Robert A. Miller

Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio

History of Thermal Barrier Coatings

for Gas Turbine Engines

Emphasizing NASA’s Role From 1942 to 1990

NASA/TM—2009-215459

March 2009
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Robert A. Miller

Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio

History of Thermal Barrier Coatings

for Gas Turbine Engines

Emphasizing NASA’s Role From 1942 to 1990

NASA/TM—2009-215459

March 2009

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Glenn Research Center

Cleveland, Ohio 44135

Prepared for the

Thermal Barrier Coatings II

sponsored by the Engineering Conferences International

Kloster Irsee, Germany, August 12–17, 2007
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Level of Review: This material has been technically reviewed by technical management. 
Outline

- NBS/NACA role in frit coatings

- Thermal spray coatings for rocket applications

- Stecura-Liebert zirconia-yttria TBCs

- Identification of optimum t'-ZrO2 composition

- Failure mechanisms and life prediction

- Brief synopsis of post 1990 efforts

NASA/TM—2009-215459 1

History of Thermal Barrier Coatings for Gas Turbine Engines 

Emphasizing NASA’s Role From 1942 to 1990 

Robert A. Miller 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Glenn Research Center 

Cleveland, Ohio 44135 
NACA’s Earliest Turbine Blade-Oriented Ceramic Coatings 

Research was on NBS Frit Enamel Coatings 1942-1956

Probably the first aero ceramic coatings paper by Harrison & 

Moore, NBS – published as NACA TN in 1947

W.N. Harrison, D.G. Moore, and J.C. Richmond, “Review of an Investigation of Ceramic Coatings for Metallic Turbine Parts and 

Other High Temperature Applications,” NACA TN-1186, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, 1947 

Figure from 1953 engine test (Bartoo & Clure). 

Coating on one blade lasted 100 hrs

- Also, frit coating development led by Air Force in the 40s, 50s and 60s

The NBS Frit Coating was tested on Turbine Blades 

in an Engine as Early as 1948

C.R. Morse, Comparison of National Bureau of Standards ceramic coatings L-7C and A-417 on turbine blades in a turbojet engine,

NACA Research Memo E8120, 1948

F.G. Garrett and C.A. Gyorgak, “Adhesive and Protective Characteristics of Ceramic Coating A-417 and Its Effects on Engine Life

of Forged Refractory-26 (AMS 5760) and Cast Satellite (AMS 5385) Turbine Blades,” NACA RM-E52130, 1953

A.V. Levy, Ceramic Coating for Insulation, Met. Prog., Vol. 75, 1959, pp. 86–89

E.R. Bartoo and J.L. Clure, “Experimental Investigation of Air-Cooled Turbine Bladesin a Turbojet Engine, XIII. Performance 

Evaluation of Several Protective Coatings Applied to Turbine Blades of Nonstrategic Steels, NACA Research Memo E53E18, 1953

Top Edge of an Air-Cooled Blade

NASA/TM—2009-215459 2
Durability questions followed all ceramic coatings for 

decades partly due to popular image of enameled 

kitchenware and possibly from negative Air Force 

results on engines in the 40s, 50s and 60s

Flame Sprayed Coatings were Used for Rocket Applications

The first and most visible was the use of RokideTM Thermal Barrier 

Coatings on the XLR99 Rocket Engine Nozzles of the X-15, 1960

X-15 Flight in Early 60s 

Brazed Stainless Steel Tube Structure 

Originally Coated with Rokide Z TBC

• Zirconia Top Coat/Nickel Chrome Bond Coat

• Prevents Oxidation of Tube Assembly

• Prevents Boiling of Liquid Ammonia

Liquid Ammonia Circulates

Through Nozzle and

Cools Structure

Rokide Z TBC

On Internal Surface

L.N. Hjelm and B.R. Bornhorst, “Development of Improved Ceramic Coatings to Increase the Life of XLR99 Thrust Chamber” ResearchAirplane-Committee Report on Conference on the Progress of the X-15 Project. NASA Tech Memo x-57072, 1961, 227-253.

H. Davies, The Design and Development of the Thiokol XLR-99 Rocket Engine for the X-15 Aircraft, J Royal Aeroat Soc 67, 79-91, 1961

The XLR-99 development was managed out of Wright Patterson – Air Force Base, Robert L. Wiswell , X-15 Propulsion System, 

AIAA-1997-2682 AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, 33rd, Seattle, WA, July 6-9, 1997 

Rokide Torch

NASA/TM—2009-215459 3
Graded RokideTM Thermal Barrier Coating Prevented

Premature Failure of X-15 Combustion Chamber

Rokide Z Coating, As Processed

Zirconia NICHROME

Spalled Region After Test

Graded Coating with Mo “Primer”

Use of Graded Coating Significantly Improved 

Nozzle Life 

• Grading Improved Coating Adhesion

• TiN Outer Layer Prevents Erosion (Chalking)

TBCs Found Use in LH2/LOX Rocket Engine Development

- Development by NACA/NASA with Industrial Partners began in 1956

C. Leibert reported to me (personal 

communication ca. 1984) that TBCs 

were first used to extend life past 

one second!

Was a crucial step towards

LH2/LOX rocket engine development

NASA in Cleveland had a rocket-TBC

group into the 1990s

H.G. Price Jr., R.L. Schacht, and R.J. Quentmeyer,” Reliability of Effective Thermal Conductivity of Three Metallic-Ceramic 

Composite Insulating Coatings on Cooled Hydrogen-Oxygen Rockets,” NASA TN D-7392, 1973

NASA/TM—2009-215459 4
- Sal conducted basic thermal spray research in 60s

- Alumina, Zirconia (Calcia and possibly Yttria stabilized) 

and Hafnia coatings for nuclear rocket applications in the 

early 70s

- He founded and headed the first coating’s group in the 60s

- I joined the coatings group in 1978

Materials-Oriented Thermal Spray Research 

in the 60s and Early 70s - Sal Grisaffe

Sal Grisaffe, 1961

S.G. Grisaffe, Simplified Guide to Thermal-Spray Coatings, Mach. Des., Vol. 39, 1967, pp. 174–181 

A.N. Curren, S.G. Grisaffe, and K.C. Wycoff, “Hydrogen Plasma Tests of Some Insulating Coating Systems for the Nuclear 

Rocket Thrust Chamber,” NASA TM X-2461, National Aeronautics and Space Ad- ministration, 1972

Lockheed SR 71 Blackbird Pratt & Whitney J58

Ceramic Coated Liner and Flame Holders After Burner Section

Implementation of MSZ TBC Allowed Continuous Use of Afterburner 

and First Sustained Flight Above Mach III of an Air Breathing Engine

By about 1970, Plasma Sprayed TBC were in use in Commercial Combustors

Meanwhile TBCs Began finding use in Low Risk

Aero Applications especially at P&W

Goward, G.W. 1987. Seventeen years of thermal barrier coatings. Paper presented at the 1987 Proceedings of the Workshop on 

Coatings for Advanced Heat Engines, Castine, Maine, July 27-30. Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of Energy

NASA/TM—2009-215459 5
Key Accomplishments

• Use of Yttria as Zirconia Stabilizer

• Use of MCrAlY Type Bond Coat

• First demonstration that Blade TBCs

were feasible

• Demonstrated that graded region

was not required

Mid 70s, Development of “Modern” Thermal Spray Coatings

Jack Brown Stecura Liebert

TBC of zirconia-12%yttria on NiCrAlY survived J-75 engine test

S. Stecura, “Two-Layer Thermal Barrier Coating for Turbine Airfoils— Furnace and Burner Rig Test Results,”

NASA TM X-3425, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1976 

C.H. Liebert and F.S. Stepka, Potential Use of Ceramic Coating as a Thermal Insulation on Cooled Turbine Hardware, 

NASA TM X-3352, 1976

“Although the engine was run at relatively low 

pressures, the gas turbine engine community 

was sufficiently impressed to prompt an 

explosive increase in development funds and 

programs to attempt to achieve practical 

utilization of the coatings on turbine airfoils”

Comment from G.W. Goward

-- then of Turbine Components Corp., 

formerly of Pratt & Whitney

Goward, G.W. 1987. Seventeen years of thermal barrier coatings. Paper presented at the 1987 Proceedings

of the Workshop on Coatings for Advanced Heat Engines, Castine, Maine, July 27-30. Washington D.C.: U.S.

Department of Energy. 

NASA/TM—2009-215459 6
Tom Strangman was involved in the above discussion

The NASA TBC was Tested with Mixed Results in a More 

Advanced JT9D at P&W, 1977

SPALLING

IN HIGH

TEMPERATURE 

REGIONS

EARLY TBC

IN TACT IN

LOWER 

TEMPERATURE

REGIONS

Sevcik and Stoner/P&W, 1977:

Failure correlated better with regions

of high temperature than regions of

highest compressive stress.

This suggested that mechanisms

associated with high temperature

must be occurring

W.R. Sevcik and B.L. Stoner, NASA Contractor Report CR-135360, 1978 (Pratt & Whitney Aircraft)

Comment from Goward, 1987:

“The results (of the JT9D test of the NASA TBC) indicated 

that while the coatings had considerable promise, further 

development would be required”

Goward, G.W. 1987. Seventeen years of thermal barrier coatings. Paper presented at the 1987 Proceedings

of the Workshop on Coatings for Advanced Heat Engines, Castine, Maine, July 27-30. Washington D.C.: U.S.

Department of Energy

NASA/TM—2009-215459 7
Stecura Reported Optimum Zirconia-Yttria TBC Composition

in 1978 – Still the State-of-the-Art!

- Stecura conducted furnace, natural gas torch, 

and burner rig tests

S. Stecura, “Effects of Compositional Changes on the Performance of a Thermal Barrier Coating System,”

NASA TM-78976, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1978

Stecura optimum from 1978 Xray evidence of tetragonal phase

Phase distribution in early TBC Tetragonal Correlated with Life

(Miller, Smialek, Garlick 1981,1983)

Compositions Having Optimum Life Were Correlated 

With Phase Distribution

R.A. Miller, R.G. Garlick, and J.L. Smialek, Ceram. Soc. Bull., Vol. 62, 1983, pp. 1355–1358 

NASA/TM—2009-215459 8
Optimum Phase was t'-ZrO2 Phase First Reported by Scott

(Miller, Smialek, Garlick 1981, 1983)

H.G. Scott, J. Mater. Sci, 10, 1527-1535 (1975) 

Stecura’s Later Work Reported 2X Life for Ytterbia-Stabilized

Zirconia on a Yb-Containing Bond Coat

S. Stecura, New ZrO2-Yb2O3 Plasma-Sprayed Coatings for Thermal Barrier Applications, Thin Solid Films, Vol. 150, 1987, pp. 15–40

NASA/TM—2009-215459 9
In addition to favoring 6-8YSZ, Stecura also 

Recommended Bond Coats with Lower CTE’s

- His eventual favorite MCrAlY was

Ni – 35Cr – 6Al – Yb (or Y)

This is a more ductile bond coat due to low aluminum

and it has lower expansion due to an α-Cr

S. Stecura, Advanced Thermal Barrier System Bond Coatings for Use on Ni-, Co-, and Fe-Base Alloy Substrates, 

NASA TM 87062, July 1985

NASA-Sponsored Pratt & Whitney Development Effort 

Identified Three Optimum 6YSZ TBC Microstructures

Task II Optimums: 

1) Conventionally plasma sprayed with fewer fines (55% -325 mesh)*

2) Segmented plasma sprayed structure from 1” stand-off distance

3) EB-PVD

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

4 min burner rig

cycles at 

1079°C (1975°F)

1)Fewer fines 2)Segmented 3)EB-PVD

Segmented TBC had thermal conductivity 1.9X conventional optimum

*Note that NASA at that time typically used 15% -325mesh)

N.P. Anderson and K.D. Sheffler, Development of Strain Tolerant Thermal Barrier Coating Systems, Tasks I-III, NASA-CR-168251,

PWA-5777-29, September 1983.

NASA/TM—2009-215459 10
Arguments Persisted in early 80s over Role of Heat Flux vs. 

Thermal Expansion Mismatch and Environmental 

Effects -- even for Burner Rig Testing

• In the early 1980s some believed that failure occurred due to 

stresses encountered on heating

- Those believing heat flux effects caused failure calculated 

max stress at 2 seconds into heating in burner rig.

• We conducted a series of short- and longer-cycle burner rig 

experiments and concluded the following: 

- Cracks link up at the interface prior to visible surface 

cracking or spalling, due primarily to thermal expansion 

mismatch between ceramic/metal

- A few cycles after the cracks link up to form a delaminated 

region (visible as a hot-spot on heating), the rapidly heated 

unattached portion of the coating spalls on heating

- Failure is influenced by bond coat plasticity and oxidation

at the irregular bond coat/ceramic interface 

- Also, coating life was time and cycle dependent

R. A. Miller and C. E. Lowell, Thin Solid Films 95, 265 (1982)

Paul Siemers of GE CR&D was another researcher to

recognize the importance of bond coat oxidation and 

plasticity 

“The durability of thermal barrier coatings is limited by 

degradation of adhesion by environmental interactions 

rather than by mechanical stress per se.”

P.A. Siemens and W.B. Hillig, “Thermal-Barrier-Coated Turbine Blade Study,” NASA CR-165351, National Aeronautics 

and Space Administration, 1981 

NASA/TM—2009-215459 11
Abradable seals

P&W, NASA Bob Bill

- First discussion of TBC creep (Firestone, U Illinois) 

- This non-textbook use of the term “creep” was controversial!

Later led to thick diesel TBC program

Dirty fuels

- In-house and DOE and EPRI funding

- Many parallels with CMAS

- For example Sodium Sulfate does not react with 

Zirconia-Yttria 

- Rather, when the dew point is less than the coating 

temperature and the melting point is also less, then

liquid Sodium Sulfate wicks into the pores and microcracks of the coating leading to a loss of strain tolerance

- Other impurities such as Vanadium salts also react

Other NASA Efforts in the 1980s

RF Firestone, WR Logan, JW Adams - NASA CR-167868, 1982

RA Miller, Ceramic Thermal Barrier Coatings for Electric Utility Gas Turbine Engines, NASA Tech Memo 87288, Jan 1986

RA Miller Analysis of the response of a thermal barrier coating to sodium and vanadium doped combustion gases

NASA Tech Memo 79205, 1979

Industry trials

- via coatings group and Liebert’s turbine cooling branch

- many different applications

TBCs were in 2 Major NASA projects 

- Energy Efficient Engine with GE

- Engine Component Improvement with P&W

- Both contracts involved analytical assessment of the value 

of TBCs

Other NASA Efforts in the 1980s

C.H. Liebert and F.S. Stepka, Industry Tests of NASA Ceramic Thermal Barrier Coating” NASA Technical Paper 1425, June 1979

C.H. Liebert and R.A. Miller, Ceramic Thermal Barrier Coatings, I&EC Product Research abd Devel., Sept. 1984, 344-349

E.C. Duderstadt and P. Agarwal, “Energy Efficient Engine. High Pressure Turbine Thermal Barrier Coating Support Technology 

Report,” NASA CR-168037, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1983 

NASA/TM—2009-215459 12
• Application of Thermal Spray TBC Eliminated Distress of Vane Platform

• Extended Service Life to 18,000 hrs

Burn Through TMF Cracking

In 1985 Pratt & Whitney used Zirconia-Yttria TBC

to Fix a Vane Platform Endurance Issue

- P&W shared these results with NASA leading to TBC task in 

Hot Section Technology (HOST) Life Prediction Program

S. Manning Meier, D.M. Nissley, and K.D. Sheffler, Status of Ceramic Thermal Barrier Thermal Barrier Coatings – Gas Turbine 

Applications and Life Prediction Method, Proceedings of the 1990 Coatings for Advanced Heat Engines Workshop, Aug. 6-9, 

Castine ME, II-57-65

S. Manning Meier and D.K. Gupta, The evolution of thermal barrier coatings in gas turbine engine applications 

Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power; Vol. 116, 250-257, 1994

This slide and the next 14 that follow are from a 1987 presentation on progress under the Hot Section Technology (HOST) 

TBC life prediction program. They are repeated here as history

*Added to ackowledge post 1987 contribution

R. A. Miller, J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power 109, 448 (1987)

CD-87-29053

HOST TBC LIFE PREDICTION

NASA GE 

C. STEARNS R. HILLERY 

R. MILLER B. PILSNER 

J. NESBITT R. McKNIGHT 

S. LEVINE 

J. MERUTKA 

PRATT & WHITNEY SOUTHWEST RESEARCH 

K. SHEFFLER INSTITUTE 

J. DeMASI (Marcin) T. CRUSE 

S. MANNING (Meier) A. NAGY 

M. ORTIZ 

 D. NISSLEY* 

GARRETT TURBINE CSU 

ENGINE CO. G. CHANG 

T. STRANGMAN W. PHUCHAROEN 

J. NEUMAN 

A. LIU 

NASA/TM—2009-215459 13
• INITIAL LABORATORY MODEL (NASA) 

- UNDERSTAND FAILURE MECHANISMS 

- FORMULATE MECHANISM MATHEMATICALLY 

- COLLECT LABORATORY LIFE DATA 

- FIT MODEL TO LIVES 

• ENGINE CAPABLE MODELS (PWA, GTEC, GE CONTRACTS) 

- FURTHER UNDERSTANDING 

- FORMULATE MATHEMATICALLY 

- COLLECT LIFE DATA OVER MANY CONDITIONS ON BOM 

SYSTEM 

- MEASURE MATERIALS PROPERTIES 

- FIT MODEL TO LIVES 

- EXTRAPOLATE TO ENGINE MISSIONS 

• DETAILED FINITE ELEMENT σ-ε ANALYSIS (CSU, NASA) 

CD-87-29050

APPROACH TO TBC LIFE MODEL DEVELOPMENT

CD-87-29052

UNDERSTANDING OF FAILURE MECHANISMS 

SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW MODELING 

FAILURE BY CRACKING/DELAMINATION IN CERAMIC NEAR INTERFACE 

∎ PROGRESSIVE CRACKING OBSERVED 

∎ σ, ε MODELED 

EMPIRICAL OBSERVATIONS 

CYCLIC COMPONENT TO FAILURE 

∎ THERMAL EXPANSION MISMATCHa

∎ HEATING TRANSIENTS 

TIME-AT-TEMPERATURE COMPONENT 

∎ OXIDATIONa

∎ PHASE CHANGES 

∎ SINTERING 

∎ DIFFUSION 

∎ CREEP 

a

KEY FACTORS INCLUDED IN PRELIMINARY NASA MODEL 

NASA/TM—2009-215459 14
G. Chang, W. Phucharoen and R. Miller Surf. Coat. Technol. 30 (1987), p. 13.

CD-87-29044

Similar insights in Evans, A.G., G.B. Crumley, and R.E. Demaray. 1983. On the mechanical-behavior of brittle coatings and layers. 

Oxidation of Metals 20(5/6): 193-216.

NASA PRELIMINARY TBC LIFE MODEL

R.A. Miller, Oxidation-Based Model for Thermal Barrier Coating Life, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., Vol. 67, 1984, pp. 517–521 

CD-87-29056

NASA/TM—2009-215459 15
PRELIMINARY MODEL YIELDS GOOD AGREEMENT

BETWEEN EXPERIMENTAL AND CALCULATED TBC LIVES

NASA/TM—2009-215459 16
P&W HOST ACCOMPLISHMENTS

DEGRADATION MODES IDENTIFIED

•Mechanical (major mode)

- Near interfacial ceramic cracking

- Apparent near-interface ceramic weakening

•Oxidation (major mode)

- Oxidation effect phenomenologically characterized

- Complex oxide scale characterized

- Interaction mechanism not understood

•Hot corrosion (minor mode)

- Not observed in flight service

- Threshold corrodant level identified in lab

•Erosion (minor mode)

- Isolated occurrence in flight service

- Limited lab characterization needed

•F/BMOD (minor model)

- Not identified in flight service

- Experimental engines exhibit high –resistance

P&W HOST ACCOMPLISHMENTS

MAJOR MODE CORRELATIVE LIFE

MODEL PROPOSED

•Fatigue based model

•Reversed ceramic plastic strain is primary driving force

•Oxidation acts to "weaken" ceramic

•Preliminary correlation coefficient 0.89

(90 experimental data points)

•Upgraded analysis in progress

•Incorporates improved ceramic behavior model

•Oxidation contribution improved by use of NASA data

Thermal Barrier Coating Life Prediction Model Development: Phase I-Final Report, NASA CR 182230

J.T. DeMasi, K.D. Sheffler, M. Ortiz - National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington DC, 1989

Thermal barrier coating life prediction model development—phase II

S.M. Meier, D.M. Nissley, K.D. Sheffler - NASA CR-18911, July, 1991

NASA/TM—2009-215459 17
CD-87-24362

NASA/TM—2009-215459 18
T.E. Strangman, J. Neumann, and A. Liu, “Thermal Barrier Coating Life-Prediction Model Development,” NASA CR-179648,

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1987

CD-87-29058

NASA/TM—2009-215459 19
GARRET TBC MODEL FIT THROUGH

MINIMUM LIVES

CD-87-29059

Hillery, R.V., B.H. Pilsner, R.L. McKnight, T.S. Cook, and M.S. Hartle. 1988. Thermal Barrier Coating Life Prediction Model 

Development. Final Report. NASA-CR180807. Washington, D.C.: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Nf

NASA/TM—2009-215459 20
Significant Oxidation on 

Pressure Side

By 1989 an Infant Mortality Issue had been Overcome and

EB-PVD TBCs Were Introduced onto Turbine

Blades in Engines in Revenue Service

No Thermal Barrier

Significant Oxidation Distress

PWA 266 Thermal Barrier

“Patch Coating”, No Distress

• First Introduced on South African Airways B747

• High Altitude Airport, High Mean Ambient Temperature Resulted in 

Unexpected Airfoil Distress

15,000 Hours Service

Referenced in M. Peters, C. Leyens, U. Schulz, W. A. Kaysser EB-PVD Thermal Barrier Coatings for Aeroengines and Gas 

Turbines, Advanced Engineering Materials, 3, 193-204, 2001 

Spalled Coating Intact Coating

Thermal Spray

TBC

EB-PVD

TBC

EB-PVD TBCs Remain the Coating of Choice for 1st Blade

This and previous slide and slides 6,7,and 10 based on slides from M. Malony N. Ulion and R.A. Miller, Irsee 2003 Presentation

NASA/TM—2009-215459 21
1990s:

Thick Diesel

- With the Army Research Lab at NASA and Caterpillar

- Built on thick shroud work

- Dongming Zhu joined NASA team

EBCs

- Built on initial Solar Turbines Research

High Speed Research

- NASA/GE/P&W

- Began a period of strong interaction with industry 

- A useful reality check!

2000s:

Ultra Efficient Engine Technology

- Low k TBC / High heat flux laser rig testing

- EBCs

Concluding Remarks --

NASA had Substantial Involvement in Early TBC Research 

and TBC Research Continued through the 90s and 00s ...

D. Zhu and R.A. Miller, Investigation of Thermal High Cycle and Low Cycle Fatigue Mechanisms of Thick Thermal Barrier Coatings,

Materials Science and Engineer. Vol. A245, pp. 212-223, 1998

K.N. Lee, R.A. Miller, and N.S. Jacobson, New generation of plasma-sprayed mullite coatings on silicon-carbide. J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 

78 3 (1995), pp. 705–710

D. Zhu and R.A. Miller, Development of Advanced Low Conductivity Thermal Barrier Coatings, Int. J. Appl. Ceram. Technol., 

Vol. 1, 86-94, 2004

Fundamental Aeronautics Program

- Erosion

- Rotorcraft oriented; first blade EB-PVD

- Burner rig has been modified for particle injection

- Damping

- High force/high frequency/high temperature capability

- TBC Lifing

- Small program aimed at Supersonic mission

- EBCs

- Current task is also aimed at Supersonics

Concluding Remarks --

... and TBC Research Continues Today

NASA/TM—2009-215459 22
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History of Thermal Barrier Coatings for Gas Turbine Engines 

Emphasizing NASA's Role From 1942 to 1990

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Miller, Robert, A. 

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John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field 

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Available electronically at http://gltrs.grc.nasa.gov 

This publication is available from the NASA Center for AeroSpace Information, 301-621-0390

13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

14. ABSTRACT

NASA has played a central role in the development of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) for gas turbine applications. This report discuses the 

history of TBCs emphasizing the role NASA has played beginning with (1) frit coatings in the 1940s and 1950s; (2) thermally sprayes 

coatings for rocket application in the 1960s and early 1970s; (3) the beginnings of the modern era of turbine section coatings in the mid 

1970s; and (4) failure mechanism and life prediction studies in the 1980s and 1990s. More recent efforts are also briefly discussed.

15. SUBJECT TERMS

Thermal barrier coatings; Gas turbine engines; History 

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