Patent ID: 8252601

Claim:
A method for designating a component ( 10 ) coated with a heat insulation layer ( 16 ) comprising zirconium dioxide (ZrO 2 ) stabilized with yttrium oxide (Y 2 O 3 ) [YSZ] and for determining its operating time or operating temperature, the method comprising: doping the heat insulation layer ( 16 ); marking the doped heat insulation layer, with at least one metal oxide in at least one surface region of the component ( 10 ), the metal oxide being selected such that the doped region of YSZ is visible or can be made optically visible in order to designate the component ( 10 ), and comparing a slower or faster change in lattice parameters of the doped YSZ region, as compared with undoped YSZ, and; determining the operating time of the component ( 10 ) under temperature by comparing the lattice parameters with a known calibrating characteristic curve.