Application and Testing of Thermal Barrier Coatings for Cryogenic Rocket Engines

The development in thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems for cryogenic liquid rocket combustion chambers is addressed. It resulted in the preference for electron-beam physical vapor deposition techniques (EB-PVD) subsequently used for application of bond coats as well as zirconia TBC's. The high strength potential of age-hardening Cu alloys, e.g. CuCrZr as a well-suited substrate material class, inspired the search for temperature-cycle tolerant coating varieties that allow to follow heating and quenching procedures common for alloy strength optimization through age-hardening routines.