Papers by Author: B. Bouchaud

Abstract: The use of thermal barrier coating systems allows superalloys to withstand higher operating temperatures in aeroengine turbines. Aiming at providing oxidation protection to such substrates, an aluminum-rich layer is deposited to form the α-Al₂O₃ scale over which a ceramic layer (i.e. YSZ layer) is applied to provide thermal insulation. A new approach is now being investigated within the FP7 European project « PARTICOAT », in which a single step process is employed by applying micro-sized aluminum particles. The particles are mixed in a binder and deposited by brushing or spraying on the substrate surface. During a heat treatment, the particles sinter and oxidize to form a top coat composed of hollow con-joint alumina spheres and simultaneously, an Al-rich diffusion zone is formed in the substrate. For a better understanding of the diffusion / growth processes, preliminary tests were carried out on pure nickel and Ni20Cr model alloys prior to further application on commercial superalloys. The effect of the heat treatment on the coating characteristics (number of layers, thickness, composition, homogeneity, etc.) was particularly investigated to emphasize the mechanisms of diffusion governing the growth of the coatings. The establishment of the diffused layers occurred very readily even at intermediate temperatures (650 and 700°C). However, the layers formed did not match perfectly with the thermodynamic modeling because of the quick incorporation of Ni into molten Al at intermediate temperatures (650°C). In contrast, at higher temperatures (700 and 1100°C) the phases predicted by Thermocalc are in good agreement with the observed thickness of the diffused layers. The incorporation of Cr as an alloying element restrained Al ingress by segregation of Cr even at very low temperatures aluminizing temperatures (625°C).

Abstract: The performance of Ni-based alloys at high temperature strongly depends on the formation of a protective chromia scale which prevents from fast growth NiO scale. The evolution of the oxide scales will be shown to be strongly dependent on the chromium content especially for the shortest oxidation times. Indeed, transient stages will be reported to condition the subsequent oxidation behavior at longer times until the oxidation rate constant becomes invariant. To this end, a comparative study on the outward and inward diffusion of species upon oxidation at 800°C for short times (0.5 / 1 / 2 / 4 / 8 h) has been evaluated on commercial available Ni20Cr and Ni30Cr alloys through in-situ Raman spectroscopy and supported by post-mortem X-ray diffraction (XRD) as well as scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy dispersive spectrometry (FEG-ESEM / EDS) investigations.

Abstract: In this work, β-NiAl aluminide coatings (cubic B2 structure) deposited on a DS substrate have been isothermally as well as cyclically oxidised at 1100°C for up to 240 h to study the diffusion mechanisms associated with the growth of the oxide scales. A 24 h cycle has been shown to promote enhanced Al depletion, thus requiring a sufficient Al flux to maintain a protective oxide scale. Glancing incidence X-ray diffraction (GI-XRD) combined to electron microscopy (FEG-ESEM / EDS) has been carried out to characterize the evolution of the phases induced by the progressive Al depletion into the coating. The results show that upon cycling, specimens undergo significant oxide scale spallation and increased roughness that can be ascribed to both the growth stresses and the phase transformation contribution whereas the coating has barely evolved after 240 h of isothermal exposure. In particular, the martensitic transformation (tetragonal L10 structure) that accompanies thermal cycling was found to be much more significant than the evolution of the γ’-Ni3Al (cubic L12 structure) phase over the same thermal cycle and therefore the B2 to martensite transformation could originate the progressive roughening of the surface. Conversely, upon isothermal exposure, the coating exhibited a typical alumina scale with almost no spallation and the appearance of rumples.

Abstract: The oxide scale evolution with high temperature on CVD aluminide coatings deposited on a Directionally Solidified (DS) Ni-base superalloy is studied in this work. High temperature oxidation was carried out at 1100°C in air for 240 h under isothermal conditions and for 10 cycles (1 cycle = 24 h at 1100°C). The morphological and microstructural characterisation of the coatings has been performed using optical and electron microscopy as well as X-ray diffraction. Contrary to most of the results published in the literature, the rumpling phenomenon appears on the isothermally oxidised specimens whereas spallation, nodule formation and wrinkling of the oxide scale occur on the cyclically oxidised samples. The results are discussed in terms of the β-NiAl to γ’-Ni3Al phase transformation, the likely associated volume changes and of the growth stresses at high temperature.