This review critically examines the current understanding of calcia–magnesia–alumina–silicate (CMAS) degradation mechanisms and mitigation approaches in thermal and environmental barrier coatings. First, the review introduces case studies of field returned engine components exposed to CMAS attack, followed by fundamental aspects of CMAS-induced degradation. Understanding CMAS adhesion, infiltration, spallation mechanics, and thermochemical attack mechanisms is crucial to designing materials approaches to mitigate CMAS attack. CMAS mitigation strategies have focused on reactive approaches aimed at crystallising molten CMAS at the earliest stage possible to inhibit infiltration. Promising approaches are presented, starting with fundamental reaction kinetics studies, followed by the effects of microstructure in actual coatings systems. Salient results on coating systems tested in various burner rigs and a full engine test are presented to benchmark the success of various mitigation strategies. Lastly, several key future research areas are presented in order to provide a roadmap towards ‘sandphobic’ thermal and environmental barrier systems.

This study provides an investigation into the influence of surface roughness, porosity, and chemistry on the wettability and infiltration behavior of calcia-magnesia-alumino-silicates (CMASs) in thermal and environmental barrier coatings (T/EBCs) used in high-temperature gas turbine engines. High-temperature contact angle measurements were performed at 1260 °C on 7 wt.% yttria-stabilized zirconia (7YSZ) and yttrium ytterbium disilicate (YYbDS, (Y_1/2Yb_1/2)₂Si₂O₇) to evaluate the interaction of CMASs with different surface finishes and coating microstructures. The findings demonstrate that porosity plays a dominant role in determining CMAS infiltration dynamics. In YYbDS, increasing porosity from 6.3% to 22.7% facilitated the formation of an apatite layer that limited CMAS penetration to approximately 2 µm. Surface roughness exhibited a subtler influence in that reducing Sa from 0.61 µm to 0.05 µm increased the change in the contact angle by ~2°, although its impact was found to be less significant compared to porosity and reactive chemistry. These results indicate that an integrated approach that optimizes porosity, chemistry, and surface morphology can significantly enhance CMAS resistance. The study emphasizes that leveraging both microstructural and chemical properties is critical to developing coatings capable of withstanding the harsh conditions encountered in aerospace environments.