Steel piston crown and/or combustion engine components with dynamic thermal insulation coating and method of making and using such a coating

1. A piston, comprising:

a body portion formed of metal;

said body portion including a crown presenting a combustion surface;

a thermal harrier coating applied to said crown;

said thermal barrier coating including a bond layer formed of metal disposed on said body portion, said bond layer having a thickness of 20 to 50 microns, a mixed layer disposed on said bond layer, said mixed layer having a thickness of 20 to 50 microns, and a top layer disposed on said mixed layer, said top layer having a thickness of 50 to 100 microns;

said mixed layer formed of a mixture of ceramic and metal; and

said top layer formed of metal and filling pores of said ceramic of said mixed layer.

2. The piston of claim 1 , wherein said top layer has a surface roughness Ra of not greater than 3 microns.

3. The piston of claim 1 , wherein said thermal barrier coating has a thickness of not greater than 700 microns.

4. The piston of claim 1 , wherein said mixed layer has a gradient structure, the gradient structure including an increasing concentration of said ceramic material moving from said bond layer to said top layer.

5. The piston of claim 1 , wherein said bond layer is formed of NiCrAlY, said metal of said mixed layer is NiCrAlY, said ceramic of said mixed layer is ceria stabilized zirconia, and said top layer is NiCrAlY.

6. The piston of claim 1 , wherein said combustion surface includes at least one wavy feature and/or valve pocket, and said thermal barrier coating is, applied to said at least one wavy feature and/or valve pocket.

7. The piston of claim 1 , wherein said bond layer is formed of at least one of chromium, nickel, cobalt, chromium alloy, nickel alloy, cobalt alloy, nickel based superalloy, and cobalt based superalloy;

said ceramic of said mixed layer is formed of at least one of ceria, ceria stabilized zirconia, yttria, yttria stabilized zirconia, calcia stabilized zirconia, magnesia stabilized zirconia, and zirconia stabilized by another oxide;

said metal of said mixed layer is formed of at least one of chromium, nickel, cobalt, chromium alloy, nickel alloy, cobalt alloy, nickel based superalloy, and cobalt based superalloy; and

said top layer includes at least one, of chromium, nickel, cobalt, chromium alloy, nickel alloy, cobalt alloy, nickel based superalloy, and cobalt based superalloy.

8. A piston comprising:

a body portion formed of metal;

said body portion including a crown presenting a combustion surface;

a thermal barrier coating applied to said crown;

said thermal barrier coating including a bond layer formed of metal disposed on said body portion and a nixed layer disposed on said bond layer;

said mixed layer including a mixture of ceramic and metal;

said thermal barrier coating including a ceramic layer formed entirely ceramic material disposed on said mixed layer;

said thermal barrier coating including a top layer formed of metal disposed on said ceramic layer, said top layer having a surface roughness Ra of not greater than 3 microns, and wherein some of said ceramic layer is exposed through said top layer.

9. The piston of claim 8 , wherein said mixed layer has a surface roughness Ra of 3 microns or less, and said thermal harrier coating has a thickness of not greater than 200 microns.

10. The piston of claim 8 , wherein said bond layer is formed of NiCrAlY, said metal of said mixed layer is NiCrAlY and said ceramic of said mixed layer is ceria stabilized zirconia.

11. The piston of claim 8 , wherein said metal of said bond layer and/or said metal of said mixed layer of formed of NiCrAl.

12. The piston of claim 8 , wherein said bond layer has a thickness 50 to 100 microns and said mixed layer has a thickness of 50 to 350 microns.

13. The piston of claim 8 , wherein said top layer has a surface roughness of not greater than 1 micron.

14. The piston of claim 8 , wherein said thermal barrier coating has a thickness of not greater than 700 microns.

15. A piston, comprising:

a body portion formed of metal;

said body portion including a crown presenting a combustion surface;

a thermal barrier coating applied to said crown;

said thermal barrier coating including a bond layer formed of metal disposed on said body portion and a mixed layer disposed on said bond layer;

said mixed layer including mixture of ceramic and metal;

said thermal barrier coating including a ceramic layer formed entirely of a ceramic material disposed on said mixed layer, wherein said ceramic layer is an outermost exposed layer of said thermal barrier coating, and said ceramic layer has a thickness of not greater than 100 microns.

16. The piston of claim 15 , wherein said ceramic layer has a surface roughness Ra of not greater than 5 microns.

17. The piston of claim 16 , wherein said ceramic layer has a surface roughness Ra of not greater than 3 microns.

18. The piston of claim 15 , wherein said thermal barrier coating has a thickness of not greater than 700 microns.

19. A piston, comprising:

a body portion formed of metal;

said body portion including a crown presenting a combustion surface;

a thermal barrier coating applied to said crown;

said thermal harrier coating including a bond layer formed of metal disposed on said body portion and a mixed layer disposed on said bond layer,

said mixed layer including a mixture of ceramic and metal;

a ceramic layer formed entirely of a ceramic material disposed on said mixed layer;

said ceramic layer presenting an outermost exposed surface of said thermal barrier coating and having a surface roughness Ra of not greater than 3 microns; and

said thermal barrier coating having a total thickness of not greater than 200 microns.