The Manufacturing of Environmental Barrier Coatings by HV-APS Plasma Spraying Using Er2O3 and SiO2 Powder Mixture

Over the last decades, nickel-based superalloys with TBC coatings have been used as the main material for hot section turbine parts. The next step in the development of engines and increasing the combustion temperature is the use of Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC). Nevertheless, in the presence of water vapour or molten salts, accelerated degradation of substrate material. This problems can be pre-vented by additional layers or coatings produced on its surface, or combinations of layers and coatings that form Environmental Barrier Coatings (EBCs). The aim of the research was the preparation of sam-ples of a mixture of erbium oxide powders with silicon oxide with the addition of: polyvinyl alcohol, starch and cellulose gum. Then their technological properties were examined. A mixture with the most favourable properties was selected and sprayed using HV-APS method using with various process parameters and investigated. Conducted research showed that energy of HV-APS process is too low for synthesis of erbium disilicate in the resulting coating. The material was only melted, not vaporized. Making powder agglomerates with an average size of 150 μm with the addition of 3% PVA leads to a significant decrease in the surface area of powder grains. This results in a significant increase in flowability and allows it to be used as a charge material for APS plasma spraying.