Method of producing a segmented abradable ceramic coating system

A method of producing a segmented abradable ceramic coating system including a base coat foundation layer, a graded interlayer, and an abradable top layer, said method consisting essentially of:

• applying the base coat foundation layer on a MCrAlY bondcoated metallic substrate using a spray gun, said base coat foundation layer consisting essentially of between about 7 weight percent and about 12 weight percent yttria stabilized zirconia, wherein the distance between the gun and surface to be coated is varied in increments from a starting distance of about 2 inches to an end distance of about 5 inches during deposition of the base coat foundation layer to produce the base coat foundation layer having a thickness of between about 5 mils and about 15 mils;
• applying the graded interlayer on the base coat foundation layer using a spray gun, said graded interlayer consisting essentially of a compositional blend of the base coat foundation layer and the abradable top layer;
• wherein the distance between the gun and surface to be coated is held constant during deposition of the graded interlayer, said graded interlayer having a starting deposited composition of substantially the composition of the base coat foundation layer and is continuously graded to an end composition of substantially the composition of the abradable top layer, said graded interlayer having a thickness of between about 3 mils and about 10 mils;
• and applying the abradable top layer on the graded interlayer using a spray gun, said abradable top layer consisting essentially of a blend of 7 weight percent yttria stabilized zirconia and 20 weight percent yttria stabilized zirconia and is sufficiently soft to allow blade tips to cut into the abradable top layer and provide sealing, wherein the distance between the gun and surface to be coated is held constant during deposition of the abradable top layer, said ceramic coating system further comprising vertical segmentation and powder particles which are spherical and hollow prior to deposition.