Ageing evaluation of thermal barrier coatings by thermal diffusivity

Ceramic thermal barrier coatings (TBC) are widely applied for protecting from combustion gases hot path components of gas turbines for both aero- and land-based applications. In order to prevent the detachment of TBC, it would be essential to monitor their degradation in terms of sintering kinetic. As sintering strongly affects also the thermal diffusivity of TBC, the idea is to measure the latter parameter to account for the former. The technique to measure thermal diffusivity using pulsed thermography is described, together with the model that leads to the identification of TBC diffusivity. Tests and results on specimens artificially aged are reported.