High Entropy Oxides as Promising Materials for Thermal Barrier Topcoats—A Review

Abstract

Multi-layered thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are deposited on gas-turbine metallic components to protect them against high temperatures, oxidation, and corrosion. However, TBCs have limited working temperatures and lifetimes due to their material properties. Several approaches are being tested to increase TBC topcoats' phase stability and properties. Increasing entropy to stabilize phases is a concept introduced in 2004 and required decreasing the Gibbs free energy. Many high-entropy ceramics are being developed for structural and functional applications, and high-entropy oxides (HEOs) are promising TBC ceramics due to their unique characteristics. HEOs are single-phase solid solutions that contain five or more cations, usually a mixture of transition metals and rare earths. Due to the cocktail effect, the final material has a different behavior from its constituents, making it a viable method to improve the properties of traditional materials. Generally, high entropy materials are characterized by three additional phenomena: sluggish diffusion, severe lattice distortion, and high entropy. A review of possible improvements in the lifetime of TBC topcoats using different HEOs in terms of their composition, properties, and stability are presented here. Different HEOs are then examined and various thermophysical properties, high-temperature stability, and sintering resistance are discussed.