Patent ID: 7541005

Claim:
A catalyst element for a gas turbine engine comprising: a metal substrate; an outer layer of ceramic thermal barrier coating material disposed over the metal substrate, the ceramic thermal barrier coating material effective to thermally insulate the metal substrate from a high temperature fuel/air mixture; and the ceramic thermal barrier coating material comprising a base compound comprising a crystal structure populated with base elements and further comprising selected sites of the crystal structure being populated by substitute ions selected to allow the ceramic thermal barrier coating material to catalytically react the fuel-air mixture at a higher rate than would the base compound without the ionic substitutions wherein the ceramic thermal barrier coating material comprises a structure selected from the group consisting of: a pyrochlore structure represented by the formula A 2-x M x B 2 O 7 (0<x<1), where A is a 3+ cation, B is a 4+ cation, and where M is any 3+ rare earth element other than A or 3+ cation smaller than A; a pyrochlore structure represented by the formula A 2-x M x B 2 O 7 (0<x<1), where A is a 3+ cation, B is a 4+ cation, and where M is a 2+ cation selected the group consisting of Ca, Mg, Sr, and Ba; a pyrochlore structure represented by the formula A 2 B 2-x M x O 7 (0<x<1), where A is a 3+ cation, B is a 4+ cation, and where M is Al or Sc; a pyrochlore structure represented by the formula A 2 B 2-x M x O 7 (0<x<1), where A is a 3+ cation, B is a 4+ cation, and where M is Ta or Nb; a garnet structure represented by the formula Y 3-x M x B 5 O 15 (0<x<3), where B is a 3+ cation, and where M is a rare earth element other than A; a garnet structure represented by the formula Y 3-x M x B 5 O 15 (0<x<3), where B is a 3+ cation, and where M is Ga or Sc; a garnet structure represented by the formula Y 3 Al 5-x M x O 15 (0<x<5), where M is Ga or Sc; a garnet structure represented by Y 3 Al 5-x Fe x O 15 (0<x<2); a garnet structure represented by Y 3 Al 5-x M x O 15 (0<x<2), where M is Mn or Ti; and a spinel structure represented by MgAl 2-x M x O 15 (0<x<1), where M is Mn or Ti.