Environmental Barrier Coatings for Ceramic Matrix Composites A new coating perspective

Purpose and goal

Environmental Barrier Coatings (EBCs) is a pioneering research area in the aerospace industry, and this project is first in Sweden in terms of thermal spraying of EBCs. The results of the project fully confirmed the hypothesis that the spray temperature and velocity are key parameters for obtaining crystalline and dense coating. There is a trade-off in crystallinity-density ratio, the hotter the spray process the denser and less crystalline is the coating, but no excessive spray temperature process is needed. The spray conditions-microstructure correlation are of high importance.

Expected results and effects

The results of this project demonstrated the capability of the spray processes with lower spray temperature and higher spray velocity to produce EBCs with good functional properties. The results of the project are thus an important step towards a successful industrial implementation of Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs). The results of this project are planned to be followed up and deepen in a larger project with partners including world-leading companies in the field of aerospace industry. A paper summarizing the main results of the project will be published within the next few weeks.

Planned approach and implementation

The project activities and progress of the work followed very well the project plan made at the begging of the project, and also presented in the project application. All work-packages and project tasks were successfully carried out and fulfilled. Given the iterative character of the experimental work which involved collaboration with external partners (phase analysis study), the corona pandemic restrictions have slightly slowed down the sample flow and distribution, but not to an extent to affect the project outcomes what would have required an extension of the project deadlines.