Catalytic thermal barrier coatings

1. A catalyst element for a gas turbine engine comprising:

a metal substrate;

an outer layer of ceramic thermal barrier coating material disposed over the metal substrate, the ceramic thermal barrier coating material effective to thermally insulate the metal substrate from a high temperature fuel/air mixture; and

the ceramic thermal barrier coating material comprising a base compound comprising a crystal structure populated with base elements and further comprising selected sites of the crystal structure being populated by substitute ions selected to allow the ceramic thermal barrier coating material to catalytically react the fuel-air mixture at a higher rate than would the base compound without the ionic substitutions

wherein the ceramic thermal barrier coating material comprises a structure selected from the group consisting of:

a pyrochlore structure represented by the formula A 2-x M x B 2 O 7 (0<x<1), where A is a 3+ cation, B is a 4+ cation, and where M is any 3+ rare earth element other than A or 3+ cation smaller than A;

a pyrochlore structure represented by the formula A 2-x M x B 2 O 7 (0<x<1), where A is a 3+ cation, B is a 4+ cation, and where M is a 2+ cation selected the group consisting of Ca, Mg, Sr, and Ba;

a pyrochlore structure represented by the formula A 2 B 2-x M x O 7 (0<x<1), where A is a 3+ cation, B is a 4+ cation, and where M is Al or Sc;

a pyrochlore structure represented by the formula A 2 B 2-x M x O 7 (0<x<1), where A is a 3+ cation, B is a 4+ cation, and where M is Ta or Nb;

a garnet structure represented by the formula Y 3-x M x B 5 O 15 (0<x<3), where B is a 3+ cation, and where M is a rare earth element other than A;

a garnet structure represented by the formula Y 3-x M x B 5 O 15 (0<x<3), where B is a 3+ cation, and where M is Ga or Sc;

a garnet structure represented by the formula Y 3 Al 5-x M x O 15 (0<x<5), where M is Ga or Sc;

a garnet structure represented by Y 3 Al 5-x Fe x O 15 (0<x<2);

a garnet structure represented by Y 3 Al 5-x M x O 15 (0<x<2), where M is Mn or Ti; and

a spinel structure represented by MgAl 2-x M x O 15 (0<x<1), where M is Mn or Ti.

2. The catalyst element of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic thermal barrier coating material further comprises a pyrochlore structure represented by the formula Y 2 O 3 —ZrO 2 —TiO 2 .

3. The catalyst element of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic thermal barrier coating material comprises the pyrochlore structure represented by the formula A 2-x M x B 2 O 7 (0<x<1), where A is a 3+ cation, B is a 4+ cation, and where M is any 3+ rare earth element other than A or 3+ cation smaller than A.

4. The catalyst element of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic thermal barrier coating material comprises the pyrochlore structure represented by the formula A 2-x M x B 2 O 7 (0<x<1), where A is a 3+ cation, B is a 4+ cation, and where M is a 2+ cation selected from the group consisting of Ca, Mg, Sr, and Ba.

5. The catalyst element of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic thermal barrier coating material comprises the pyrochlore structure represented by the formula A 2 B 2-x M x O 7 (0<x<1), where A is a 3+ cation, B is a 4+ cation, and where M is Al or Sc.

6. The catalyst element of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic thermal barrier coating material comprises the pyrochlore structure represented by the formula A 2 B 2-x M x O 7 (0<x<1), where A is a 3+ cation, B is a 4+ cation, and where M is Ta or Nb.

7. The catalyst element of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic thermal barrier coating material comprises the garnet structure represented by the formula Y 3-x M x B 5 O 15 (0<x<3), where B is a 3+ cation, and where M is a rare earth element other than A.

8. The catalyst element of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic thermal barrier coating material comprises the garnet structure represented by the formula Y 3-x M x B 5 O 15 (0<x<3), where B is a 3+ cation, and where M is Ga or Sc.

9. The catalyst element of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic thermal barrier coating material comprises the garnet structure represented by the formula Y 3 Al 5-x M x O 15 (0<x<5), where M is Ga or Sc.

10. The catalyst element of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic thermal barrier coating material comprises the garnet structure represented by Y 3 Al 5-x Fe x O 15 (0<x<2).

11. The catalyst element of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic thermal barrier coating material comprises the garnet structure represented by Y 3 Al 5-x M x O 15 (0<x<2) where M is Mn or Ti.

12. The catalyst element of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic thermal barrier coating material comprises the spinel structure represented by MgAl 2-x M x O 15 (0<x<1) where M is Mn or Ti.

13. The catalyst element of claim 1 , further comprising precious metal crystallites disposed within the crystal structure to a loading of 3-30 mg/in 2 and effective to allow the ceramic thermal barrier coating material to catalytically react the fuel-air mixture at a lower light-off temperature than would the ceramic thermal barrier coating material without the precious metal crystallites.

14. The catalyst element of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic thermal barrier coating material is deposited by a plasma spray process with a layered structure exhibiting an effective SSA value of greater than 30 m 2 /g.

15. The catalyst element of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic thermal barrier coating material is deposited by a vapor deposition process to achieve a columnar grained structure exhibiting an SSA value of greater than 30 m 2 /g.

16. The catalyst element of claim 15 , further comprising the columnar grained structure exhibiting an SSA value of between 50-150 m 2 /g.

17. The catalyst element of claim 15 , further comprising the columnar grained structure exhibiting an SSA value of between 100-150 m 2 /g.