Removal of thermal barrier coatings
AssigneeHowmet Research Corporation
InventorsJohn E. Schilbe, Joel L. Cockerill, Kenneth S. Murphy, Bruce M. Warnes
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Abstract
A gas turbine engine component having a thermal barrier coating is immersed in an inorganic hydroxide bath having a high concentration of alkali or alkaline earth hydroxide with the bath at ambient (atmospheric) pressure and elevated temperature for a time sufficient to effect rapid detachment of the thermal barrier coating for removal from the substrate. The component then optionally can be immersed in a water bath to remove any remaining thermal barrier coating. The thermal barrier coating is removed without detectable damage to the substrate or any bondcoat present thereon.
Claims12
A method of removing a thermal barrier coating from a substrate, comprising contacting a thermal barrier coated substrate with an inorganic caustic liquid comprising at least one of alkali hydroxide and alkaline earth hydroxide with said liquid at ambient pressure and elevated temperature to chemically attack an intermediate layer between said thermal barrier coating and said substrate to effect detachment of said thermal barrier coating from said substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.