Premature failure induced by non-equilibrium grain-boundary tantalum segregation in air-plasma sprayed ZrO2–YO1.5–TaO2.5 thermal barrier coatings

Yao Yao; Di Wu; Xiaofeng Zhao; Fan Yang

doi:10.1007/s12613-021-2394-z

Volume 29 Issue 12

Dec. 2022

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Article Navigation > International Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials > 2022 > 29(12): 2189-2200

Yao Yao, Di Wu, Xiaofeng Zhao, and Fan Yang, Premature failure induced by non-equilibrium grain-boundary tantalum segregation in air-plasma sprayed ZrO₂–YO_1.5–TaO_2.5 thermal barrier coatings, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 29(2022), No. 12, pp. 2189-2200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-021-2394-z

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Yao Yao, Di Wu, Xiaofeng Zhao, and Fan Yang, Premature failure induced by non-equilibrium grain-boundary tantalum segregation in air-plasma sprayed ZrO2–YO1.5–TaO2.5 thermal barrier coatings, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 29(2022), No. 12, pp. 2189-2200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-021-2394-z

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Research Article

Premature failure induced by non-equilibrium grain-boundary tantalum segregation in air-plasma sprayed ZrO₂–YO_1.5–TaO_2.5 thermal barrier coatings

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Corresponding authors:
Xiaofeng Zhao E-mail: xiaofengzhao@sjtu.edu.cn

Fan Yang E-mail: fanyang_0123@sjtu.edu.cn
Received: 27 July 2021; Revised: 5 December 2021; Accepted: 7 December 2021; Available online: 9 December 2021

Abstract

Abstract

ZrO₂–YO_1.5–TaO_2.5 (ZYTO) is a promising top-coat material for thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). The bulk properties of ZYTO have been reported by several studies, but its performances as TBCs are less-well understood. In this work, ZYTO TBCs were prepared by air plasma spraying (APS) and their thermal cycling performances were investigated at 1150°C. Despite of the good bulk properties, APS ZYTO TBCs present an extremely short thermal fatigue life. This is attributed to the non-equilibrium grain-boundary segregation of TaO_2.5 induced by limited solubility and rapid quenching during APS process, resulting in a tetragonal (t) to cubic (c) and metastable-tetragonal (t_m) phase transformation in ZYTO TBCs. The volume shrinkage (~0.74vol%) of phase transformation leads to many cracks at the c/t_m phase boundaries after deposition. On the other hand, the formation of cubic phase with massive grain-boundary Ta segregation induces a large intergranular embrittlement and a weak bonding strength (~5.3 MPa), resulting in the premature failure of the ZYTO TBCs.
- thermal barrier coatings;
- air plasma spray;
- tantalum segregation;
- phase transformation

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