Coating Analysis for Aerospace Industry with Handheld

Aerospace applications demand high-precision parts that are oxidation and corrosion resistant, and have surface finishes that are free of defects. This is due in part to the extremely high temperatures at which these parts must function. Aircraft engines run at such extreme temperatures to burn fuel efficiently. Gas turbine blades are made of nickel-based superalloys for their tolerance to high temperatures as well as their strength and wear resistance.

Turbines are then coated with Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC) to protect the base metal from operating environment. TBC makes it possible to increase the operating temperature of gas turbines. Turbine blade repair requires removal of the TBC coating without damaging the base metal. Handheld XRF can be useful in this application because it can determine TBC coating thickness for either the coating removal process or the recoating process.