THERMAL SHOCK BEHAVIOR OF AIR PLASMA SPRAYED CoNiCrAlY/YSZ THERMAL BARRIER COATINGS

The structural changes and failure mechanism of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) during thermal shock cycling were investigated. TBCs consisting of CoNiCrAlY bond coat and partially yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) top coat were deposited by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) on a nickel-based alloy substrate and its thermal shock resistance performance was evaluated. TBCs were heated at 1100°C for 15 min followed by cold water quenching to ambient temperature. Microstructural evaluation and elemental analysis of TBCs were performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. The crack features of YSZ coatings in TBCs during thermal shock cycling, including those of horizontal (parallel to the substrate) and vertical cracks (perpendicular to the substrate), were particularly investigated by means of SEM and image analysis. Results show that horizontal and vertical cracks have different influences on the thermal shock resistance of the coatings. Horizontal cracks that occur at the interface of YSZ and thermally growth oxidation (TGO) cause partial or large-area spalling of coatings. When vertical and horizontal cracks encounter, network segments are formed which lead to partial spalling of the coatings.