Thermal Spray Coatings for Aircraft CMC Hot-end Components: Opportunities and Challenges

doi:10.15541/jim20230565

Abstract

Abstract:

With the rising of the gas inlet temperature in front of the turbine of aero-engine, ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) have emerged as the preferred matrix material for the new generation of high-temperature components in aero-engine due to their light weight, high strength, oxidation resistance, insensitivity to crack, and excellent temperature durability. However, because of their limited resistance to high temperature water vapor and oxygen erosion, development of thermal spray coating technology for hot-end components of CMCs engines has become an urgent challenge to be overcome. In this paper, based upon changes of material selection strategies and application examples of foreign aero-engines, technical limitations of the employed superalloys + film cooling + thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) for hot-end components of aero-engines were analyzed, and technical advantages of the utilized CMCs + appropriate film cooling + environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) were consolidated. Thermal and environmental barrier coatings (TEBCs) and environmental barrier coatings-abradable sealing coatings (EBCs-ASCs) for CMCs were reviewed on the basis of recent research findings from domestic and oversea scholars. Finally, opportunities and challenges associated with thermal spraying EBCs for higher temperature gas flow were analyzed, and the direction of design and preparation on a certain composition and structure for TEBCs was clarified, among which the focal points of future research endeavors were prospected.

Key words: thermal spraying, environmental barrier coating, thermal and environmental barrier coating, abradable sealing coating, ceramic matrix composite, perspective

CLC Number:

TQ174

TAO Shunyan, YANG Jiasheng, SHAO Fang, WU Yingchen, ZHAO Huayu, DONG Shaoming, ZHANG Xiangyu, XIONG Ying. Thermal Spray Coatings for Aircraft CMC Hot-end Components: Opportunities and Challenges[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2024, 39(10): 1077-1083.

Figures/Tables 10

Fig. 1 Inlet gas temperatures corresponding to aero-engines with different thrust-weight ratios

Fig. 2 Contribution of changes in high temperature alloy process to engine performance improvement [1]

Fig. 3 Relationship between NOx emission and combustion chamber outlet temperature[2]

Fig. 4 Material selection scheme and its corresponding temperature bearing characteristics of engine hot-end components[5-6]

Fig. 5 Shroud ring coating components of CMC turbine for CFM Leap-1A and Leap-1B engines[1]

Fig. 6 Near-infrared spectral reflectance of APS-EBCs and APS-TBCs

Fig. 7 Designed TEBCs with multi-layer structure of functional partition

Fig. 8 Relationship between the water-oxygen corrosion rate and the thermal expansion coefficient of ceramic materials[24]

Fig. 9 TBC-ASCs for shroud ring of the first stage turbine of high temperature alloy material[40]

Fig. 10 Schematic drawing of the Sulzer Innotec abradability test rig [44] The oxygen / propane high temperature gas is used to heat the test piece, which can be heated to 1200 ℃; Scratch speed: 50-450 m/s; Feed rate: 1.5-3000 μm/s

References 45

[1]	CORMAN G S, LUTHRA K L. Development history of GE's prepreg melt infiltrated ceramic matrix composite material and applications. Comprehensive Composite Materials II, 2018, 5: 325.
[2]	LEONARD G, STEGMAIER J. Development of an aeroderivative gas turbine dry low emissions combustion system. Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 1994, 116(3): 542.
[3]	ZHU D M, HARDER B. The development of HfO₂-rare earth based oxide materials and barrier coatings for thermal protection systems. Materials Science & Technology 2014 Conference & Exhibition, Pittsburgh, 2014.
[4]	刘巧沐, 黄顺洲, 何爱杰. 碳化硅陶瓷基复合材料在航空发动机上的应用需求及挑战. 材料工程, 2019, 47(2): 1.
[5]	PADTURE N P. Advanced structural ceramics in aerospace propulsion. Nature Materials, 2016, 15: 804. DOI PMID
[6]	CLARKE D R, OECHSNER M, PADTURE N P. Thermal-barrier coatings for more efficient gas-turbine engines. MRS Bulletin, 2012, 37(10): 891.
[7]	LEE K N, ZHU D M, LIMA R S. Perspectives on environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) manufactured via air plasma spray (APS) on ceramic matrix composites (CMCs): a tutorial paper. Journal of Thermal Spray Technology, 2021, 30: 40.
[8]	TEJERO-MARTIN D, BENNETT C, HUSSAIN T. A review on environmental barrier coatings: history, current state of the art and future developments. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 2021, 41: 1747.
[9]	江舟, 倪建洋, 张小锋, 等. 陶瓷基复合材料及其环境障涂层发展现状研究. 航空制造技术, 2020, 63(14): 48.
[10]	郑伟, 张佳平, 杨翠波. 陶瓷基复合材料环境障涂层研究进展. 纤维复合材料, 2021, 2: 65.
[11]	刘巧沐, 黄顺洲, 何爱杰. 碳化硅陶瓷基复合材料环境障涂层研究进展. 材料工程, 2018, 46(10): 1.
[12]	赵春玲, 杨博, 李阔, 等. 陶瓷基复合材料表面环境障涂层材料研究进展. 中国材料进展, 2021, 40(4): 257.
[13]	白博添, 章德铭, 冀晓鹃, 等. 环境障涂层选材研究进展. 热喷涂技术, 2022, 14(3): 1.
[14]	HERMAN H, SAMPATH S, MCCUNE R. Thermal spray: current status and future trends. MRS Bulletin, 2000, 25(7): 17.
[15]	LEE K N. Yb₂Si₂O₇ environmental barrier coatings with reduced bond coat oxidation rates via chemical modifications for long life. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 2019, 102(3): 1507.
[16]	RICHARDS B T, YOUNG K A, DE FRANQUEVILLE F, et al. Response of ytterbium disilicate-silicon environmental barrier coatings to thermal cycling in water vapor. Acta Materials, 2016, 106: 1.
[17]	ZHU D M. Advanced environmental barrier coatings for SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite turbine components//Engineered ceramics: current status and future prospects. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2015.
[18]	BAKAN E, SOHN Y J, VASSEN R. Microstructure and phase composition evolution of silicon-hafnia feedstock during plasma spraying and following cyclic oxidation. Acta Materialia, 2021, 214: 117007.
[19]	LI C, HE J, MA Y, et al. Evolution mechanism of the microstructure and mechanical properties of plasma-sprayed yttria-stabilized hafnia thermal barrier coating at 1400 ℃. Ceramics International, 2020, 46: 23417.
[20]	LI G, LU X R, HUANG J Q, et al. Thermal cycling behavior and failure mechanism of the Si-HfO₂ environmental barrier coating bond coats prepared by atmospheric plasma spraying. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2022, 913: 165319.
[21]	ZHANG Z Y, PARK Y J, KIM D H, et al. High-temperature oxidation performance of novel environmental barrier coating 50HfO₂-50SiO₂/Y_xYb_(2-_x₎Si₂O₇ at 1475 ℃. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 2023, 43: 1127.
[22]	JACOBSON N S. Corrosion of silicon-based ceramics in combustion environments. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 1993, 76(1): 3.
[23]	OPILA E J. Variation of the oxidation rate of silicon carbide with water-vapor pressure. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 1999, 82(3): 625.
[24]	KLEMM H. Silicon nitride for high-temperature applications. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 2010, 93(6): 1501.
[25]	BAKAN E, MARCANO D, ZHOU D P, et al. Yb₂Si₂O₇environmental barrier coatings deposited by various thermal spray techniques: a preliminary comparative study. Jouranl of Thermal Spray Technology, 2017, 26: 1011.
[26]	CHEN D Y, PEGLER A, DWIVEDI G, et al. Thermal cycling behavior of air plasma-sprayed and low-pressure plasma-sprayed environmental barrier coatings. Coatings, 2021, 11: 868.
[27]	DONG Y, REN K, LU Y, et al. High-entropy environmental barrier coating for the ceramic matrix composites. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 2019, 39(7): 2574.
[28]	SUN L, LUO Y, TIAN Z, et al. High temperature corrosion of (Er_0.25Tm_0.25Yb_0.25Lu_0.25)₂Si₂O₇ environmental barrier coating material subjected to water vapor and molten calcium- magnesium-aluminosilicate (CMAS). Corrosion Science, 2020, 175: 108881.
[29]	RIDLEY M, OPILA E. Thermochemical stability and microstructural evolution of Yb₂Si₂O₇in high-velocity high-temperature water vapor. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 2020, 41(5): 3141.
[30]	TURCER L R, PADTURE N P. Towards multifunctional thermal environmental barrier coatings (TEBCs) based on rare-earth pyrosilicate solid-solution ceramics. Scripta Materialia, 2018, 154: 111.
[31]	TIAN Z, ZHENG L, LI Z, et al. Exploration of the low thermal conductivities of γ-Y₂Si₂O₇, β-Y₂Si₂O₇, β-Yb₂Si₂O₇, and β-Lu₂Si₂O₇ as novel environmental barrier coating candidates. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 2016, 36(11): 2813.
[32]	TIAN Z, ZHENG L, WANG J, et al. Theoretical and experimental determination of the major thermo-mechanical properties of RE₂SiO₅ (RE=Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, and Y) for environmental and thermal barrier coating applications. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 2016, 36(1): 189.
[33]	VISWANATHAN V, DWIVEDI G, SAMPATH S. Multilayer, multimaterial thermal barrier coating systems: design, synthesis, and performance assessment. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 2015, 98(6): 1769.
[34]	GLEDHILL A D, REDDY K M, DREXLER J M, et al. Mitigation of damage from molten fly ash to air-plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coatings. Materials Science and Engineering: A, 2011, 528(24): 7214.
[35]	KRAMER S, YANG J, LEVI C G. Infiltration-inhibiting reaction of gadolinium zirconate thermal barrier coatings with CMAS melts. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 2008, 91(2): 576.
[36]	VARDELLE A, MOREAU C, AKEDO J, et al. The 2016 thermal spray roadmap. Journal of Thermal Spray Technology, 2016, 25(8): 1376.
[37]	LI W, ZHAO H Y, ZHONG X H, et al. Air plasma-sprayed yttria and yttria-stabilized zirconia thermal barrier coatings subjected to calcium-magnesium-alumino-silicate (CMAS). Journal of Thermal Spray Technology, 2014, 23(6): 975.
[38]	MECHNICH P, BRAUE W. Air plasma-sprayed Y₂O₃ coatings for Al₂O₃/Al₂O₃ ceramic matrix composites. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 2013, 33: 2645.
[39]	AUSSAVY D, BOLOT R, MONTAVON G, et al. YSZ-polyester abradable coatings manufactured by APS. Journal of Thermal Spray Technology, 2016, 25(1/2): 252.
[40]	SPORER D, REFKE A, DRATWINSKI M, et al. New high-temperature seal system for increased efficiency of gas turbines. Sealing Technology, 2008, 10: 9.
[41]	HUANG J Q, LIU R Y, HU Q, et al. High temperature abradable sealing coating for SiC_f/SiC ceramic matrix composites. Ceramics International, 2023, 49: 1779.
[42]	GUO M Q, CUI Y J, WANG C L, et al. Design and characterization of BSAS-polyester abradable environmental barrier coatings (A/EBCs) on SiC/SiC composites. Surface & Coatings Technology, 2023, 465: 129617.
[43]	QIN D D, NIU Y R, LI H, et al. Fabrication and characterization of Yb₂Si₂O₇-based composites as novel abradable sealing coatings. Ceramics International, 2021, 47: 23153.
[44]	STEINKE T, MAUER G, VAΒEN R, et al. Process design and monitoring for plasma sprayed abradable coatings. Journal of Thermal Spray Technology, 2010, 19: 756.
[45]	LIANG J J, MATSUMOTO K, KAWAGISHI K, et al. Morphological evolution of thermal barrier coatings with equilibrium (EQ) and NiCoCrAlY bond coats during thermal cycling. Surface & Coatings Technology, 2012, 207: 413.