Method of treating a thermal barrier coating

Abstract

There is provided a method for treating a substance having a thermal barrier coating in contact with an alloy substrate comprising the step of irradiating the thermal barrier coating while the alloy substrate is maintained at a substantially constant temperature. There is also provided a system for treating a substance having a thermal barrier coating in contact with an alloy substrate. There is also provided a substance having an alloy substrate in contact with a radiation treated thermal barrier coating.

1 . A method for treating a substance having a thermal barrier coating in contact with an alloy substrate comprising the step of irradiating said thermal barrier coating while said alloy substrate is maintained at a substantially constant temperature. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising the step of contacting said thermal barrier coating with a microwave absorber. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said microwave absorber is a carbon-based absorber or composites thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising the step of placing said alloy substrate in a receptacle that is a thermal insulator. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said thermal insulator is selected from the group consisting of ceramics, glass and plastics. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising, before said irradiating step, the step of pre-heating said substance. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said pre-heating step is undertaken at a temperature in the range of 25° C. to 900° C. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said irradiating step is undertaken at a temperature in the range of 25° C. to 1500° C. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said irradiating step is undertaken for a time period in the range of  1  minute to  5  hours. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said irradiating step is undertaken at a frequency in the range of about 0.3 GHz to about 300 GHz. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said irradiating step is undertaken at a pulse repetition frequency where the pulses per second is in the range of 10 to 200. 
     
     
         12 . A system for treating a substance having a thermal barrier coating in contact with an alloy substrate, the system comprising an enclosed chamber for receiving said substance, said enclosed chamber comprising heating means and radiation generating components. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a receptacle for receiving said substance. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein said receptacle is a thermal insulator. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein said heating means pre-heat said substance to a desired temperature. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein said radiation generating component is a magnetron tube for generating microwaves. 
     
     
         17 . A substance comprising an alloy substrate in contact with a radiation treated thermal barrier coating. 
     
     
         18 . The substance of  claim 17 , wherein said thermal barrier coating has a hardness of more than 5 GPa. 
     
     
         19 . The substance of  claim 17 , wherein said thermal barrier coating has a surface that is substantially resistant to ingress of particulate matter. 
     
     
         20 . The substance of  claim 19 , wherein said particulate matter is calcium-magnesium-alumino-silicate particles. 
     
     
         21 . The substance of  claim 17 , wherein the porosity of said thermal barrier coating is less than 15%.