Plasma Zirconia, Titania, Yttria Composite

Quick Spec Summary

Spec Value
Composition Zirconium oxide 72%, titanium dioxide 18%, yttrium oxide 10%
Macrohardness Rc55
Cross-sectional hardness 600–700 DPH300
Bond strength 5000 psi (grit blasted low carbon steel)
Maximum surface temperature 980°C (1800°F)
Thickness limit 0.050 inch
Surface finish achievable 10–15 µin aa ground
Substrates Carbon/low-alloy steel, stainless, nickel alloys, cast iron, aluminum alloys (bond coat often required)
Industries Automotive & diesel, aerospace, power generation, industrial engines, oil & gas
QA / Spec AS9100 & ISO 9001 certified, NADCAP-compliant, full lab cert on request

A Thermal Barrier Coating Built for Extreme Heat

Some parts live in hell. Piston crowns. Turbine blades. Exhaust valves. They see temperatures that melt aluminum, and they have to keep working anyway. That is the job this coating was made for.

Plasma sprayed zirconia, titania, yttria composite is a three part ceramic. Each part pulls its weight. Zirconia does the thermal barrier work. Titania adds wear resistance. Yttria stabilizes the mix so it does not crack under heat cycling. Together, they form a dense coating with a combination of properties that no single ceramic can match.

A&A Coatings applies this material with the plasma spray process. It is one of the strongest high temperature coatings in our lineup.

Need a quote? Call 888-725-0150 or send us a request. Our team replies the same business day.

A Quick Word on Thermal Barrier Coatings

Thermal barrier coatings, or TBCs, do one main thing. They slow the flow of heat into a metal part. That lets the part run hotter on the outside while staying cooler on the inside. In engines and turbines, that means higher operating temperatures, better fuel efficiency, and longer part life.

Zirconia based ceramics are the standard choice for TBCs. In TBC literature this is often called YSZ — yttria-stabilized zirconia — and this material is A&A’s specific formulation of that standard: zirconia stabilized with yttria, with titania added for extra wear resistance. They conduct heat poorly and they hold up under thermal cycling. The composite on this page takes that base and adds titania and yttria to get more than just heat resistance. You get wear resistance and corrosion resistance in the same coating.

If you want the full picture on how TBCs work and where they fit, our thermal barrier coating pillar page walks through the basics. It is the best starting point if this is your first TBC project.

Powder Characteristics

Composition Zirconium oxide 72%, titanium dioxide 18%, yttrium oxide 10%
Size range -200 mesh +5 microns
Melting point 2535°C (4600°F) approximate

That melting point is the highest of any material on this site. It is one reason this coating holds up where others fail.

Coating Numbers

Texture, as sprayed 250 to 350 microinches aa
Finish, ground 10 to 15 microinches aa
Macrohardness Rc55
Cross-sectional hardness 600 to 700 DPH300
Density 5.1 g/cc
Coating weight 0.027 lb/ft² per 0.001 inch
Bond strength on grit blasted low carbon steel 5000 psi
Thickness limit 0.050 inch
Maximum surface temperature 980°C (1800°F)

A few numbers stand out. The 5000 psi bond is the strongest of any coating we list. The 0.050 inch thickness limit is the highest, which matters when you need a real thermal barrier, not just a surface treatment. And the 980°C surface limit sits well above the service limits of our other ceramics.

Rc55 is mid range for hardness. That is fine, because hardness is not the point here. Heat resistance is.

What This Coating Does Well

The spec sheet reads like a checklist of extreme service conditions. Each one is a real test result, not a marketing claim.

Scuff wear resistance. Tested against cast iron and hard chrome plate. Low friction, low ring wear in LFW adhesive testing, which is a piston ring simulation. If your part slides against those materials, this coating holds up.

High temperature hardness. Holds its hardness at 1095°C (2000°F). Most coatings soften long before that.

Hot corrosion resistance. Resists sulfidation and chlorinization. In plain terms, it stands up to sodium based hot corrosion, which is common in engines burning dirty fuel.

Air oxidation resistance. Holds at 1095°C (2000°F) in air. That is the kind of heat that turns most metals to scale.

Particle erosion resistance. Holds at 925°C (1700°F). Fast moving particles at that temperature will eat through most surfaces. This one resists.

Thermal shock resistance. Quenched from 1095°C (2000°F) in both air and water with no failure. That is a brutal test. Most ceramics crack on the first water quench.

No other ceramic coating we offer puts all of these together in one material.

Where It Earns Its Keep

The spec sheet names the applications directly, and they are all high temperature wear parts.

Automotive and diesel rings. Piston rings take heat, friction, and constant sliding contact. This coating resists scuff wear and holds hardness at temperature.

Piston crowns. The top of the piston sees the hottest combustion gases. The thermal barrier keeps heat out of the crown and lets the engine run more efficiently.

Cylinder liners. The bore sees sliding wear and heat. The coating resists both.

Exhaust valves. These open and close thousands of times per minute at high temperature. The coating holds up to the heat and the mechanical load.

Valve stems. The stem slides in the guide under heat. Low friction and wear resistance both matter here.

Turbine blades. The hottest part of any gas turbine. Thermal barrier coatings are standard in this application for a reason.

A Closer Look at a Piston Crown

Picture a diesel piston crown. Combustion happens right on top of it, and the crown takes the full heat of the burn. Bare aluminum or steel will soften over time and eventually crack.

With a zirconia, titania, yttria coating on top, the crown stays cooler on the inside. The heat that would have soaked into the metal bounces back into the combustion chamber, where it does useful work. The piston runs cooler, the metal holds its strength longer, and the engine gets better fuel economy. That is the TBC effect in action.

Getting the Surface Ready

Prep decides whether the coating stays put. Get it right and the coating survives years of thermal cycling. Get it wrong and it fails in weeks.

First, the part has to be clean. Oxides, oil, and old coatings all have to come off before anything else happens. We strip the surface with a grit blast, which also roughens it. That roughness is what gives the coating something to grab.

Then comes the bond coat. Not every part needs one, but many do. The bond coat is a thin metallic layer that sits between the base metal and the ceramic. Think of it as a translator. Metal and ceramic do not expand at the same rate when heated, and the bond coat absorbs that mismatch. Without it, the coating can lift or crack under thermal cycling.

Tell us what your part is made of and we will tell you exactly what prep it needs. Substrate specific requirements vary, and we would rather ask two questions up front than fix a failure later.

Substrates

This coating works on a range of metals when the surface is prepped properly. Grouped by family:

Steel. Carbon steel and low alloy steel. The workhorses for engine and industrial parts. Good bond strength and predictable behavior under heat.

Stainless steel. For parts that see heat plus moisture or mild chemical exposure. The coating handles both.

Nickel based alloys. For the hottest applications. Turbine blades and combustion hardware often use nickel superalloys, and this coating bonds well to them.

Cast iron. Common in diesel engine blocks and older industrial equipment. The coating restores and protects worn surfaces.

Aluminum alloys. For lightweight parts that need thermal protection. The bond coat step is critical here because aluminum expands more than steel under heat.

Finishing

Grinding is the way to finish this material. We use 60 grit silicon carbide wheels and 150 grit diamond wheels. Wet grinding is recommended over dry.

As-sprayed 250 to 350 microinches aa
Ground 10 to 15 microinches aa

If your print calls for a specific surface, tell us at quote time and we will match it.

Industries Served

Automotive. Piston rings, crowns, and cylinder liners. The thermal barrier and wear resistance both matter here.

Diesel engines. Same parts, heavier loads, longer service hours. This coating was built with these in mind.

Aerospace. Turbine blades, combustion liners, and exhaust components. High temperature service is the norm in this industry.

Power generation. Gas turbine hot section parts. Thermal barrier coatings extend service intervals and improve efficiency.

Industrial engines. Stationary engines, generators, and heavy equipment. Same reasons as automotive and diesel.

Oil and gas. Downhole tools and surface equipment that see high heat and corrosive gases.

When a Sealer Makes Sense

This coating is dense, so most jobs do not need a sealer on top. Dry heat service? Skip it. Thermal cycling in clean air? Skip it.

Where a sealer earns its place is in chemical service or wet environments. The sealer fills any surface pores and keeps media from reaching the base metal. Tell us what your part will touch in service and we will say yes or no. No upselling, just the right answer for the job.

How We Prove It

AS9100 and ISO 9001 certified. NADCAP requirements met. Our lab checks coating thickness, bond strength, hardness, and microstructure before parts ship. Customer specs welcome, with certification paperwork supplied on request.

More on Thermal Barriers

New to thermal barrier coatings? Start with how TBCs work, where they are used, and how to pick the right one for your application.

Further Reading:

Start Your Quote

Call 888-725-0150 or send your part details through our quote form. Same business day reply.