Environmental Barrier Coatings for Ceramic Matrix Composites

Innovators at NASA's Glenn Research Center have developed two durable environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) for use with ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components. CMCs are lightweight composites used to reduce fuel consumption in advanced gas turbines and other high-temperature, high-stress environments (up to 1482 °C). Glenn's breakthrough EBCs are the only coatings that can withstand such temperatures, protecting CMCs from increased wear and corrosion, oxidation, and water vapor recession in extreme environments. In addition, these EBCs can be fabricated with simpler and lower-cost methods than conventional coating processes such as plasma spraying.