The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Sep. 24, 2002

Filed:

Jan. 16, 2001
Applicant:
Assignee:

Other;

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B32B 1/504 ; C23C 1/408 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
B32B 1/504 ; C23C 1/408 ;
Abstract

A multilayered ceramic topcoat of a thermal barrier coating system is useful for high temperature corrosive applications such as hot section components in gas turbine engines. The ceramic topcoat includes at least two layers, each having generally columnar grain microstructures with different grain orientation directions. A preferred method of producing the multilayered ceramic topcoat includes positioning a superalloy substrate at a first angled orientation relative to a ceramic vapor cloud in an electron beam physical vapor deposition apparatus for a time sufficient to grow a first ceramic layer. The substrate is then reoriented to a second, different angled orientation for a time sufficient to grow a second ceramic layer. The ceramic layers exhibit columnar microstructures having respective grain orientation directions which are related to the first and second substrate orientations. For uniformly coating a complex contoured surface such as a turbine blade airfoil, the blade can be rotated during coating deposition at each angled orientation. Alternatively, the article may be continuously reoriented according to a predetermined speed cycle to produce generally arcuate, sinusoidal, helical, or other columnar grain microstructures.


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