Development of yttrium and ytterbium silicates from their oxides and an oligosilazane precursor for coating applications to protect SI3N4 ceramics in hot gas environments

Environmental barrier coatings are required to protect Si3N4 against hot gas corrosion and enable its application in gas turbines. In comparison to other environmental barrier coatings, rare-earth silicate-based coatings stand out due to the very low corrosion rates in moist environments at high temperatures and the compatibility of thermal expansion coefficient to Si3N4 ceramics. Thus, the polymer-derived ceramic route was used to synthesize yttrium and ytterbium silicates in the temperature range of 1000-1500 °C for basic investigations regarding their intrinsic properties from a mixture of Y2O3 or Yb2O3 powders and the oligosilazane Durazane 1800. After pyrolysis above 1200 °C in air, the corresponding silicates are already the predominant phases. The corrosion behaviour of the resulting composites was assessed after exposure to flowing moist air at 1400 °C for 80 h. The material containing Yb2SiO5 and Yb2Si2O7 as main crystalline phases undergoes the lowest corrosion rate (-1.8 µg cm-2 h-1). In contrast, the corrosion rate of yttrium-based composites remained at least ten times higher. Lastly, the processing of Y2O3/Durazane 1800 as well-adherent, crack-free and thick (40 µm) coatings on Si3N4 was achieved after pyrolysis at 1400 °C in air. The resulting coating consisted of an Y2O3/Y2SiO5 top-layer and an Y2Si2O7 interlayer due to diffusion of silicon from the substrate and its interaction with the coating system

In Situ Generated Yb₂Si₂O₇ Environmental Barrier Coatings for Protection of Ceramic Components in the Next Generation of Gas Turbines

Abstract In face of an accelerating climate change, the reduction and substitution of fossil fuels is crucial to decarbonize energy production. Gas turbines can operate with versatile fuel sources like natural gas and future fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia. Furthermore, thermal efficiencies above 60% can be achieved using non‐oxide silicon‐based ceramic components. However, water vapor is one of the main combustion products leading to rapid corrosion because of volatilization of the protective SiO2 layer at 1200 °C. An in situ generated Yb2Si2O7 double layered environmental barrier coating system composed of silazanes and the active fillers Yb2O3 and Si processed at 1415 °C for 5 h in air protects a Si3N4 substrate very effectively from corrosion. It exhibits a dense microstructure with a total thickness of 68 µm, overcomes 15 thermal cycling tests between 1200 and 20 °C and shows almost no mass loss after very harsh hot gas corrosion at 1200 °C for 200 h (pH2O = 0.15 atm, v = 100 m s−1). The excellent adhesion strength (36.9 ± 6.2 MPa), hardness (6.9 ± 1.6 GPa) and scratch resistance (28 N) demonstrate that the coating system is very promising for application in the next generation of gas turbines

High-Temperature Oxidation Resistance of PDC Coatings in Synthetic Air and Water Vapor Atmospheres

This work is aimed at the development and investigation of the oxidation behavior of ferritic stainless-steel grade AISI 441 and polymer-derived ceramic (PDC) protective coatings. Double-layer coatings of a PDC bond coat below a PDC top coat with glass and ceramic passive fillers’ oxidative resistance were studied at temperatures up to 1000 °C in a flow-through atmosphere of synthetic air and in air saturated with water vapor. Investigation of the oxide products formed at the surface of the samples in synthetic air and water vapor atmospheres, at different temperatures (900, 950, 1000 °C) and exposure times (24, 96 h) was carried out on both uncoated steel and steel coated with selected coatings by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD). The Fe, Cr2O3, TiO2, and spinel (Mn,Cr)3O4 phases were identified by XRD on oxidized steel substrates in both atmospheres. In the cases of the coated samples, m- ZrO2, c- ZrO2, YAG, and crystalline phases (Ba(AlSiO4)2–hexacelsian, celsian) were identified. Scratch tests performed on both coating compositions revealed strong adhesion after pyrolysis as well as after oxidation tests in both atmospheres. After testing in the water vapor atmosphere, Cr ions diffused through the bond coat, but no delamination of the coatings was observed

Synthesis and characterization of yttrium and ytterbium silicates from their oxides and an oligosilazane by the PDC route for coating applications to protect Si3N4 in hot gas environments

Environmental barrier coatings are required to protect Si3N4 against hot gas corrosion and enable its application in gas turbines, among which yttrium and ytterbium silicate-coatings stand out. Thus, the polymer-derived ceramic route was used to synthesize these silicates for basic investigations regarding their intrinsic properties from a mixture of Y2O3 or Yb2O3 powders and the oligosilazane Durazane 1800. After pyrolysis above 1200 °C in air, the silicates are predominant phases. The corrosion behaviour of the resulting composites was tested at 1400 °C for 80 h in moist environments. The material containing x2-Yb2SiO5 and Yb2Si2O7 undergoes the lowest corrosion rate (−1.8 μg cm−2 h−1). Finally, the processing of Y2O3/Durazane 1800 as well-adherent, crack-free and thick (40 μm) coatings for Si3N4 was achieved after pyrolysis at 1400 °C in air. The coating consisted of an Y2O3/Y2SiO5 top-layer and an Y2O3/Y2Si2O7 interlayer due to the interaction of the coating system with the substrate