Failure behaviour of EB-PVD YSZ thermal barrier coatings under simulated aero-engine operating conditions

Thermal shock test simulating aero-engine operating conditions was carried out on electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) yttria partially stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) using advanced multi factor coupling test equipment. Phase composition, thermally grown oxide (TGO) residual stress, surface morphology and cross-sectional microstructure evolution in coatings were systematically studied. Based on XRD results, coatings possessed tetragonal phase structure without any further transformation during testing. After 5000 cycles, the thickness of TGO gradually increased from 0.3 to 2 mu m. TGO residual compressive stress also gradually increased and then drastically dropped when the coating spalled. Horizontal cracks first initiated from TGO/bond coat (BC) interface, then arose from top coat (TC)/TGO interface and finally coalesced through TGO to cause delamination. Repeated thermal shock and gas impact conditions promoted the emergence of vertical cracks in ceramic top coat. Once communicated with transverse delaminations, cracks eventually led to spalling failure of the coating system. The contribution to spallation failure was mainly from thermal stress as a result of thermal expansion mismatch between the coating and the substrate. In turn, elastic stress induced by high speed impact of gas and TGO growth stress promoted initiation and propagation of coating cracks.