A Mechanism for the Erosion of EB PVD TBCS

Since the introduction of electron beam (EB) physical vapour deposition (PVD) TBCs and their application to moving components in the hot gas stream, erosion has become a prime concern. This project has been involved in determining the erosion mechanism of EB PVD TBCs, in order to develop a computational erosion model. The unique columnar microstructure of the EB PVD TBCs precludes the use of the classical brittle erosion mechanisms. This meant that a thorough investigation into the erosion mechanism of the coatings was necessary before it would be possible to develop a model to predict material wastage.