Degradation of the gas turbine blade coating and its influence on the microstructure state of the superalloy

The technical condition of the blades has a critical influence on the reliability and life span of a gas turbine and an engine into which it is built in. The main causes of blade damage are overheating, creeping, thermal fatigue, high temperature corrosion, etc. It is often caused by adverse operational conditions or manufacturing defect, e.g. using insufficiently durable types of heat-resistant protective coatings or applied in an improper manner on the blade material. Reaction of coatings and blade material to mechanical and thermal loads depends mainly on the operating temperature of the turbine. Selection of a protective coating and material to manufacture a blade with an assumed strength must take into account its mechanical and thermal properties at maximum aerofoil temperature. The article presents characteristic forms of operational damages to the gas turbine blades of a turbojet aero engine. Distinguished were operational factors and their influence on the technical condition of coatings during the engine operation period. An influence of excess exhaust gas temperature on the condition of the heat-resistant blade layer was shown. Shown were also results of morphology tests of coating degradation types. Results of micro-structure tests of the blade superalloy after damage to the heat-resistant coating were also presented.