Innovative Processing Methods for the Affordable Manufacture of Multifunctional High Temperature Coatings

Research is proposed to investigate the feasibility of using advanced manufacturing techniques to enable the affordable application of multi-functional high temperature coatings having enhanced resistance to high temperature engine environments. For example, thermal / environmental barrier coatings (T/EBCs) are envisioned to protect the surface of Si-based ceramics against moisture-assisted, oxidation-induced ceramic recession. Current T/EBC systems have been demonstrated in long time exposures at ~2400¿F. However, their use at elevated temperatures is limited by the low temperature stability and high diffusion activity of current T/EBC materials. One approach to enhance the temperature capability of these systems is the incorporation of multi-layered T/EBC designs to provide multi-functional protection. In this Phase I effort, novel processing techniques will be developed to enable the affordable, high performance manufacture of such systems using a physical vapor deposition based processing approach which enables enhanced coating adhesion and advanced coating architectural, compositional and microstructural control. Processing developments will then be used to created novel multi-layered coatings. These coating layers will then be incorporated into advanced high temperature capable T/EBC systems in Phase. This work will lead to the incorporation of Si-based ceramic components intoenhanced efficiency gas turbine engines to reduce weight and increase operating temperatures. A TRL 4 will be achieved at the end of Phase I and TRL 6 at the end of Phase II.