Phase equilibria in the zirconia-yttria/gadolinia-silica systems

Phase equilibria in ZrO2-YO1.5-SiO2 (ZYS) and ZrO2-GdO1.5-SiO2 (ZGS) were experimentally assessed at 1400 °C and 1600 °C as they can offer insight on reactions between thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) based on ZrO2-YO1.5/GdO1.5 and molten silicate deposits in gas turbine engines. Features shared in both systems include the absence of ternary compounds and no ternary solubility in the binary phases. In ZYS however, a quaternary invariant reaction was observed that eliminates the zircon-disilicate equilibrium at higher temperatures. The results suggest no appreciable difference in the reactions between silica and thermal barrier oxides based on ZrO2-YO1.5 or ZrO2-GdO1.5, or environmental barrier coatings based on the corresponding Y/Gd silicates. The phase diagrams derived from these experiments are part of a broader effort to develop thermodynamic databases that can help guide the design of next-generation TBCs.