Processing Parameter Effects and Thermal Properties of Y2Si2O7 Nanostructured Environmental Barrier Coatings Synthesized by Solution Precursor Induction Plasma Spraying

The solution precursor plasma spray process, in which a solution of metal salts is axially injected into an induction thermal plasma, is suitable for deposition of nanostructured environmental barrier coatings. The effects of main processing parameters, namely the solution precursor concentration, spraying distance, reactor pressure, and atomization gas flow rate, have been analyzed using D-optimal design of experiments regarding the deposition rate and coating porosity responses. Among these four parameters, the solution precursor concentration had the greatest influent on the coating structure, followed by the spraying distance and reactor pressure, and finally the atomization gas flow rate with a small contribution. It is pointed out that the species that impact on the substrate are agglomerates of nanoparticles. The equivalent thermal conductivity of selected coatings was computed from experimental temperature evolution curves obtained by laser flash thermal diffusivity analysis, using two methods: a multilayer finite-element model with optimization, and a multilayer thermal diffusion model. The results of the two models agree, with coatings exhibiting low thermal conductivity between 0.7 and 1 W/(m K) at 800 °C.