High temperature corrosion resistant coatings for gas turbine components

Hot section gas turbine components are made of superalloys, developed to withstand high temperatures in conditions in which mechanical stresses are high and that require high surface stability. However, during the 50s it became evident that compositions resulting in high mechanical strength for these materials were not compatible with those offering optimal protection from the working environments. The idea of employing protective coatings over materials with high mechanical strength resulted therefore from this situation. Presently, both aeronautic and power generation turbines operate at temperatures within the 900-1400 degrees C, thanks to these coatings, indispensable for their correct operation. In this work, the principal degradation mechanisms in these operating conditions and the different type of coatings presently employed by the industrial sector are described, beginning by the oldest Ni or Co aluminides, following with the addition of other metals such as Pt, Cr, etc. to the former coatings in order to increase their useful life, continuing with the overlay MCrAlY coatings and finishing with the thermal barrier coating systems. Moreover, the corresponding deposition techniques industrially employed to deposit these coatings are described, and finally, an insight of the latest research lines currently being developed is also included.