Methods of improving surface roughness of an environmental barrier coating and components comprising environmental barrier coatings having improved surface roughness

1. A method for reducing a surface roughness of an environmental barrier coating, the method comprising:

providing a component having a plasma sprayed environmental barrier coating having a surface characterized by a surface roughness;

applying an outer layer repair slurry to the surface of the environmental barrier coating of the component;

drying the applied outer layer repair slurry; and

sintering the applied outer layer repair slurry to form a sintered outer repair layer that defines an outer surface having a lower surface roughness than the surface of the environmental barrier coating;

wherein the outer layer repair slurry comprises:

water;

a primary outer material comprising barium-strontium-aluminosilicates (BSAS) in an amount in the outer layer repair slurry to constitute a solids loading in the outer layer repair slurry of greater than 10% and up to 55% by volume; and

a slurry sintering aid selected from the group consisting of rare earth nitrate, rare earth acetate, rare earth chloride, rare earth oxide, and combinations thereof; and

wherein the sintering step forms a secondary material in the sintered outer repair layer as a reaction product of the primary outer material and the slurry sintering aid, wherein the slurry sintering aid increases a rate of diffusion of the primary outer material such that surface area reduction occurs within the sintered outer repair layer at lower temperatures than would occur absent the slurry sintering aid, and the secondary material is chosen from the group consisting of rare earth oxides, rare earth disilicates, rare earth monosilicates, rare earth elements, rare earth containing aluminosilicate glasses, rare earth and alkaline earth containing aluminosilicate glasses, rare earth aluminates, and combinations thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the outer layer repair slurry comprises:

from about 9 wt % to about 81 wt % water;

from about 3 wt % to about 72 wt % of the primary outer material;

from about 0.1 wt % to about 18 wt % of the slurry sintering aid; and

optionally organic processing aids.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outer layer repair slurry comprises one or more organic processing aids and the one or more organic processing aids comprise:

from about 0 wt % to about 6 wt % dispersant;

from about 0 wt % to about 7 wt % plasticizer;

from about 0 wt % to about 1 wt % surfactant;

from about 0 wt % to about 11 wt % secondary additives for controlled dispersion;

from about 0 wt % to about 0.5 wt % thickener; and

from about 0 wt % to about 15 wt % latex binder to produce the outer layer repair slurry.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drying step comprises exposing the component to a temperature of from about 5° C. to about 100° C. in a humid environment having from about 50% to about 90% relative humidity.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein sintering comprises heating the component at a rate of from about 1° C./minute to about 15° C./minute to a temperature of from about 1100° C. to about 1700° C. and holding the component at that temperature for up to about 24 hours.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outer layer repair slurry comprises a primary outer material solids loading of 30% to about 55% by volume.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface roughness of the outer surface of the sintered outer repair layer is 1 to 5 micrometers Ra.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising applying the outer layer repair slurry to a thickness of at least 12.5 micrometers.

9. A method for reducing a surface roughness of an environmental barrier coating, the method comprising:

providing a component having a plasma sprayed environmental barrier coating having a surface characterized by a surface roughness of greater than 5 micrometers Ra;

applying an outer layer repair slurry to the surface of the environmental barrier coating of the component;

drying the applied outer layer repair slurry; and

sintering the applied outer layer repair slurry to form a sintered outer repair layer that defines an outer surface having a surface roughness of 1 to 5 micrometers Ra;

wherein the outer layer repair slurry comprises:

water;

a primary outer material comprising barium-strontium-aluminosilicates (BSAS) in an amount in the outer layer repair slurry to constitute a solids loading in the outer layer repair slurry of greater than 10% and up to 55% by volume; and

a slurry sintering aid selected from the group consisting of rare earth nitrate, rare earth acetate, rare earth chloride, rare earth oxide, and combinations thereof; and

wherein the sintering step forms a secondary material in the sintered outer repair layer as a reaction product of the primary outer material and the slurry sintering aid, wherein the slurry sintering aid increases a rate of diffusion of the primary outer material such that the surface area reduction occurs within the sintered outer repair layer at lower temperatures than would occur absent the slurry sintering aid, and the secondary material is chosen from the group consisting of rare earth oxides, rare earth disilicates, rare earth monosilicates, rare earth elements, rare earth containing aluminosilicate glasses, rare earth and alkaline earth containing aluminosilicate glasses, rare earth aluminates, and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the outer layer repair slurry comprises:

from about 9 wt % to about 81 wt % water;

from about 3 wt % to about 72 wt % of the primary outer material;

from about 0.1 wt % to about 18 wt % of the slurry sintering aid; and

optionally organic processing aids.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the outer layer repair slurry comprises one or more organic processing aids and the one or more organic processing aids comprise:

from about 0 wt % to about 6 wt % dispersant;

from about 0 wt % to about 7 wt % plasticizer;

from about 0 wt % to about 1 wt % surfactant;

from about 0 wt % to about 11 wt % secondary additives for controlled dispersion;

from about 0 wt % to about 0.5 wt % thickener; and

from about 0 wt % to about 15 wt % latex binder to produce the outer layer repair slurry.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein drying comprises exposing the component to a temperature of from about 5° C. to about 100° C. in a humid environment having from about 50% to about 90% relative humidity.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein sintering comprises by heating the component at a rate of from about 1 C/minute to about 15° C./minute to a temperature of from about 1100° C. to about 1700° C. and holding the component at that temperature for up to about 24 hours.

14. The method of claim 9 , comprising applying the outer layer repair slurry to a thickness of at least about 12.5 micrometers.