content levels. Results from the oxidation experiments indicated that the oxide growth rate of HVOF and CGDS were lower than that of the APS samples. The results also indicated that samples oxidised at 1100°C have a lower oxide growth rate than those oxidised at 1000°C. Analysis of the oxidation process up to 100 hours indicates that the formation of dense α-Al 2 O 3 is more favourable at 1100°C while a transition alumina, θ-Al 2 O 3 is more favourable at 1000°C. Furthermore, the surface profile of the samples oxidised at 1100°C were more uniform and free of protrusions.

A computational fluid dynamics model for understanding the HVAF process and the influence of the process parameters on the particle flight properties is investigated. Achieving this objective involves a novel approach to modeling the HVAF process with pressure inlet boundary conditions and integration of the mixing chamber. The study comprises the prediction of the flow fields described by a set of equations consisting of continuity, momentum, energy, and species transport. These equations are then solved with realizable k-ε turbulence model, a two-step chemistry model and eddy dissipation model to simulate the combustion reaction. Consequently, the interaction between the CoNiCrAlY alloy particles and the flow is modeled using a Lagrangian approach considering the forces acting on the particles and the heat transfer. The results show that the combustion chamber pressure is mainly affected by the compressed air and propane parameters. Furthermore, the flight behavior of the smaller particles is significantly influenced by the gas flow, while the larger particles tend to maintain their momentum and energy. Through the simulation model, an in-depth process understanding of the HVAF process can be achieved. More importantly, the model can be used as a tool for efficient process development.

Development of thermal spraying of quasicrystalline coatings is connected with development of new powders for produced from alloyed quasicrystalline alloys. Powders of AlCuFe alloyed by Cr and Sc were produced by high – pressure water atomization of melt. Phase composition, microstructure, morphology, flowability of the powders were investigated. Resistance of powders to oxidation in air was studied using thermography. It was determined that doping of AlCuFe – alloy by 0,265 and 0,440 at.% Sc and by 8 at.% Cr significantly increases in them content of quasicrystalline phases. Annealing of AlCuFeCr at 550°C leads to transformation quasicrystalline phase into crystalline approximant of decagonal quasicrystalline phase.

This paper presents the results of a study of the oxidation behavior of thermal barrier coating (TBC) with air plasma sprayed (APS) yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) top coat and CoNiCrAlY bond coat deposited using low pressure plasma spray (LPPS) and cold spray (CS). The TBC is subjected to isothermal oxidation and creep tests at 900 ¢XC and evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thermally grown oxide (TGO) developed in TBC with LPPS bond coat was composed of only α-Al 2 O 3 and the TGO developed in TBC with CS bond coat is composed of α-Al 2 O 3 and γ-Al 2 O 3 . Despite the presence of this metastable γ phase, the TGO in the CS specimens exhibits a dense microstructure and lower amounts of mixed oxides. The correlation between γ-Al 2 O 3 and the formation of mixed oxides was investigated through the measurement of γ- Al 2 O 3 thickness ratio and mixed oxides coverage ratio. It was found that the mixed oxides coverage ratio is inversely proportional to the γ- Al 2 O 3 thickness ratio. Overall findings indicate that the oxidation behavior of the TBC with CS bond coat is superior compared to that of the TBC with LPPS bond coat.

A Vickers indentation method has been applied to determine the interfacial fracture toughness of modern multilayer thermal barrier coatings. The delamination behavior of four types of coating systems will be discussed and compared with results based on modified four-point bending (4PB) tests. The investigated multi-layer coating system consists of a CoNiCrAlY-bond coat applied via low-pressure plasma spray (LPPS) on a nickel-based superalloy and an atmospheric-plasma sprayed (APS) top layer of type gadolinium zirconate (GZO) and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). A conventional YSZ mono-layer system is used for reference. The effects of GZO and YSZ microstructure were investigated using top coats with low and high porosities for both (multi- and single-layer) coating systems. Isothermal oxidation tests at 1100 °C up to 500 hours were performed to study the interaction between thermal aging and fracture behavior. Investigations of microstructure and sintering behavior show a significant influence of the annealing conditions on fracture toughness. It has been observed, that with increasing annealing time, the stiffness and thus the crack driving force of the GZO layer is increased due to sintering effects and healing of submicron defects. The lower stiffness and higher defect density of GZO seem to be the main reason for the reduced fracture toughness of the YSZ / GZO interface compared to the YSZ / CoNiCrAlY interface. As a result, the delamination of the top coat is observed to shift from the top coat / bond coat interface into the top coat double-layer.

Corrosion resistance of coatings deposited by thermal spraying technology HVOF (High Velocity Oxygen Fuel) requires high density in coating and good adhesion to substrate material. The majority of thermally sprayed materials meet the requirements of high corrosion resistance in terms of their composition. However, porous structure raises doubts about the performance of thermally sprayed coatings regarding sufficient protection to the base material. In fact, corrosion protection is a basic coating function. However, , no sufficient attention has been dedicated to the issue of component protection against corrosion attack using HVOF sprayed coatings. In this study, NiCoCrAlY, NiCoCrAlTaReY, NiCoCrAlYHfSi, and CoCrAlYTaCSi coatings were deposited on the substrate material 1.4923. The coatings were deposited using HP/HVOF (High Pressure / High Velocity Oxygen Fuel) thermal spraying technology. The coatings were exposed to the corrosive-aggressive environment in the form of molten salts mixture with composition of 60 % V 2 O 5 and 40 % Na 2 SO 4 at the selected temperature of 750 °C. Further, all coatings were exposed to cyclic conditions. Weight changes of individual specimens were measured after every cycle and results were recorded in diagrams. After the corrosion test, all evaluated coatings were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM), analysis of elemental composition (EDS) and X-Ray diffraction. The NiCoCrAlY and NiCoCrAlTaReY coatings showed the best corrosion protection in selected corrosive aggressive environment, forming the protective oxide layer that prevented further corrosion attack. On the contrary, NiCoCrAlYHfSi and CoCrAlYTaCSi coatings were found not to be suitable for corrosion protection of components working in selected corrosive environment.

Compound coatings of MCrAlY and alumina shows a sandwich structure with good wear-resistance and intensity at elevated temperature, the coating are usually applied to the furnace roll in modern continuously annealing line or continuously galvanizing line, to prevent the pickup forming on the roll surface. Coatings were prepared by the detonation spraying and the effect of spraying parameter of the denotation gas composition on the microstructure of coatings was investigated. The percentages of MCrAlY and alumina in the coating were determined by the composition of detonation gas mixture. Alumina content in the coating increased with the reduction of the nitrogen dilution in the gas mixture, which resulted in the hardness enhancement of the coating. The microstructure of coatings is different from that prepared by thermal plasma spraying or HVOF.

Recently, thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) have been used in advanced gas turbine plants for improved performance. Usually, TBCs consist of an inner layer of metallic bond coating (MCrAlY) and an outer layer of ceramic top coating. According to several studies, the failure of the TBC is induced by thermal stresses due to the formation of thermally grown oxide (TGO) at the interface between the TBC and MCrAlY. Therefore, it is important to investigate the high temperature oxidation behavior of the interface. In this work, the TGO is characterized in detail. In particular, in order to clarify the role of the TBC top coating in regard to initiation and growth of TGO at the interface, a specimen with TBC and one without TBC were compared. In both specimens, the TGO had two different contrasting layers. One was alumina, and the other was a combination of chromium oxide, nickel oxide, cobalt oxide, and spinels (hereafter call mixed oxide). The TGO thickness of the specimen with TBC was thicker than that obtained without TBC. These specimens had different oxidation behaviors. It is thought that the reason for the difference in TGO thicknesses of both specimens is due to a difference in oxygen potential, as the oxide compositions in the mixed oxides were different. In case of the specimen with TBC, the mixed oxide consists of chromium oxide, nickel oxide, and cobalt oxide, separately. On the other hand, in case of the specimen without TBC, the mixed oxide consists mainly of spinels such as (Ni, Co)(Cr, Al) 2 O 4 .

The shielding controlled plasma spraying process is investigated to improve corrosion resistance of the metal surface. In this process, a shielding nozzle that covers just the spraying area is attached in front of the tip of a commercial plasma spray gun nozzle, and the environment surrounding the plasma jet is controlled by nitrogen flow. As the oxygen concentration in the shielding nozzle is maintained as low as 0.5%, the metal oxide contents in volume of CoNiCrAlY coating and the porosity of the coating reduced to 0.2% and 0.3% respectively under optimal spray particle size. The corrosion potential of CoNiCrAlY coating sprayed by this process in an acid solution including chloride ions is staying about -150 mV for 1000 hours, and no rust is observed during this test. On the other hand, that of the coating sprayed by atmospheric plasma spraying process changes from about -300 mV to about -500mV for 1000 hours, and the rust comes to the surface of the coating after 10 hours. Therefore the developed shielding controlled plasma spraying process is concluded to improve the corrosion of the metal.