Studies on thermally grown oxide as an interface between plasma-sprayed coatings and a nickel-based superalloy substrate

A thermally grown oxide layer formed by hot corrosion was investigated as an interface between plasma-sprayed coatings and a nickel-based superalloy substrate. The hot corrosion mechanism of NiCr-Cr₂O₃ and Al₂O₃-40wt% TiO₂ (A40T) plasma coated Inconel 617 was evaluated. The experiments were carried out at 1000℃ using a combination of Na₂SO₄, NaCl, and ₂O₅ salts to simulate the conditions of a gas turbine in a marine environment. The hot corrosion results revealed the spallation and dissolution of oxides upon prolonged exposure. Optical images and scanning electron micrographs of the exposed samples revealed the formation of oxide scale and provided details of its morphology in NiCr-Cr₂O₃ coated samples. Microstructure characterization of A40T coatings demonstrated a thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer at 1000℃. Increasing the thickness of the TGO layer decreased the corrosion resistance. The elemental analysis and image mapping revealed the migration of active elements from the substrate and coatings toward the corrosive environment.