# US 5,350,599 A · Erosion-resistant thermal barrier coating > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,350,599 A - Document ID: US5350599A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 07/966,911 - Filed: 1992-10-27 - Granted: 1994-09-27 - Earliest claimed: 1992-10-27 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Inventors: David V. Rigney; Robert W. Bruce; Antonio F. Maricocchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5350599A ## CPC - C23C 14/228: {Gas flow assisted PVD deposition} - C23C 14/083: {of refractory metals or yttrium} - C23C 14/505: {for rotation of the substrates} - F01D 5/288: {Protective coatings for blades} - Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract An article is protected by a thermal barrier coating system. The article includes a substrate having an outer surface and a thermal barrier coating system deposited upon the substrate. The thermal barrier coating system includes a porous region wherein the ceramic is present as a porosity-containing columnar grain structure extending substantially perpendicular to the substrate surface, and an erosion-resistant densified region overlying the porous region. The thermal barrier coating is preferably applied by rotating the substrate past a deposition source to deposit the columnar grains, and then halting or slowing the rotation while continuing the deposition of the erosion-resistant region. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for preparing an article protected by a thermal barrier coating system, comprising the steps of: providing a substrate having an outer surface; placing the substrate on a rotating stage adjacent a deposition source; depositing the coating system comprising a ceramic thermal barrier coating upon the substrate surface from the deposition source by rotating the substrate at a first rotational speed so that deposition of the ceramic coating from the deposition source continues for a period of time on a particular area of the substrate while the particular area is in a line-of-sight with the deposition source, and so that deposition is interrupted while the particular area is out of the line-of-sight with the deposition source, so that the particular area is cooler when out of the line-of-sight, and, simultaneously with the rotating, depositing the ceramic from the deposition source as a first region on the substrate surface, and slowing the rotating to a second rotational speed, and, while the rotating is slowed, depositing the ceramic from the deposition source overlying the first region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, including the further step, prior to the step of rotating the substrate at the first rotational speed, of first depositing a bond coat onto the substrate surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of slowing the rotating includes slowing the rotating to zero rotational speed, thereby halting the rotating. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, including the further step, after the step of halting, of again rotating the substrate, and, simultaneously with the rotating, depositing the ceramic from the deposition source as a third region, and halting the rotating, and, while the rotating is halted, depositing the ceramic from the deposition source overlying the third region. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of rotating is continuously controlled to achieve an instantaneous rotational speed consistent with deposition of the ceramic having a preselected structure and a preselected thickness at a preselected location on the substrate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing the ceramic is continuously controlled to achieve an instantaneous rate of depositing consistent with deposition of the ceramic having a preselected structure and a preselected thickness at a preselected location on the substrate. ### Claim 7 A method for preparing an article protected by a thermal barrier coating system comprising the steps of: providing a substrate: depositing the thermal barrier coating system upon the substrate by depositing a porous ceramic region intermittently, the porous region characterized by ceramic having porosity-containing columnar grains having lateral spacing between said columnar grains, the grains having a banded structure generally perpendicular to the surface of the substrate; and then depositing an erosion-resistant densified ceramic region substantially continuously overlying the porous ceramic region, the densified region being characterized by ceramic substantially free of porosity and substantially free of lateral spacing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further including the step of first depositing a bond coat over the substrate prior to the step of depositing the porous ceramic region.