Variable thermochemical stability of RE₂Si₂O₇ (RE = Sc, Nd, Er, Yb, or Lu) in high-temperature high-velocity steam

Five rare-earth (RE) disilicates (RE₂Si₂O₇, RE = Sc, Nd, Er, Yb, or Lu) were synthesized and exposed to high-velocity steam (up to 235 m/s) for 125 hours at 1400°C. Water vapor reaction products, mass loss, average reaction depths, and product phase microstructural evolution were analyzed for each material after exposure. Similar to steam testing results in the literature, RE₂Si₂O₇ (RE = Er, Yb, Lu) underwent silica depletion producing gaseous silicon hydroxide species, RE₂SiO₅, and RE₂O₃ product phases. Sc₂Si₂O₇ reacted with high-velocity steam to produce only a Sc₂O₃ product layer with no stable Sc₂SiO₅ phase detected by X-ray diffraction or microscopy techniques. Further, Nd₂Si₂O₇ rapidly reacted with steam to produce (Formula presented.) with no Nd₂SiO₅ or Nd₂O₃ reaction products. All RE₂Si₂O₇ that produced a silicate reaction product (RE = Nd, Er, Yb, Lu) showed densification of the product phase at steam velocities above 150 m/s that resulted in enhanced resistance. The results presented in this work demonstrate that rare-earth silicates show diverse steam reaction products, reaction product microstructures, and total reaction depths after high-temperature high-velocity steam exposure. Of the materials in this study, RE₂Si₂O₇ (RE = Yb, Lu) were most stable in high-temperature high-velocity steam, making them most desirable as environmental barrier coating candidates.