Corrosion behavior of air plasma spraying zirconia-based thermal barrier coatings subject to Calcium–Magnesium–Aluminum-Silicate (CMAS) via burner rig test

Abstract Three different kinds of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) — 8YSZ, 38YSZ and a dual-layered (DL) TBCs with pure Y2O3 on the top of 8YSZ were produced on nickel-based superalloy substrate by air plasma spraying (APS). The Calcium–Magnesium–Aluminum-Silicate (CMAS) corrosion resistance of these three kinds of coatings were researched via burner rig test at 1350 °C for different durations. The microstructures and phase compositions of the coatings were characterized by SEM, EDS and XRD. With the increase of Y content, TBCs exhibit better performance against CMAS corrosion. The corrosion resistance against CMAS of different TBCs in descending was 8YSZ + Y2O3, 38YSZ and 8YSZ, respectively. YSZ diffused from TBCs into the CMAS, and formed Y-lean ZrO2 in TBCs because of the higher diffusion rate and solubility of Y3+ in CMAS than Zr4+. At the same time, 38YSZ/8YSZ + Y2O3 reacts with CAMS to form Ca4Y6(SiO4)6O/Y4·67(SiO4)3O with dense structure, which can prevent further infiltration of CMAS. The failure of 8YSZ coatings occurred at the interface between the ceramic coating and the thermally grown oxide scale (TGO)/bond coating. During the burner rig test, the Y2O3 layer of the DL TBCs peeled off progressively and the 8YSZ layer exposed gradually. DL coatings keep roughly intact and did not meet the failure criteria after 3 h test. 38YSZ coating was partially ablated, the overall thickness of the coating is thinned simultaneously after 2 h. Therefore, 8YSZ + Y2O3 dual-layered coating is expected to be a CMAS corrosion-resistant TBC with practical properties.