Mechanical properties of Yttria Stabilized Zirconia at small length scale: an experimental and modeling study

This thesis deals with estimation of mechanical properties of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). TBCs are used to provide thermal insulation for the hot sections of aerospace engines. The aim of the present thesis is to evaluate and comprehend the tensile behaviour of the most widely used top coat material in TBC, 7YSZ, of ~300µm thickness. An in situ uniaxial tensile setup was developed in conjunction with optical microscopy and digital image correlation technique, to obtain major insights into the deformation of these coatings. A finite element based numerical model replicating the tensile behaviour was developed. The observations in this study enable the prediction of probability of failure of YSZ.