Protective coating systems for gas turbine engine applications and methods for fabricating the same

1. A method of applying a protective coating to a substrate comprises the steps of:

providing a turbine engine component substrate formed of a ceramic matrix composite material;

forming an environmental barrier coating layer comprising a rare earth disilicate material directly on the substrate;

treating an outer surface of the environmental barrier coating layer to decompose or convert the rare earth disilicate in the outer surface of the environmental barrier coating layer to form a thermal barrier coating layer comprising a porous rare earth monosilicate material directly on the environmental barrier coating layer, wherein the step of treating the outer surface is performed using a thermal process consisting of the application of heat or a chemical-thermal process consisting of the application of heat and a chemical; and

infiltrating at least a portion of the pores of the thermal barrier coating layer with a metal solution or suspension.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treating the outer surface of the environmental barrier coating layer is performed using the thermal process, and the thermal process comprises exposing the environmental coating barrier layer to an elevated temperature in excess of 2400° F. in a reducing or oxygen-poor environment for a period of time sufficient to cause the rare earth disilicate in the outer surface of the environmental barrier coating layer to decompose into the rare earth monosilicate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treating the outer surface of the environmental barrier coating layer is performed using the chemical-thermal process, and the chemical-thermal process comprises exposing the environmental coating barrier layer to an elevated temperature in excess of 1400° C. and a flow of carbon monoxide gas for a period of time sufficient to cause a carbothermal reduction process and thereby cause the rare earth disilicate in the outer surface of the environmental barrier coating layer to convert into the rare earth monosilicate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic matrix composite material is a silicon carbide—silicon carbide (SiC—SiC) material or a silicon nitride (Si3N4) material.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal solution or suspension comprises a metal element selected from the group consisting of: aluminum, zirconium, titanium, yttrium, hafnium, tantalum, ytterbium, and strontium.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal solution or suspension comprises a metal nano oxide or a metal salt, nitrate, carbonate or oxide.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmental barrier coating layer is formed to have a thickness of about 10 mils to about 100 mils.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controllably heat-treating the substrate after infiltrating the pores with the metal solution or suspension to sinter or react the metal solution or suspension to form a metal silicate material within the pores.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising installing the turbine engine component substrate in a turbine engine after heat-treating the substrate to form the metal silicate material within the pores.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein infiltrating the metal solution or suspension is performed to infiltrate the thermal barrier coating layer to a depth of about 70% or less of a total thickness of the thermal barrier coating layer, thereby creating a porosity gradient in the thermal barrier coating layer.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermal barrier coating layer is formed to comprise a plurality of pores such that the thermal barrier coating layer comprises a porosity of about 10% to about 70% by volume.