Abstract—Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) used in gas-turbine engines afford higher operating temperatures, resulting in enhanced efficiencies and performance. Here we demonstrate the use of the commercial manufacturing method of atmospheric-plasma-spray (APS) to fabricate Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)-based TBCs. Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs) of Al2O3 - 7-8% YSZ were deposited by Atmospheric Plasma Spray (APS) method onto stationary flat Nickel super alloy substrate. This paper describes the APS technique for creating a bond coat of Al2O3 and a top coat of 7-8% YSZ to resist the thermal shock and for high temperature applications. Phase characterization was done by X-ray diffraction and micro structural characterization by scanning electron microscopy. The porosity and mechanical characterizations were also determined by SPIP software. The observations suggest that the surface morphology plays a significant role in determining the thermal resistance of the coated surface. These coatings and many other such coating techniques provides with resistance of heat fluxes and retain the original strength of the material even after subjecting it to high thermal shock.

Index Terms—Atmospheric plasma spray, SPIP, Zirconia coating, Microstructure characterization

Cite: Yathin Kumar L, Rahul S, and Rakshith M, "Atmospheric Plasma Spray Coatings of Al203-YSZ System for High Temperature Applications," International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research, Vol.3, No.4, pp. 422-429, October 2014.