Ion beam analysis of gas turbine blades: evaluation of refurbishment quality

Refurbishment of hot components of gas turbines damaged in the harsh working environments is necessary to increase their lifetime. Scanning proton microscopy was employed to evaluate the quality of refurbishment process of gas turbine blades. Distribution patterns of different elements were observed in the polished cross-sections of turbine blade samples by proton microbeam. In the cross-sections of refurbished and used samples, distinct regions were identified corresponding to the base superalloy, original protection layer and applied coating for refurbishment. The elemental composition of each of these regions was measured by Micro-PIXE analysis. Inhomogeneous and high content of Si as well as undesired light elements were observed in the cross-sections of refurbished samples, indicating imperfections in the refurbishment process.