Thermal barrier coating with controlled defect architecture

A thermal barrier coating system comprising:

• a plurality of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) particles forming a thermal barrier layer on a substrate, wherein at least 80% of the YSZ particles comprise a porous interior portion and a fully melted and solidified outer shell;
• wherein for said at least 80% of the particles, the outer shell comprises 10-50% by volume of the particle, and an average particle has an aspect ratio in a range of 1-4;
• wherein the thermal barrier layer has a porosity greater than 12%, including a porosity within the particles thereof and an inter-particle porosity thereof;
• and
• wherein the thermal barrier layer exhibits elastic hysteresis over an average modulus of elasticity of 15-25 GPa.

A thermal barrier coating system comprising:

• a plurality of ceramic particles forming a thermal barrier layer on a metal substrate, wherein at least 80% of the particles comprise a porous interior portion with less than 90% of theoretical density and a non-porous outer shell with greater than 95% of theoretical density;
• wherein for said at least 80% of the particles, the outer shell comprises 10-25% by volume of the particle, and an average particle has an aspect ratio in a range of 1-4;
• wherein the thermal barrier layer has a porosity greater than 12%, including a porosity within the particles thereof and an inter-particle gap porosity thereof;
• and
• wherein the thermal barrier layer exhibits elastic hysteresis over a given stress range and average modulus of elasticity of 15-25 GPa over the given stress range.