Thermomechanical evaluation and thermal expansion behavior of plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coatings

We are investigating the feasibility of measuring thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) of free-standing thermal barrier coatings with a practical thickness of several hundred micrometers by mean of a widespread thermomechanical analysis toward its industrial standardization. First of all, this study conducted the preliminary investigation for the accurate measurement of thin samples with dense yettria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) ceramics. With a sample supporting jig and proper conditions, even the usual thermomechanical analysis could give the accurate CTE values of thin samples down to 0.3mm thick. Also it showed good reproducibility with small measurement error less than 5%. In actual, this modified method could provide the reasonable CTE values of plasma-sprayed YSZ samples with thickness of >0.3mm. Further investigation with this method found a slight monotonic decrease in the CTE with annealing. This decrease was estimated to arise from the continuous change of microstructure which still went on even after saturation of sintering shrinkage. All the results demonstrated the present method to be available for the industrial standard.