A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

High-Resolution Synchrotron μXRD and μXRF for Local Phase and Elemental Analysis in Suspension Plasma Sprayed Environmental Barrier Coatings




AuthorsNayak, Chinmayee; Hasani, Arman; Vinay, Gidla; Mäkila, Ermei; Owusu, Ebenezer; Kamboj, Nikhil; Makowska, Malgorzata Grazyna; Lynam, Alex; Romero, Acacio Rincon; Goel, Sneha; Hussain, Tanvir; Salminen, Antti; Ganvir, Ashish

PublisherSpringer Nature

Publication year2026

Journal: Journal of Thermal Spray Technology

ISSN1059-9630

eISSN1544-1016

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1007/s11666-026-02159-9

Publication's open availability at the time of reportingOpen Access

Publication channel's open availability Partially Open Access publication channel

Web address https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11666-026-02159-9

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/515875851

Self-archived copy's licenceCC BY

Self-archived copy's versionPublisher`s PDF


Abstract

Suspension plasma spraying (SPS) enables the fabrication of environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) with complex multilayer architectures; however, degradation in such systems often initiates locally at buried interfaces, making it difficult to resolve using conventional laboratory-scale characterization techniques. In this work, the applicability of synchrotron-based micro-x-ray diffraction (µXRD), combined with micro-x-ray fluorescence (µXRF), is evaluated for the characterization of SPS-deposited ytterbium disilicate (YbDS) EBCs. An as-sprayed YbDS coating was investigated as a baseline case to examine differences between conventional XRD and spatially resolved µXRD, while an annealed and CMAS-exposed YbDS coating was studied as a service-relevant case to probe localized phase evolution. The samples were selected from previously optimized SPS process conditions and are not intended for direct comparison. Laboratory-scale XRD provided global phase information, whereas µXRD enabled layer-specific phase identification and resolved localized interfacial features. In the as-sprayed condition, µXRD confirmed phase-pure YbDS, resolved the crystallinity of individual coating layers, and verified the absence of unintended interfacial reaction phases that are not accessible by conventional XRD. In the annealed + CMAS-exposed coating, µXRD and µXRF revealed the formation of a calcium–ytterbium–silicate oxyapatite phase confined to the YbDS/Si interface, highlighting the localized nature of CMAS-induced degradation. These results demonstrate that synchrotron microanalysis provides valuable complementary insight for probing localized phase evolution in thermally sprayed EBC systems.


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Funding information in the publication
Open Access funding provided by University of Turku (including Turku University Central Hospital).


Last updated on 20/03/2026 07:56:07 AM