Titanium substitution in Gd2Zr2O7 for thermal barrier coating applications

The study underlines the impact of Ti(4)(+)substitution in Gd2Zr2O7 for applications in thermal barrier coatings (TBC). Depending on the Ti4+ content, two different crystal structures of Gd2Zr2O7 namely pyrochlore and fluorite were determined. Ti4+ substitutions in the increasing order induced a gradual contraction of Gd2Zr2O7 unit cell; however, with the accomplishment of concentration dependent crystal structures of either single phase pyrochlore or mixtures of pyrochlore and fluorite. Absorption measurements enunciated the enhanced infra-red reflectance behaviour of Gd2Zr2O7 due to Ti4+ substitutions. A gradual increment in the concentration of Ti4+ substitutions in Gd2Zr2O7 envisaged a simultaneous porous to dense morphological features, which reflected in the resultant mechanical data. Hot corrosion studies ensure the critical role of Ti4+ to retain the crystal structure of Gd2Zr2O7.