The aim of this project was to investigate the potential of fused-slurry coatings for improving the oxidation resistance of wrought alloys. Slurry-aluminised coatings were deposited on Alloy 800H (Fe-33Ni-20Cr), Alloy HCM12A (Fe-12Cr-2W), Alloy 214 (Ni-16Cr-4Al-3Fe), Fe-27Cr-4Al and Fe-14Cr-4Al alloys. The slurry contained a cellulose-based binder in an aqueous carrier and spherical aluminium powder, with a particle size below 20 microns. The slurries were applied with a paint-brush, dried in air and heat treated in either hydrogen or argon at temperatures between 700 and 1150C. The slurries were characterised by thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry and viscometry. The coatings were characterised by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction and Vickers hardness measurements. The oxidation resistance of selected slurry-coated specimens was assessed in air at 1000 and 1100C in tests lasting up to 1000 hours.Slurry-aluminising was found to be a simple, effective way of forming protective coatings that were similar in composition and microstructure to chemical vapour deposits. However, it was difficult to control the amount of slurry applied to the substrate and produce coatings of uniform thickness.The coatings on Alloy HCM12A and the Fe-Cr-Al alloys contained cracks in the brittle FeAl phase due to tensile stresses arising from differences in the thermal expansion coefficients of the substrates and the coatings. Rapid interdiffusion between the coatings and the ferritic substrates resulted in the appearance of Kirkendall voids.Coatings on Alloy 214 required a two-stage heat treatment to convert the brittle δ-Ni2Al3 to β-NiAl. Cracking along the coating/substrate interface was prevented by limiting the coating thickness to a maximum of 250 microns. During oxidation at 1100C, the β-NiAl was converted to γ'-Ni3Al. After 1000 h, the centre of the coating consisted chiefly of γ'-Ni3Al and bands of austenite (γ-Ni) were present at the inner and outer edges of the coating. The aluminium content at the coated surface was higher than the original aluminium content of the alloy, the protective alumina scale was improved and the oxidation life of the substrate was extended. An additional life of 1250 h at 1100C is estimated from a slurry coating before the aluminium content returns to that of the original alloy (4%), providing a potential improvement in oxidation resistance.Microstructural changes such as grain growth, sensitisation and formation of aluminium nitride particles near the coating/substrate interface, were detected in the alloy substrates after forming the slurry coatings. However, these microstructural changes did not detract from the good performance of the coatings during oxidation tests at 1100C.The work in this study has demonstrated a low-cost method of coating high-temperature alloys providing coatings with microstructures, densities and modes of degradation similar to those obtained by other coating methods. The coatings are potentially applicable to a wide range of high-temperature substrates.

La sélection des matériaux utilisés dans les moteurs aéronautiques est un enjeu majeur pour assurer la sécurité des passagers, optimiser les performances de l’avion et maîtriser les coûts. Dans les parties les plus chaudes des moteurs (i.e. chambre de combustion et turbine), les pièces sont généralement constituées de superalliages à base nickel en raison de leurs excellentes propriétés mécaniques à haute température. Vulnérables aux phénomènes de corrosion et d’oxydation à haute température, les superalliages doivent la plupart du temps être revêtus afin de prolonger leur durée de vie (ingénierie de surface). La composition chimique et l’architecture des revêtements sont alors adaptées en fonction du régime de température et des phénomènes de dégradation rencontrés (i.e. corrosion à chaud, oxydation et/ou érosion). En vue de répondre aux nouvelles réglementations environnementales, de nouvelles voies de synthèse et de fonctionnalisation sont à l’étude comme alternatives aux procédés industriels actuels. Dans le cadre du projet Européen « PARTICOAT », le LaSIE a démontré la faisabilité d’élaborer des systèmes barrières thermiques complets (couche de diffusion + barrière thermique) en une seule étape à partir de barbotines (« slurries ») à base aqueuse contenant des microparticules d’Al. Dans cette étude, l’ajout de Cr comme dopant a été étudié. L’addition de Cr a permis d’abaisser l’activité de l’Al lors de l’étape d’aluminisation et de limiter les réactions exothermiques entre Al et substrat à base de nickel. L’optimisation des ratios entre Al et Cr a permis d’obtenir différentes microstructures de revêtement. Diverses architectures de dépôts ont également pu être testées grâce à la souplesse d’élaboration des revêtements par barbotines. L’influence de l’atmosphère (Ar, air) et celle des conditions de traitement thermique ont également été étudiées. Enfin, la durabilité des revêtements développés au cours de la thèse a été évaluée au cours d’essais de corrosion à chaud et d’oxydation. / The selection of materials is of utmost importance in gas turbine engines to ensure the security of the passengers, optimize the performances of the aircraft and be cost efficient. In the hottest region of the engines (i.e. combustion chamber and turbine), the components are usually made of nickel-based superalloys. These materials can resist to high mechanical loads at high temperature but are vulnerable to aggressive environments. Therefore, nickel-based superalloys are usually coated to increase their durability in the engine (surface engineering). The chemical composition and the coating architecture are carefully adjusted depending on the temperature regime and the mechanisms of degradation encountered (hot corrosion, oxidation and/or erosion). New synthesis routes and functionalization are currently developed as alternative solutions to industrial processes. As a promising alternative approach, different studies were carried out in the LaSIE laboratory under the European project “PARTICOAT” and confirmed the possibility to elaborate complete thermal barrier systems (diffusion coating + thermal barrier coating) from Al-containing water-based slurries. In this work, the role of Cr as a doping agent was investigated. The addition of Cr decreased the thermodynamic activity of Al upon aluminizing and limited the exothermic reactions usually reported between Al and nickel-based materials. Different architectures of coatings were obtained thanks to the flexibility and the adaptability of the slurry coating process. The gas composition (Ar, air) and the heat treatment conditions were also investigated. Finally, the high temperature resistance of the slurry coatings developed during this work was evaluated under hot corrosion and oxidation conditions.