Patent ID: 7175888

Claim:
A method for the application of a thermal barrier coating to a superalloy turbine engine component comprising the steps of: providing an electron beam physical vapor deposition apparatus; providing a turbine engine component comprising a surface to be coated; providing a first mischmetal ingot; providing an second oxide ingot comprising an oxide material selected from the group consisting of yttria-stablized zirconia, zirconia, yttria, hafnia, at least one other rare earth oxide, and combinations thereof; placing the component and the ingots into the apparatus; forming melt pools on the ingots; drawing oxygen into the apparatus and oxidizing the mischmetal; dispersing mischmetal oxide vapors and other oxide vapors; and depositing the mischmetal oxide vapors and the other oxide vapors onto the surface to be coated, said deposition forming a thermal barrier coating having a thickness in the range of about 0.0025 inch to about 0.010 inch.