Oxidation resistant nanocrystalline MCrAl(Y) coatings and methods of forming such coatings

1. A method of forming an oxidation resistant nanocrystalline coating, comprising:

depositing via plasma enhanced magnetron sputtering one or more diffusion barrier interlayers on a substrate in a vacuum chamber, wherein said diffusion barrier interlayers include nitride compositions, carbide compositions and/or combinations thereof, wherein said nitride compositions and said carbide compositions include a metal or metalloid selected from one or more of the following: Zr, Ta, W, and Si;

depositing via plasma enhanced magnetron sputtering an oxidation resistant coating comprising an MCrAl(Y) alloy on said substrate in said vacuum chamber, wherein M includes iron, nickel, cobalt, or combinations thereof present greater than 50 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, chromium is present in the range of 15 wt % to 30 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, aluminum is present in the range of 6 wt % to 12 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy and yttrium is optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, at a gas pressure of 1 mTorr to 10 mTorr and said coating exhibits a grain size of 5 nm to 20 nm as deposited,

wherein during plasma enhanced magnetron sputtering a gas is supplied to said vacuum chamber and said gas is ionized with electrons discharged from an electron source and injected into said vacuum chamber.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein silicon is present in the oxidation resistant coating in the range of 0.1 wt % to 1.0 wt %.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein hafnium is present in the oxidation resistant coating in the range of 0.1 wt % to 1.0 wt %.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said MCrAl(Y) alloy comprises chromium present in the range of 15 wt % to 25 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, aluminum present in the range of 6 wt % to 12 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, yttrium optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, silicon optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, hafnium optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 1.0 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy and the balance is nickel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said MCrAl(Y) alloy comprises chromium present in the range of 15 wt % to 25 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, cobalt present in the range of 20.0 wt % to 40.0 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, aluminum present in the range of 6 wt % to 12wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, yttrium optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, silicon optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, hafnium optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 1.0 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy and the balance is nickel.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said MCrAl(Y) alloy comprises chromium present in the range of 20 wt % to 30wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, aluminum present in the range of 6 wt % to 12 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, yttrium optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, silicon optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, hafnium optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 1.0 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy and the balance is cobalt.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said coating includes a surface and exhibits a usable aluminum content (Al usable ) for diffusing into said substrate or to said coating surface, and wherein said usable aluminum content is equal to 5.5 wt % to 11.5 wt %.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said coating exhibits an overall increase in weight of 0.000 grams/cm 2 to 0.0010 grams/cm 2 over an initial weight value when thermally cycled to peak temperatures of 1010 ° C. for 50 minutes per cycle and cooled to room temperature in 10 minutes per cycle over 1500 cycles.

9. A method of forming an oxidation resistant nanocrystalline coating, comprising:

depositing via plasma enhanced magnetron sputtering one or more diffusion barrier interlayers on a substrate in a vacuum chamber, wherein said diffusion barrier interlayers include nitride compositions, carbide compositions and/or combinations thereof, wherein said nitride compositions and said carbide compositions include a metal or metalloid selected from one or more of the following: Zr, Ta, W, and Si;

depositing via plasma enhanced magnetron sputtering an oxidation resistant coating comprising an MCrAl(Y) alloy on said substrate in said vacuum chamber, wherein M includes iron, nickel, cobalt, or combinations thereof present greater than 50 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, chromium is present in the range of 15 wt % to 30 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, aluminum is present in the range of 6 wt % to 12 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy and yttrium is optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy at a gas pressure of 1 mTorr to 10 mTorr and said coating exhibits a grain size of 5 nm to 20 nm as deposited;

wherein during plasma enhanced magnetron sputtering a gas is supplied to said vacuum chamber and said gas is ionized with electrons discharged from an electron source and injected into said vacuum chamber and

wherein said coating includes a surface and exhibits a usable aluminum content (Al usable ) for diffusing into said substrate or to said coating surface , and wherein said usable aluminum content is equal to 5.5 wt % to 11.5 wt %; and

wherein said coating exhibits an overall increase in weight of 0.000 grams/cm 2 to 0.0010 grams/cm 2 over an initial weight value when thermally cycled to peak temperatures of 1010 ° C. for 50 minutes per cycle and cooled to room temperature in 10 minutes per cycle over 1500 cycles.

10. An oxidation resistant nanocrystalline coating, comprising:

an MCrAl(Y) alloy, wherein M includes iron, nickel, cobalt, or combinations thereof present greater than 50 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, chromium is present in the range of 15 wt % to 30 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, aluminum is present in the range of 6 wt % to 12 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy and yttrium is optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy and said coating exhibits a grain size of 5 nm to 20 nm as deposited on a substrate; and

a diffusion barrier interlayer deposited between said MCrAl(Y) alloy and said substrate, wherein said diffusion barrier interlayer include nitride compositions, carbide compositions and/or combinations thereof and said nitride compositions and said carbide compositions include a metal or metalloid selected from one or more of the following: Zr, Ta, W, and Si.

11. The oxidation resistant nanocrystalline coating of claim 10 , wherein silicon is present in the oxidation resistant coating in the range of 0.1 wt % to 1.0 wt %.

12. The oxidation resistant nanocrystalline coating of claim 10 , wherein hafnium is present in the oxidation resistant coating in the range of 0.1 wt % to 1.0 wt %.

13. The oxidation resistant nanocrystalline coating of claim 10 , wherein said MCrAl(Y) alloy comprises chromium present in the range of 15 wt % to 25 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, aluminum present in the range of 6 wt % to 12 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, yttrium optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, silicon optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, hafnium optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 1.0 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy and the balance is nickel.

14. The oxidation resistant nanocrystalline coating of claim 10 , wherein said MCrAl(Y) alloy comprises chromium present in the range of 15 wt % to 25 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, cobalt present in the range of 20.0 wt % to 40.0 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, aluminum present in the range of 6 wt % to 12 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, yttrium optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, silicon optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, hafnium optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 1.0 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy and the balance is nickel.

15. The oxidation resistant nanocrystalline coating of claim 10 , wherein said MCrAl(Y) alloy comprises chromium present in the range of 20 wt % to 30 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, aluminum present in the range of 6 wt % to 12 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, yttrium optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, silicon optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 0.5 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy, hafnium optionally present in the range of 0.1 wt % to 1.0 wt % of the MCrAl(Y) alloy and the balance is cobalt.

16. The oxidation resistant nanocrystalline coating of claim 10 , further comprising a thermal barrier coating.

17. The oxidation resistant nanocrystalline coating of claim 10 , wherein said coating has a thickness of 10 μm to 50 μm.

18. The oxidation resistant nanocrystalline coating of claim 10 , wherein said coating includes a surface and exhibits a usable aluminum content (Al usable ) for diffusing into said substrate or to said coating surface, and wherein said usable aluminum content is equal to 5.5 wt % to 11.5 wt %.

19. The oxidation resistant nanocrystalline coating of claim 10 , wherein said coating exhibits an overall increase in weight of 0.000 grams/cm 2 to 0.0010 grams/cm 2 over an initial weight value when thermally cycled to peak temperatures of 1010 ° C. for 50 minutes per cycle and cooled to room temperature in 10 minutes per cycle over 1500 cycles.