A review of the erosion of thermal barrier coatings

The application of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) to components with internal in the hot gas stream of gas turbine engines has facilitated a steep in the turbine entry temperature and the associated increase in and efficiency of gas turbine engines. However, TBCs are susceptible various life limiting issues associated with their operating environment erosion, corrosion, oxidation, sintering and foreign object damage (FOD). This is a review paper that examines various degradation and erosion of TBCs, especially those produced by electron beam physical vapour (EB-PVD). The results from a number of laboratory tests under various conditions are discussed before the different erosion and FOD mechanisms reviewed. The transitions between the various erosion mechanisms are in terms of the D/d ratio (contact area diameter/column diameter), a new concept that relates the impact size to the erosion mechanism. effects of ageing, dopant additions and â  magnesiumâ  aluminaâ  silicates on the life of TBCs are examined. It shown that while ageing increases the erosion rate of EB-PVD TBCs, ageing of sprayed TBCs in fact lowers the erosion rate. Finally modelling of EB-PVD is briefly intro