Microstructures and Flame Thermal Shock Failure Behaviors of EB-PVD Deposited LaZrCeO/YSZ Thermal Barrier Coatings

MU Rende; SHEN Zaoyu; LIU Guanxi

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.07.021

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Surface Technology ›› 2026, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (7) : 264-273. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.07.021

Thermal Spraying and Cold Spraying Technology

Microstructures and Flame Thermal Shock Failure Behaviors of EB-PVD Deposited LaZrCeO/YSZ Thermal Barrier Coatings

MU Rende^*, SHEN Zaoyu, LIU Guanxi

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Abstract

Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs), as critical protective materials for turbine blades in modern aero engines and gas turbines, significantly enhance the service temperature limits and durability of superalloy components through their exceptional thermal insulation and oxidation resistance. With the continuous demand for higher thrust-to-weight ratios and thermal efficiency in engines, the development of novel ceramic topcoat materials with elevated temperature resistance, low thermal conductivity, and superior sintering resistance has become a research priority. Among these, rare earth doped lanthanum zirconate (La₂Zr₂O₇) based materials are regarded as one of the most promising candidates due to their low thermal conductivity, high phase stability, and excellent anti-sintering properties. In particular, the Ce-doped LaZrCeO system can further optimize the thermal expansion coefficient and suppress oxygen diffusion through the incorporation of Ce⁴⁺ ions. However, its failure mechanisms under high-temperature flame thermal shock conditions remain to be systematically investigated for simulating and predicting the TBCs service lifetime under practical condition of aero engine. To address this research gap, LaZrCeO top layer and YSZ intermediate layer (LaZrCeO/YSZ) were deposited via single-step electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) onto Ni-based superalloy substrate. The unique architecture was designed to combine the excellent thermal insulation properties of LaZrCeO layer with the proven fracture toughness of YSZ layer. LaZrCeO ceramic showed pyrochlore with fluorite composite phase structure under XRD scanning results. Detailed microstructural characterization through SEM equipped with EDS revealed a novel alternating layered morphology inside the LaZrCeO coat, consisting of periodic variations in Zr, Ce cation concentration. The thermal conductivity of LaZrCeO/YSZ decreased distinctly and the duplex layer structure relieved the lower thermal expansion coefficient of LaZrCeO. The as-deposited coatings were subjected to high-temperature flame thermal shock tests, which directly impinged the coating surface with a 1 300 ℃ flame, followed by forced air cooling to simulate extreme thermal transients. The LaZrCeO/YSZ double ceramic layer system demonstrated an exceptional thermal cycling lifetime, surviving 2 685 cycles before failure, which was approximately 10 times longer than single layer LaZrCeO coating. Post-test analysis through cross-sectional SEM and elemental mapping showed that the LaZrCeO/YSZ coating exhibited two kinds of primary failure behaviors. The first failure mode was the growth of the TGO layer at the bond coat/ceramic layer interface. The TGO thickening increased the stress concentration, leading to crack initiation and subsequent propagation. In addition, the pyrochlore and fluorite composite structure created a certain amount of oxygen vacancy defects, which provided diffusion pathways for atomic migration and facilitated the slight sintering state within the LaZrCeO layer under 1 300 ℃ thermal shocks. Meanwhile, the alternating chemical distribution in the LaZrCeO layer induced localized differences in sintering rate and stiffness, creating micro-regions of stress concentration that served as preferential sites for intra-layer crack nucleation and evolution. This secondary failure mode, which originated within the ceramic top layer itself rather than exclusively at the interface, represented a newly identified mechanism in doped zirconate TBCs. This work not only demonstrates the superior performance of a novel LaZrCeO/YSZ double ceramic layer TBCs but also provides original insights into the role of microstructural heterogeneity in affecting sintering behavior and crack propagation paths. These findings underline the importance of engineering microstructural architectures in future TBC designs for ultra-high-temperature applications.

Key words

thermal barrier coatings / electron beam physical vapour deposition / microstructure / thermal shock / failure mode

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MU Rende, SHEN Zaoyu, LIU Guanxi. Microstructures and Flame Thermal Shock Failure Behaviors of EB-PVD Deposited LaZrCeO/YSZ Thermal Barrier Coatings[J]. Surface Technology. 2026, 55(7): 264-273

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Funding

National Science and Technology Major Project (J2019-Ⅶ-0010-0150); Ultra-high Temperature Corrosion-resistant Thermal Barrier Coating Technology Project (30204); National Natural Science Foundation of China (52202073)