The effect of TBC morphology and aging on the erosion rate of EB-PVD TBCs

The paper also looks at the mechanisms of foreign object damage of EB-PVD TBCs under a range of different impact conditions. The different damage mechanisms have been identified and related to the size and impact velocity of the impacting particles. The effect of temperature on the plasticity and hence the mechanisms are also discussed, while mapping is used to set the boundary limits for the different types of damage mechanisms that have been identified. It was found that at temperatures above 800 °C the coatings can accommodate a large degree of plastic deformation, while at room temperature there is a greater degree of cracking, for similar types of FOD impact. The 800 °C is not necessarily a limit, but the temperature at which the coatings were tested, and the limiting temperature could in fact be significantly lower. It was found that, all else being equal, erosion rate decreases with a decrease in the column diameter, while aging results in an increase in the erosion rate, dependent on the aging temperature and time. A decrease in the inclination angle of the columns with respect to the substrate increases the erosion rate, when the inclination angle is less than 60° the erosion rate increases catastrophically. These effects are all discussed and explained in terms of erosion mechanisms and mechanical properties in the paper.