U.S. patent application number 13/932239 was filed with the patent office on 2015-01-01 for multilayered coatings with diamond-like carbon.
The applicant listed for this patent is General Electric Company. Invention is credited to Krishnamurthy Anand, Kalaga Murali Krishna, Surinder Singh Pabla, Padmaja Parakala.
Application Number | 20150004362 13/932239 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50980229 |
Filed Date | 2015-01-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150004362 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Krishna; Kalaga Murali ; et
al. |
January 1, 2015 |
MULTILAYERED COATINGS WITH DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON
Abstract
Multilayered coatings include an adhesion base layer that can
adhere to a metal substrate, and a top surface layer that has a
surface roughness of less than or equal to about Ra 0.0254 .mu.m,
wherein at least one of the layers comprises a diamond-like
carbon.
Inventors: |
Krishna; Kalaga Murali;
(Bangalore, IN) ; Parakala; Padmaja; (Bangalore,
IN) ; Pabla; Surinder Singh; (Greer, SC) ;
Anand; Krishnamurthy; (Bangalore, IN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
General Electric Company |
Schenectady |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
50980229 |
Appl. No.: |
13/932239 |
Filed: |
July 1, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
428/141 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F05D 2300/506 20130101;
F01D 5/288 20130101; F05D 2300/224 20130101; F05D 2250/62 20130101;
Y10T 428/24355 20150115; C23C 28/42 20130101; C23C 28/046
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/141 |
International
Class: |
C23C 28/00 20060101
C23C028/00 |
Claims
1. A multilayered coating comprising: an adhesion base layer that
can adhere to a metal substrate; and a top surface layer that has a
surface roughness of less than or equal to about Ra 0.0254 .mu.m;
wherein at least one of the layers comprises a diamond-like
carbon.
2. The multilayered coating of claim 1 further comprising one or
more intermediate layers between the adhesion base layer and the
top surface layer.
3. The multilayered coating of claim 2, wherein at least one of the
one or more intermediate layers is selected from the group
consisting of silicon and germanium.
4. The multilayered coating of claim 3, wherein the at least one of
the one or more intermediate layers comprising silicon or germanium
is from about 0.1 .mu.m to about 0.5 .mu.m thick.
5. The multilayered coating of claim 2, wherein at least one of the
one or more intermediate layers is doped diamond-like carbon.
6. The multilayered coating of claim 5, wherein the at least one of
the one or more intermediate layers comprising doped diamond-like
carbon is from about 5 .mu.m to about 10 .mu.m thick.
7. The multilayered coating of claim 2, wherein the adhesion base
layer comprises silicon.
8. The multilayered coating of claim 2, wherein the top surface
layer comprises diamond-like carbon.
9. The multilayered coating of claim 2, wherein the multilayered
coating comprises at least 10 layers.
10. The multilayered coating of claim 1, wherein the adhesion base
layer is selected from the group consisting of silicon and
diamond-like carbon.
11. The multilayered coating of claim 1, wherein the top surface
layer is selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide and
diamond-like carbon.
12. The multilayered coating of claim 1, wherein the at least one
of the layers that comprises a diamond-like carbon is from about 5
.mu.m to about 10 .mu.m thick.
13. The multilayered coating of claim 1, wherein the multilayered
coating is at least about 20 .mu.m thick.
14. The multilayered coating of claim 1, wherein the multilayered
coating has a hardness of at least about 10 GPa.
15. A coated article comprising: a metal substrate comprising an
outer surface; and a multilayered coating covering at least a
portion of the outer surface of the metal substrate, wherein the
coating comprises: an adhesion base layer that can adhere to a
metal substrate; a top surface layer that has a surface roughness
of less than or equal to about Ra 0.0254 .mu.m; and wherein at
least one of the layers comprises a diamond-like carbon.
16. The coated article of claim 15, wherein the metal substrate
comprises a compressor blade for a turbine.
17. The coated article of claim 16, wherein the compressor blade is
a late stage compressor blade.
18. The coated article of claim 15 further comprising one or more
intermediate layers between the adhesion base layer and the top
surface layer.
19. The coated article of claim 18, wherein at least one of the one
or more intermediate layers is selected from the group consisting
of silicon, germanium, titanium, chromium, nitrogen, fluorine,
sulfur and doped diamond-like carbon.
20. The coated article of claim 15, wherein the at least one of the
layers that comprises a diamond-like carbon is from about 5 .mu.m
to about 10 .mu.m thick.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The subject matter disclosed herein relates to multilayered
coatings and, more specifically, to multilayered coatings with
diamond-like carbon that can be applied to compressor blades of
turbines.
[0002] In a gas turbine engine, the compressor section generally
includes multiple stages that have a row of compressor blades (also
referred to as "rotor blades" or "rotor airfoils") and stator
blades (also referred to as "stator airfoils"). The compressor
blades rotate about a rotor and, thusly, impart kinetic energy to
the airflow through the compressor. Directly following the row of
compressor blades is a row of stator blades, which remain
stationary. Acting in concert, the compressor blades and stator
blades turn the airflow and slow the air velocity, respectively,
which can increase the static pressure of the airflow through the
compressor section. Multiple stages of compressors blades and
stator blades can be stacked in an axial flow compressor to achieve
the required discharge to inlet air pressure ratio. Compressor and
stator blades can thus be secured to rotor wheels and the stator
case, respectively, by means of a dovetail or root or base
attachment.
[0003] In operation, compressor blades may be subject to mechanical
stresses and harsh operating conditions because of the rotational
velocity of the compressor. These levels of stress combined with
other operating conditions may affect the experienced levels of
erosion or corrosion. For example, the ambient air pulled in
through the compressor section can include constituents that may be
corrosive and abrasive to the compressor blades and other such
parts. Some components may further be subject to mixtures of
hydrocarbon-based lubricating oils, carbonaceous soot, dirt, rust
and the like.
[0004] Coatings may be applied to articles such as compressor
blades to provide additional protection against these elements.
However, some tough but smooth coatings such as diamond like
carbons can experience high levels of internal compressive stresses
as thickness increases.
[0005] Accordingly, alternative fluorinated coatings would be
welcome in the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In one embodiment, a multilayered coating is disclosed. The
multilayered coating includes an adhesion base layer that can
adhere to a metal substrate, and a top surface layer that has a
surface roughness of less than or equal to about Ra 1 .mu.in.,
wherein at least one of the layers comprises a diamond-like
carbon.
[0007] In another embodiment, a coated article is disclosed. The
coated article includes a metal substrate comprising an outer
surface and a multilayered coating covering at least a portion of
the outer surface of the metal substrate. The coating includes an
adhesion base layer that can adhere to a metal substrate, and a top
surface layer that has a surface roughness of less than or equal to
about Ra 0.0254 .mu.m, wherein at least one of the layers comprises
a diamond-like carbon.
[0008] These and additional features provided by the embodiments
discussed herein will be more fully understood in view of the
following detailed description, in conjunction with the
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative
and exemplary in nature and not intended to limit the inventions
defined by the claims. The following detailed description of the
illustrative embodiments can be understood when read in conjunction
with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with
like reference numerals and in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional schematic illustration of a
multilayered coating on a metal substrate according to one or more
embodiments shown or described herein;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic illustration of a
multilayered coating on a metal substrate with intermediate layers
according to one or more embodiments shown or described herein;
and
[0012] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a compressor blade with a
multilayered coating according to one or more embodiments shown or
described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] One or more specific embodiments of the present invention
will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise
description of these embodiments, all features of an actual
implementation may not be described in the specification. It should
be appreciated that in the development of any such actual
implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous
implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the
specific goals of developers, such as compliance with
system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary
from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be
appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and
time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of
design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill
having the benefit of this disclosure.
[0014] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the
present invention, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are
intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The
terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be
inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than
the listed elements.
[0015] Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic representation of a cross
section of a coated article 5 is illustrated comprising at least a
metal substrate 20 and a multilayered coating 10.
[0016] The multilayered coating 10 is formulated with diamond-like
carbon (also commonly referred to as "DLC") and additional elements
such that it has sufficient adhesion to remain on the metal
substrate 20, hydrophobicity and oleophobicity to help prevent
corrosion, hardness to help protect against erosion and surface
smoothness to not inhibit aerodynamic performance during operation.
The multilayered coating 10 can generally comprise an adhesion base
layer 12 that can adhere to a metal substrate 20 and a top surface
layer 16 that has a surface roughness of less than or equal to
about Ra 0.0254 .mu.m, wherein at least one of the layers comprises
a diamond-like carbon. In some embodiments the multilayered coating
10 can further comprise one or more intermediate layers 14 between
the adhesion base layer 12 and the top surface layer 16.
[0017] The adhesion base layer 12 of the multilayered coating 10
comprises a first layer of the multilayered coating 10 that adheres
to the underlying metal substrate 20 once applied. The metal
substrate 20 can comprise any type of metal and/or alloys such as,
for example, iron based alloys (e.g., stainless steels), nickel
based alloys, cobalt based alloys and the like.
[0018] In some embodiments, the adhesion base layer 12 may comprise
DLC. DLC refers to the commercially available films of amorphous
hydrocarbons that can be formed, for example, through vapor phase
deposition and can provide high hardness and wear resistance with a
smooth surface. In such embodiments, the DLC may be, for example,
less than or equal to about 10 .mu.m thick, or from about 2 .mu.m
to about 10 .mu.m thick, or even from about 5 .mu.m to about 10
.mu.m thick.
[0019] In other embodiments, the adhesion base layer 12 may
comprise silicon. In such embodiments, the silicon may be, for
example, less than about 0.5 .mu.m thick, or from about 0.3 .mu.m
to about 0.4 .mu.m thick, or about 0.4 .mu.m thick.
[0020] The top surface layer 16 of the multilayered coating 10
comprises the outermost layer of the multilayered coating 10 and
has a relatively smooth surface roughness. For example, the top
surface layer 16 can have a surface roughness of less than or equal
to about Ra 0.0254 .mu.m (Ra 1 .mu.in), or from about Ra 0.00254
.mu.m (Ra 0.1 .mu.in) to about Ra 0.0254 .mu.m (Ra 1 .mu.in), or
from about Ra 0.00508 .mu.m (Ra 0.2 .mu.in) to about Ra 0.01016
.mu.m (Ra 0.4 .mu.in), or generally less than or equal to about Ra
0.0127 .mu.m (Ra 0.5 .mu.in). As used herein, "Ra" refers to the
surface roughness parameter determined through the arithmetic
average of absolute values as should be appreciated by those
skilled in the art.
[0021] In other embodiments, the top surface layer 16 may comprise
DLC. Such embodiments can increase the corrosion resistance and
fouling resistance while still providing a smooth surface finish to
the overall multilayered coating 10. For example, the top surface
layer 16 may comprise DLC when the adhesion base layer 12 comprises
silicon as discussed above, and/or when the multilayered coating 10
comprises one or more intermediate layers as will become
appreciated herein. In such embodiments, the DLC may be, for
example, from about 10 .mu.m to about 15 .mu.m thick, or be from
about 11 .mu.m to about 13 .mu.m thick, or be about 10.5 .mu.m
thick.
[0022] In other embodiments, the top surface layer 16 may comprise
silicon carbide. Such embodiments can increase the erosion
resistance of the overall multilayered coating 10. For example, the
top surface layer 16 may comprise silicon carbide when the adhesion
base layer 12 comprises DLC as discussed above. In such
embodiments, the silicon carbide may be, for example, less than or
equal to about 10 .mu.m thick, from about 2 .mu.m to about 10 .mu.m
thick, or even from about 5 .mu.m to about 10 .mu.m thick.
[0023] Referring now to FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the
multilayered coating 10 can comprise one or more intermediate
layers 14 between the adhesion base layer 12 and the top surface
layer 16. The one or more intermediate layers 14 can comprise one
or more layers of the same type of material, or a plurality of
layers of multiple types of material.
[0024] For example, in some embodiments, at least one of the one or
more intermediate layers 14 may comprise silicon, germanium,
titanium, chromium, nitrogen, fluorine, sulfur or combinations
thereof
[0025] The use of silicon as an intermediate layer 14 can increase
the adhesion between the overall multilayered coating 10. In such
embodiments, the one or more intermediate layers 14 comprising
silicon can be less than about 0.5 .mu.m thick, or from about 0.3
.mu.m thick to about 0.4 .mu.m thick, or be about 0.4 .mu.m thick.
Intermediate layers 14 can be surrounded by layers of different
compositions, the same composition or combinations thereof. For
example, in some embodiments, the one or more intermediate layers
14 can comprise from 1 layer to about 5 layers of silicon, and may
be disposed on top of the base adhesion layer 12, which itself can
also comprise silicon.
[0026] The use of silicon and germanium can reduce internal
stresses within the overall multilayered coating 10. In some
embodiments, such as when an intermediate layer 14 of silicon and
germanium is disposed on top of a single layer of silicon (e.g.,
when the adhesion base layer 12 comprises silicon), the one or more
intermediate layers 14 comprising silicon and germanium can be less
than about 0.5 .mu.m thick or be from about 0.2 .mu.m to about 0.3
.mu.m thick. In such embodiments, the multilayered coating 10 may
comprise from 1 to about 3 intermediated layers 14 of silicon and
germanium. In some embodiments, such as when an intermediate layer
14 of silicon and germanium is disposed on top of a plurality of
layers of silicon, the one or more intermediate layers 14
comprising silicon and germanium can be from about 8 .mu.m to about
10 .mu.m thick. In such embodiments, the multilayered coating 10
may comprise from 1 to about 5 intermediate layers 14 of silicon
and germanium.
[0027] In some embodiments, at least one of the one or more
intermediate layers 14 may comprise DLC or doped DLC or other
suitable variations of DLC. Doped DLC can comprise DLC doped with
one or more additional elements such as, for example, silicon
and/or germanium. In some embodiments, the DLC can be doped with
fluorine to increase hydrophobicity. In some embodiments, the DLC
can be doped with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to increase
oleophobicity.
[0028] For example, in some embodiments, at least one of the one or
more intermediate layers 14 may comprise DLC doped with silicon and
germanium. In such embodiments, the one or more intermediate layers
14 comprising DLC doped with silicon and germanium can be from
about 8 .mu.m to about 10 .mu.m thick. The one or more intermediate
layers 14 can comprise a single layer of DLC doped with silicon and
germanium or a plurality of layers of DLC doped with silicon and
germanium being disposed adjacent to one another, disposed with
different intermediate layers 14 there between, or combinations
thereof.
[0029] In some embodiments, at least one of the one or more
intermediate layers 14 may comprise DLC doped with just silicon. In
such embodiments, the one or more intermediate layers 14 comprising
DLC doped with silicon can be from about 1 .mu.m to about 10 .mu.m
thick, or be from about 5 .mu.m to about 7 .mu.m thick. The one or
more intermediate layers 14 can comprise a single layer of DLC
doped with silicon and germanium or a plurality of layers of DLC
doped with silicon and germanium being disposed adjacent to one
another, disposed with different intermediate layers 14 there
between, or combinations thereof.
[0030] The adhesion base layer 12, the top surface layer 16 and the
optional one or more intermediate layers 14 of the multilayered
coating 10 can thereby be utilized in a variety of different
combinations incorporating different elements and materials to
tailor its properties (e.g., hardness, surface roughness,
erosion/corrosion resistance, hydrophobicity, oleophobicity, etc.)
for a specific application.
[0031] In one particular embodiment, the multilayered coating 10
can comprise an adhesion base layer 12 of DLC and a top surface
layer 16 of silicon carbide. In such an embodiment, each layer can
be from about 5 .mu.m to about 10 .mu.m thick. In another
embodiment, the multilayered coating 10 can comprise a plurality of
alternating layers of DLC and silicon carbide such that the
adhesion base layer 12 is DLC, the intermediate layers 14 comprise
both layers of silicon carbide and layers of DLC, and the top
surface layer 16 comprises silicon carbide.
[0032] In another particular embodiment, the multilayered coating
10 can comprise an adhesion base layer 12 of silicon with a
thickness of about 0.3 .mu.m to about 0.4 .mu.m. A first
intermediate layer 14 can comprise silicon and germanium for a
thickness of from about 0.2 .mu.m to about 0.3 .mu.m. A second
intermediate layer 14 can comprise DLC doped with silicon and
germanium for a thickness of from about 8 .mu.m to about 10 .mu.m.
A third intermediate layer 14 can comprise the same or similar DLC
doped with silicon and germanium for a thickness of from about 8
.mu.m to about 10 .mu.m, or have a thickness of from about 8 .mu.m
to about 9 .mu.m. A fourth intermediate layer 14 can comprise DLC
doped with silicon for a thickness of from about 5 .mu.m to about 7
.mu.m, or have a thickness of from about 5 .mu.m to about 7 .mu.m.
Finally, the multilayered coating 10 can comprise top surface layer
of DLC with a thickness of from about 10 .mu.m to about 12
.mu.m.
[0033] While specific embodiments of multilayered coatings 10 have
been presented herein, it should be appreciated that these are
non-limiting examples and other multilayered coatings 10
incorporating additional and/or alternative materials or have
additional and/or alternative layering configurations may also be
realized.
[0034] The overall multilayered coating 10 can thereby comprise a
range of total thicknesses and a variety of total layers. For
example the overall multilayered coating 10 can have a total
thickness up to about 40 .mu.m, up to about 30 .mu.m, or from about
20 .mu.m to about 30 .mu.m as a result of relatively low internal
stresses compared to a coating comprising a single DLC layer.
Moreover, the multilayered coating 10 can have up to or over at
least about 20 individual layers counting the adhesion base layer
12, the top surface layer 16, and a plurality of intermediate
layers 14 there between. In some embodiments, the multilayered
coating 10 can comprise any other number of plurality of layers.
For example, in some embodiments, the multilayered coating 10 can
comprise at least 10 layers, or at least 15 layers, or at least 20
layers, or even at least 25 layers. The number of layers in the
multilayered coating may be selected based at least in part on the
level of corrosion and erosion protection required. Each of the
layers may be disposed in any suitable manner as should be
appreciated to those skilled in the art. For example, the layers of
the multilayered coating 10 can be deposited using various
commercially available deposition techniques and within a
temperature range of from about 120.degree. C. to about 200.degree.
C.
[0035] As a result of the multiple layers incorporating the
materials described herein, the multilayered coating 10 can be
tailored to possess a variety of properties for protecting the
underlying metal substrate 20 and providing a relatively smooth
surface. For example, the multilayered coating 10 can have a
hardness of from about 10 GPa to about 30 GPa to resist erosion
from foreign objects.
[0036] The multilayered coating 10 can also be hydrophobic and
oleophobic to help prevent the resident buildup of fluids such as
water and oil. "Hydrophobic" refers to the physical property of a
material that is water repellent. "Oleophobic" refers to the
physical property of a material that is oil repellent.
Specifically, surfaces with low surface energy for a foulant (e.g.
water and/or oil) should have a high contact angle and should
provide reduced adhesion with the foulant relative to a surface
which is wet by the foulant or with which the foulant has low
contact angle. As used herein, the term "contact angle" is the
angle formed by a static liquid droplet on the surface of a solid
material. The higher the contact angle, the less the interaction of
the liquid with the surface. Thus, it is more difficult for the
foulant to wet or adhere to the surface if the contact angle of the
oil or other foulant with the surface is high. For example, the
multilayered coating 10 can have a contact angle of at least about
80.degree., at least about 92.degree., or at least about
100.degree.. This can provide increased corrosion resistance to
external foulants such as hydrogen sulfide, hydrofluoric acid and
hydrochloric acid.
[0037] As discussed above, the metal substrate 20 of the coated
article 5 can comprise any metal substrate 20 such as one utilized
in a gas turbine. Metal substrates 20 can include, but not be
limited to, iron based alloys (e.g., stainless steels), nickel
based alloys, cobalt based alloys and the like. For example,
referring now to FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the metal substrate
can comprise a compressor blade 50. The compressor blade 50 can
include an airfoil 52, which, when spun about the rotor, imparts
kinetic energy to air flowing through the compressor, and a base or
root 53. The airfoil 52 generally includes a suction-side 56 (i.e.,
convex-side) and a pressure-side 57 (i.e., concave-side).
[0038] The root 53 can include a platform 54, which is the outward
radial face of the root 53 from which the airfoil 52 extends. The
platform 54 may be integrally joined to the root 53 of the
compressor blade 50. The platform 54 defines the radial inner
boundary of the airflow across the airfoil 52. As one of ordinary
skill in the art will appreciate, the root 53 further generally
includes a dovetail 55 that connects via a complimentary groove in
the rotor wheel (not illustrated) to secure the compressor blade 50
in the appropriate position within the compressor.
[0039] The substrate 10 (e.g., the compressor blade 50) can
comprise the multilayered coating 10 covering at least a portion of
the outer surface 25 (e.g., the suction-side 56 and/or the
pressure-side 57) to form the coated article 5. The multilayered
coating 10 of the coated article 5 can thus comprise an adhesion
base layer that can adhere to a metal substrate, a top surface
layer that has a surface roughness of less than or equal to about
Ra 0.0254 .mu.m, wherein at least one of the layers comprises a
diamond-like carbon as discussed above.
[0040] In some embodiments where the metal substrate 20 comprises
the compressor blade 50, the compressor blade 50 may comprise a
late stage compressor blade 50. As used herein, "late stage" refers
to the last or one of the last few stages of the compressor section
for the turbine. In such embodiments, the coating described herein
can thereby provide a relatively thick coating for strong erosion
and corrosion protection for the compressor blade 50 while still
providing a smooth surface without significantly impacting its
aerodynamics in operation.
[0041] It should now be appreciated that multilayered coatings may
be provided to protect underlying substrates from a variety of
external forces and environmental conditions. The multilayered
coatings embodying the compositions presented herein can protect
against corrosion and erosion from external objects while still
providing a smooth surface. Moreover, the multilayered coatings can
be provided in a relatively thick amount while still including one
or more layers of DLC.
[0042] While the invention has been described in detail in
connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be
readily understood that the invention is not limited to such
disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to
incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or
equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are
commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention.
Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been
described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may
include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the
invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing
description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *