Thermal-barrier coatings are complex systems with properties that largely depend on their specific microstructure. Their properties change during operation, typically leading to degradation. A further difficulty arises from the fact that this degradation also depends on specific loading conditions that can be rather complex. Different laboratory setups are described that simulate, at least partially, the actual loading conditions. In addition, sensing and nondestructive methods are described that are targeted toward reliable operation of a gas-turbine engine with thermal-barrier coated components.

The Rockwell indentation test was used to generate interface delamination in an EB-PVD thermal barrier coating (TBC) system that was thermally cycled between 300 °C and 1050 °C. Luminescence spectroscopy was applied to measure the thermally grown oxide (TGO) stresses in indentation-affected and perfectly bonded regions. Comparison between experimental stress mapping in bonded and delaminated regions by luminescence spectroscopy and finite element analysis was shown and the effect of delamination paths was presented. Zigzag delamination paths alternating between the top TBC-TGO interface and TGO-bond coat interface were shown to induce TGO stress releases and fluctuations in the delaminated region. Luminescence spectroscopy measurements successfully detect such behavior, making it possible to identify nondestructively the size of the delaminated region, the delamination crack front position, and the delamination paths in part.

An all-oxide Al2O3-TiO2 ceramic multilayer composed of 10–100 nm thick alternating layers was fabricated using the reactive magnetron sputtering process. Microindentation tests were carried out on the multilayer ceramic followed by microstructural observations of the cross-sections of the indented sites to characterize the indentation response of the system. During the observations, it was noted that an extensive room temperature “deformation” occurred in the multilayer ceramic material. The material shows a thickness reduction of as much as ∼40% under a conical indenter at 300 mN of load without microcracking and dislocation-assisted deformation. The room temperature deformation mechanism is governed by the relative movement and rearrangement of the anisotropic nanoscale columnar grains along the intergranular boundaries containing elongated voids. The relative sliding along the intergranular boundaries, and the subsequent granular rotation under indentation were well captured by finite element simulation.

The mechanical performance of nacre in seashells is generally described in terms of mesoscale mechanisms between mineral plates within the organic polymer matrix. However, recent work has reported nanostructures and organic material within individual plates and associated deformation mechanisms. In this work, we further investigated the nanoscale structure and mechanical behavior within individual plates of nacre by using two methods to induce fracture of plates: microindentation with focused ion beam preparation and ultramicrotomy. Using transmission electron microscopy, we observed deformation nanostructures and organic matrix within plates and identified nanoscale mechanisms, such as separation, shear, and matrix crack bridging.

The deformation behavior of the organic polymer matrix of the biocomposite nacre structure in abalone shell was investigated by in situ straining during transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We observed strong adhesion to mineral plates and high ductility of the organic matrix, confirming a crack-bridging toughening mechanism. In addition, direct observation of reversible mechanical behavior was made in the viscoelastic reformation of matrix ligaments after failure. Crystalline β-sheet structures identified through electron diffraction suggested the presence of protein structures similar to spider or cocoon silk, and the reversible mechanism was attributed to hydration-induced unfolding and refolding of domains in these silklike proteins. This work provides further insight into the molecular and nanoscale behavior of nacre organic matrix and its contribution to bulk mechanical performance.

Porous Al2O3/Al catalyst supports were fabricated using a mixture of Al(OH)3 and Al powders, followed by pressureless sintering at a temperature of 600 °C in vacuum. Different pressures were used to prepare green compacts. High compaction pressure led to a high surface area and good mechanical and electrical properties for the sintered specimens. However, when the Al content in the sintered specimen exceeded a definite value, high compaction pressure decreased the surface area abruptly. Scanning electron microscopy observations revealed that agglomeration in the starting mixture has a significant effect on the microstructure of the sintered specimens. High compaction pressure greatly eliminated the agglomerates and led to a uniform microstructure for the sintered specimens. However, when the Al content in the starting mixture was too high, Al particles in the compacts prepared by the high pressure were largely sintered due to the high compact density so that most of the pores were closed. The present study indicates that a suitable compaction pressure is critical to obtaining superior Al2O3/Al supports.

The effect of particle volume fraction fp on the light transmittance of glass particle-dispersed epoxy matrix composites with a particle volume fraction of fp = 0.0001 to 0.4 was studied. The particle size used was much larger than the wavelength of light in a visible wavelength. The transmitted laser beam scattering pattern and light transmittance of the composites were obtained, and the transmitted laser beam pattern showed a broadening, which increased with an increase in particle volume fraction. This behavior appeared more remarkable in particles with smaller diameters. The light transmittance of the composite was affected by the particle volume fraction fp and was divided into two characteristic regions according to fp. For fp < 0.01, the light transmittance was slightly affected by the incorporation of the particles, while the light transmittance of the composite with fp > 0.01 was strongly affected by fp and size of the glass particle dp. The effects of fp and dp on the light transmittance are explained by the introduction of a normalized total surface area 〈 S〉 A guideline to obtain higher light transmittance of the composite is discussed based on the parameter 〈S 〉.

Temperature dependence of in situ fiber strength, effective interface shear stress, Young's modulus of matrix, and matrix fracture energy in a polymer-infiltrationpyrolysis (PIP)-processed two-dimensional plain-woven fabric carbon-coated Nicalon™ SiC fiber-reinforced SiC matrix composite was studied through a tensile test in air at 298 (room temperature), 800, and 1200 K. In situ fiber strength and effective interface shear stress were determined by fracture mirror size and fiber pullout length measurements, respectively. The fiber strength was insensitive to test temperature up to 800 K but dropped significantly at 1200 K. Conversely, the interface shear stress showed a strong temperature dependence, decreasing at 800 K and drastically increasing at 1200 K. The temperature dependence of both values was reasonably explained. Temperature dependence of Young's modulus of matrix was derived from Young's modulus of the composite and fiber and ranged from ≈40 to ≈38 GPa. Matrix fracture energy was also determined from the transverse matrix cracking stress and ranged from ≈16 to ≈5.5 J/m2. Both Young's modulus of matrix and the matrix fracture energy showed only slight temperature dependence up to 800 K; however, both values decreased significantly at 1200 K.