Environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) are essential to protect ceramic matrix composites against water vapor recession in typical gas turbine environments. Both oxide and non-oxide-based ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) need such coatings as they show only a limited stability. As the thermal expansion coefficients are quite different between the two CMCs, the suitable EBC materials for both applications are different. In the paper examples of EBCs for both types of CMCs are presented. In case of EBCs for oxide-based CMCs, the limited strength of the CMC leads to damage of the surface if standard grit-blasting techniques are used. Only in the case of oxide-based CMCs different processes as laser ablation have been used to optimize the surface topography. Another result for many EBCs for oxide-based CMC is the possibility to deposit them by standard atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) as crystalline coatings. Hence, in case of these coatings only the APS process will be described. For the EBCs for non-oxide CMCs the state-of-the-art materials are rare earth or yttrium silicates. Here the major challenge is to obtain dense and crystalline coatings. While for the Y₂SiO₅ a promising microstructure could be obtained by a heat-treatment of an APS coating, this was not the case for Yb₂Si₂O₇. Here also other thermal spray processes as high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF), suspension plasma spraying (SPS), and very low-pressure plasma spraying (VLPPS) are used and the results described mainly with respect to crystallinity and porosity.

Molybdenum‐based materials offer high melting temperatures and promising mechanical properties; therefore, they are potential candidates for high‐temperature components, such as turbine blades. However, at temperatures above 700 °C, molybdenum suffers from severe pesting phenomenon, leading to decomposition of the component. Therefore, oxidation‐resistant environmental barrier coatings are crucial to prevent the material from degradation and to maintain its excellent mechanical properties at high temperatures. This review provides a detailed overview on the different coating concepts for Mo and Mo‐based alloys.

Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are promising materials for high-temperature applications. Environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) are needed to protect the components against water vapor attack. A new potential EBC material, YAlO₃, was studied in this paper. Different plasma-spraying techniques were used for the production of coatings on an alumina-based CMC, such as atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) and very low pressure plasma spraying (VLPPS). No bond coats or surface treatments were applied. The performance was tested by pull–adhesion tests, burner rig tests, and calcium-magnesium-aluminum-silicate (CMAS) corrosion tests. The samples were subsequently analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Special attention was paid to the interaction at the interface between coating and substrate. The results show that fully crystalline and good adherent YAlO₃ coatings can be produced without further substrate preparation such as surface pretreatment or bond coat application. The formation of a thin reaction layer between coating and substrate seems to promote adhesion.

In high‐temperature combustion atmospheres, well‐adhering environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) are required to protect the underlying ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) from corrosion. Herein the adhesion mechanisms of three different coatings produced by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) on an Al₂O₃/Al₂O₃‐CMC are investigated. In particular, the influence of surface structuring by laser ablation prior to coating production is investigated. Y₂O₃, yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ), and Gd₂Zr₂O₇ are chosen as potential EBCs. The coating adhesion on CMC‐substrates with and without surface structuring is analyzed by furnace cycling, pull‐adhesion tests, and burner‐rig tests with gradient. Special interest is paid to the interactions at the coating–substrate interface before and after heat treatment and their effect on the coating adhesion and lifetime. Two different adhesion mechanisms are found: adhesion promoted by chemical reaction and adhesion promoted by mechanical interlocking.

Al2O3/Al2O3 ceramic matrix composites are candidate materials for high-temperature applications such as gas turbines. As water vapor corrosion of Al2O3/Al2O3-CMC (ceramic matrix composite) is a major issue, the application of suitable environmental barrier coatings is inevitable. An important factor for coating adhesion, especially in thermal spraying, is mechanical interlocking. Therefore, a rough substrate surface is needed. Although it has been proven that laser ablation is a suitable method for surface preparation of metallic substrates, no studies on Al2O3/Al2O3-CMCs are available. Therefore, the suitability of surface preparation of an Al2O3/Al2O3-CMC by laser ablation for use prior to atmospheric plasma spraying was examined. The laser ablation threshold fluence for Al2O3/Al2O3-CMC was determined. The effects of different processing parameters on the surface were studied. Various surface morphologies were obtained, such as cauliflower and honeycomb structures. The samples were characterized by white light interferometry, laser microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The obtained surface structures were coated with Gd2Zr2O7. It was found that the adhesion strength of coatings on laser treated samples was drastically increased.

Oxidation barrier coatings on the base of a perhydropolysilazane precursor with different amounts of Si, B, SiB₆ and Mo₅SiB₂ (T2) fillers for the oxidation protection of Mo-Si-B alloys were developed. The influence of different filler compositions as well as the influence of pyrolysis conditions (temperature and atmosphere) was studied. The coating slurries were examined with respect to their rheological behavior, which allows optimization of the coating slurry. Dilatometry studies show that the coefficient of thermal expansion of the composites can be matched to refractory, especially molybdenum alloy based, substrates by varying the content and the composition of the filler. The pyrolyzed coating systems offer a low porosity, which is one of the key parameters to a high oxidation protection capability.