A novel test approach for plasma-sprayed coatings tested simultaneously under CMAS and thermal gradient cycling conditions

The experimental setup of this new test approach is described and the applicability is confirmed. Furthermore, a first evaluation for plasma-sprayed coatings is presented. A significantly reduced lifetime was found for samples tested with CMAS attack in comparison to tests with water deposition only. The lifetime was also reduced compared to older results without any corrosive media. A decrease of nearly two orders of magnitude was found. A microstructural evaluation of the coatings is presented and the mechanisms and reasons for the very early failure are discussed.