In order to improve the efficiency level of gas turbines, the operating temperatures are often increased to 1,200 °C and above. The coatings used in the hot section must withstand these extreme conditions to prevent hot corrosion and component oxidation, otherwise a system failure would occur – resulting in considerable replacement costs.
Typically, MCrAlY coatings are produced using thermal spraying and other technologies. Oerlikon Balzers has applied its proven high-end PVD Arc technology to make the standard MCrAlY coating production process more efficient and significantly improve the coating properties.
BALORA™ PVD MCrAlY offers superior properties compared to conventionally produced MCrAlY coatings: it has excellent substrate adhesion, and it can be applied up to a thickness of 100 micrometres without porosity. Most importantly, the MCrAlY composition in combination with the high density can be tailored to form the perfect barrier against oxidation on turbine blades and vanes.