COATING INSPECTION METHOD

• US 20170165708A1
• Filed: 12/09/2015
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Murphy, James Edward, Sivaramakrishnan, Shankar, Hasz, Wayne Charles, Brosnan, Kristen Hall
• Granted Patent: US 10,201,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/02 performed by spraying
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5009 containing nitrogen in the anion, e.g. nitrites
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5032 Aluminates aluminate spinels C04B41/5046
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7728 containing europium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/221 Ion beam deposition C23C14/46, C23C14/48 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/44 characterised by the method of coating C23C16/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 30/00 Coating with metallic material characterised only by the composition of the metallic material, i.e. not characterised by the coating process C23C26/00, C23C28/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/131 Wire arc spraying
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/134 Plasma spraying
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/005 Repairing methods or devices
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/288 Protective coatings for blades
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/80 Repairing, retrofitting or upgrading methods
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/90 Coating; Surface treatment
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6456 Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8422 Investigating thin films, e.g. matrix isolation method
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/61 thin films, coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/223 by irradiating the sample with X-rays or gamma-rays and by measuring X-ray fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

Provided herein are methods and compositions which allow for efficient inspection, maintenance and repair of ceramic coatings.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

disposing a material in a plurality of surface-connected openings of a ceramic coating, the material comprising

i. one or more phosphors; and

ii. one or more protective agents.

2. A method for determination of uniformity of deposition of a material in a ceramic coating comprising:

(a) illuminating a surface of the ceramic coating with a stimulant radiation, wherein the ceramic coating comprises a plurality of surface-connected openings and a material disposed in at least some of the openings, the material comprising

i. one or more phosphors; and

ii. one or more protective agents;

(b) detecting an emission radiation from the material in response to the stimulant radiation; and

(c) recording the distribution of the material within the ceramic coating based on the intensity of the detected emission radiation as a function of position on the surface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the ceramic coating is a thermal barrier coating.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein, after illumination of the area in which the material is disposed with a stimulant radiation, the wavelength of the light emitted from the one or more disposed phosphors is different from any wavelength of light emitted by the original ceramic coating under the same illumination.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising identifying regions of insufficient concentration of the material based on the recorded distribution of the material, and disposing an additional quantity of the material in the regions of insufficient concentration of the material.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the stimulant radiation is ultra-violet (UV) light.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the phosphor is present in the material in an amount from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the material.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the phosphor is present in the material in an amount from about 0.1% to about 2.5% by weight of the material.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the phosphor comprises a host and an activator.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the phosphor comprises one or more of europium, tungsten, molybdenum, lead, boron, titanium, manganese, uranium, chromium, terbium, dysprosium, yttrium, cerium, gadolinium, lanthanum, phosphorous, oxygen, lutetium or nitrogen.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the phosphor contains europium.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the europium is present in the material in an amount from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the material.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the europium is present in the material in an amount from about 0.1% to about 2.5% by weight of the material.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the protective agent is a barrier agent, an anti-calcium-magnesium-aluminum-silicon-oxide (CMAS) agent, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the material comprises a barrier agent and a phosphor.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the material comprises an anti-CMAS agent and a phosphor.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein, in a first quantity, the disposed material comprises one or more barrier agents;

and in a second quantity, the disposed material comprises one or more anti-CMAS agents.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein in a first quantity, the disposed material comprises one or more barrier agents and a first phosphor, and in a second quantity, the disposed material comprises one or more anti-CMAS agents and a second phosphor;

wherein, after illumination of the area in which the one or more quantities of the material is disposed with a stimulant radiation, the wavelength of the light emitted from the first phosphor is different from the wavelength of light emitted by the second phosphor.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the anti-CMAS agent comprises one or more rare earth elements or alkaline earth elements, or a combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more rare earth elements are selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, neodymium, erbium, cerium, and gadolinium.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more alkaline earth elements are selected from the group consisting of beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the anti-CMAS agent comprises a nitride, an oxide, or combinations thereof.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the anti-CMAS agent further comprises zirconium, hafnium, titanium, tantalum, or niobium.

24. The method of claim 14, where in the barrier agent comprises aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide or cerium oxide, or a combination thereof.

25. The method of claim 14, where in the barrier agent comprises Al₂O₃, HfO₂, Ce₂O₃, or a combination thereof.

26. The method of claim 2, wherein the protective agent is selected from the group consisting of GdAlO₃, Gd₃NbO₇, and GdTa₃O₉.

27. The method of claim 2, wherein the material comprises 1.5 weight % of Eu₂O₃ by total weight of the material.

28. The method of claim 2, wherein the material comprises Gd_0.98Eu_0.02AlO₃.

29. The method of claim 2, wherein disposing the material within the ceramic coating comprises infiltrating the surface connected openings of the ceramic coating with a liquid.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the liquid comprises a carrier fluid and a plurality of particles suspended within the carrier fluid.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the liquid comprises a solvent and a solute dissolved in the solvent.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising volatilizing the liquid to form a residue disposed in the surface-connected openings of the ceramic coating.

33. A ceramic coating comprising a protective agent and a phosphor disposed in its surface connected openings.

34. The ceramic coating of claim 33, wherein the ceramic coating is a thermal barrier coating.

35. The ceramic coating of claim 33, wherein the protective agent is a barrier agent, an anti-calcium-magnesium-aluminum-silicon-oxide (CMAS) agent, or a combination thereof.