This study focused on improving the phase stability and mechanical properties of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), commonly utilized in gas turbine engine thermal barrier coatings, by incorporating Gd₂O₃, Er₂O₃, and TiO₂. The addition of 3-valent rare earth elements to YSZ can reduce thermal conductivity and enhance phase stability while adding the 4-valent element TiO₂ can improve phase stability and mechanical properties. Sintered specimens were prepared with hot-press equipment. Phase analysis was conducted with X-ray diffraction (XRD), and mechanical properties were assessed with Vickers hardness equipment. The research results revealed that, except for Z10YGE10T, most compositions predominantly exhibited the t-phase. Increasing the content of 3-valent rare earth oxides resulted in a decrease in the monoclinic phase and an increase in the tetragonal phase. In addition, the t(400) angle decreased while the t(004) angle increased. The addition of 10 mol% of 3-valent rare-earth oxides discarded the t-phase and led to the complete development of the c-phase. Adding 10 mol% TiO₂ increased hardness than YSZ.

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) has a low thermal conductivity, high thermal expansion coefficient, and excellent mechanical properties; thus, it is used as a thermal barrier coating material for gas turbines. However, during long-time exposure of YSZ to temperatures of 1200°C or higher, a phase transformation accompanied by a volume change occurs, causing the YSZ coating layer to peel off. To solve this problem, YSZ has been doped with trivalent and tetravalent oxides to obtain coating materials with low thermal conductivity and suppressed phase transformation of zirconia. In this study, YSZ is doped with trivalent oxides, Nd₂O₃, Yb₂O₃, Al₂O₃, and tetravalent oxide, TiO₂, and the thermal conductivity of the obtained materials is analyzed according to the composition; furthermore, the relative density change, microstructure change, and m-phase formation behavior are analyzed during long-time heat treatment at high temperatures.

Rare-earth zirconates, such as lanthanum zirconates and gadolinium zirconates, have been intensively investigated due to their excellent properties of low thermal conductivity as well as chemical stability at high temperature, which can make these materials ones of the most promising candidates for next-generation thermal barrier coating applications. In this study, three compositions, lanthanum/gadolinium zirconates with reduced rare-earth contents from stoichiometric RE₂Zr₂O₇ compositions, are fabricated via solid state reaction as well as sintering at 1600°C for 4 hrs. The phase formation, microstructure, and thermo-physical properties of three oxide ceramics are examined. In particular, each oxide ceramics exhibits composite structures between pyrochlore and fluorite phases. The potential of lanthanum/ gadolinium zirconate ceramics for TBC applications is also discussed.

Citations

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• Rare earth zirconate nanostructures: Recent development on preparation and photocatalytic applications
  Sahar Zinatloo-Ajabshir, Masoud Salavati-Niasari, Azam Sobhani, Zahra Zinatloo-Ajabshir
  Journal of Alloys and Compounds.2018; 767: 1164.     CrossRef
• A novel Co-ions complexation method to synthesize pyrochlore La 2 Zr 2 O 7
  Chunhui Xu, Hongyun Jin, Qifeng Zhang, Can Huang, Daifeng Zou, Fujian He, Shuen Hou
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• Fabrication and Characteristics of Thermal Barrier Coatings in the La2O3-Gd2O3-ZrO2System by Using Suspension Plasma Spray with Different Suspension Preparations
  Soyul Lee, Sung-Min Lee, Yoon-Suk Oh, Hyung-Tae Kim, Sahn Nahm, Seongwon Kim
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Lanthanum zirconate, La₂Zr₂O₇, is one of the most promising candidates for next-generation thermal barrier coating (TBC) applications in high efficient gas turbines due to its low thermal conductivity and chemical stability at high temperature. In this study, bulk specimens and thermal barrier coatings are fabricated via a variety of sintering processes as well as suspension plasma spray in lanthanum zirconates with reduced rare-earth contents. The phase formation, microstructure, and thermo-physical properties of these oxide ceramics and coatings are examined. In particular, lanthanum zirconates with reduced rare-earth contents in a La₂Zr₂O₇-4YSZ composite system exhibit a single phase of fluorite or pyrochlore after fabricated by suspension plasma spray or spark plasma sintering. The potential of lanthanum zirconate ceramics for TBC applications is also discussed.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Phase Formation and Thermo-physical Properties of Lanthanum/Gadolinium Zirconate with Reduced Rare-earth Contents for Thermal Barrier Coatings
  Sujin Lee, Chang-Sup Kwon, Sung-Min Lee, Yoon-Suk Oh, Hyung-Tae Kim, Sahn Nahm, Seongwon Kim
  Journal of Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute.2015; 22(6): 420.     CrossRef