the present invention provides a coating system with improved adhesion to cmc substrates , particularly those substrates that include silicon or silicon - containing components , while improving the temperature capabilities of the coated substrates up to and even above the melting point of silicon , about 2560 ° f . the present invention achieves its effective coating without exposing the substrate material to an oxidizing atmosphere during the coating process for prolonged periods of time during the coating process that can result in the formation of voids in the substrate and resultant substrate deterioration in hot environments such as the hot section of a gas turbine engine . fig1 illustrates a turbine engine component 102 with one embodiment of the coating system of the present invention . the turbine engine component 102 has a nonmetallic substrate 104 . the nonmetallic substrate 104 typically includes a silicon - containing material and at least one oxidizable component . typically , the at least one oxidizable component includes at least a carbon - containing material or a nitrogen - containing material . while the nonmetallic substrate 104 can be a monolithic ceramic such as a silicon carbide or a silicon nitride , more typically the nonmetallic substrate 104 is a fiber matrix composite , such as a ceramic matrix composite ( cmc ), when additional strength is needed , particularly when the additional strength is required as a result of directional stress patterns . the fiber matrix composites may include a wide variety of materials , and may include metallic components in combination with nonmetallic components so that the substrates are not monolithic metallic substrates . these include metal fibers in non - metallic matrices or non - metallic fibers in metallic matrices , and frequently include a carbon - containing material . in the fiber matrix composites , the strengthening fibers are typically comprised of an oxidizable material such as carbon , silicon carbide or silicon nitride , and the matrix is a material selected from the group consisting of metallic materials and ceramic materials which may or may not be oxidizable . alternatively , the matrix material may be an oxidizable ceramic , such as silicon nitride or silicon carbide matrix , while the fibers may be a material such as a ceramic , sapphire , or a metal . of course , both the fiber and the matrix may be oxidizable , such as when a component is made from sic / sic material comprising a silicon carbide fiber embedded in a silicon carbide matrix . in order to protect the substrate from deterioration and to provide improved adherence at elevated temperatures , an inner layer of material 106 that has a higher melting temperature than the substrate , but a coefficient of thermal expansion that is compatible with the substrate is applied over the substrate by a process that does not cause substrate deterioration . preferably the inner layer also has a very low rate of oxygen diffusion to protect the substrate from oxidation as a result of penetration of oxygen through the outer layers of the coating system . this inner layer 106 is preferably a material that is compatible with the substrate , such as silica when the substrate is a silicon containing material . silica is substantially impervious to penetration by oxygen . this applied inner layer of material 106 differs from material such as a silica formed by thermal decomposition of sic or sin by oxidation in that it can be applied to desired thicknesses in only preselected areas relatively quickly and is not as likely to result in undesirable void formation , as the substrate is not altered by its application . this application is unlike the very thin coatings of silica formed by thermal decomposition of a silicon - containing substrate , which also affects the entire substrate . inner diffusion layer 106 can also be made so as to be substantially crack - free , if desired . the applied inner diffusion layer 106 is chemically compatible with the substrate or matrix 104 so as to form a strong bond with the matrix 104 . inner layer 106 is applied to at least those portions of the turbine engine component 102 exposed to the hot , oxidizable gases of combustion . for example , a turbine component such as a combustor liner only must be coated on that portion of the liner exposed to the hot exhaust gases of combustion . inner layer 106 can be applied in different thickness by different processes to achieve different results . silica and alumina , the preferred materials for the inner layer , are brittle materials and can include cracks , which can provide unwanted diffusion paths for oxygen . as previously noted , the inner layer can be applied by a process that yields a substantially crack - free layer so as to prevent the transfer of oxygen along cracks . this is best achieved by applying a thin layer of silica or alumina by a cvd process or by physical vapor deposition . these processes achieve substantially crack - free densified layers in thicknesses of from about 1 microns to about 125 microns and more typically from about 5 - 15 microns . when some minor cracking can be tolerated , the densified layer can be applied by plasma spray , sputtering or by the sol - gel process . the sol - gel process can produce a densified layer of from 20 - 100 microns and more typically from about 20 - 25 microns , while sputtering and the plasma spray process yields a dense coating having a thickness of about 1 - 3 mils . it is preferable that the cracks not extend completely across the diffusion layer from the outer surface to the interface with the substrate . overlying the inner layer 106 is an intermediate layer 107 , which can include up to three sublayers 108 - 112 , and an outermost thermal barrier top coat or layer 114 compatible with the intermediate layer 107 . the intermediate layer 107 and thermal barrier top coating 114 act as a multi - layer thermal / environmental coating ( t / ebc ) system and provide environmental protection to the nonmetallic substrate 104 , as well as reduce the operating temperature of the turbine engine component 102 , thereby enabling the turbine engine component 102 to survive within higher temperature environments than otherwise possible . the thermal barrier coating 114 can include zirconia - based coatings stabilized with oxides formed from hafnium and metals of group iia elements , group iia elements and the lanthanide series elements . the group iia elements include but are not limited magnesium , calcium , strontium and barium . the group iii elements include , but are not limited to yttrium and lanthanum . the lanthanide series includes cerium , ytterbium and other elements having an atomic number from 58 through 71 . oxides of these elements , either alone or in combination , can be used to stabilize zirconia - based coatings . a widely used thermal barrier coating is yttria - stabilized zirconia ( ysz ), having preferably about 6 - 8 weight percent yttria , though it is foreseeable that other ceramic materials could be used . a suitable thickness range for the ysz top coat 114 is about 12 . 5 to about 1250 μm ( about 0 . 0005 to about 0 . 050 inch ), with a preferred range of about 125 to about 750 μm ( about 0 . 005 to about 0 . 030 inch ), depending on the particular application . the mechanism for the degradation of the silicon component of silicon carbide ( as well as silicon and other silicon compounds ) in a hot , corrosive hydrous environment is the formation of volatile silicon monoxide ( sio ) and silicon hydroxide ( si ( oh ) x ) products , it being understood that carbon will form co and co 2 upon exposure to an oxidizing environment . the diffusivity of oxidants in the ysz topcoat 114 is generally very high . therefore , in order to protect the silicon containing substrate 104 , the coating system must include additional layers 106 - 107 beneath the ysz top coat 114 that , individually or in combination , exhibit low diffusivity to oxidants ( e . g ., oxygen ) to inhibit oxidation of the silicon carbide within the surface region of the nonmetallic substrate 104 while also being sufficiently chemically and physically compatible with the nonmetallic substrate 104 to remain adherent to the nonmetallic substrate 104 under severe thermal conditions . the inner layer 106 is comprised of a material that has a low rate of oxygen diffusion and that has a higher melting temperature than the substrate over which it is applied . the inner layer preferably is an oxide , and most preferably is an oxide of silicon . the inner layer preferably is continuous . although these oxides are brittle , particularly when thick , a thin , continuous layer of such oxides can be applied by chemical vapor deposition or by a physical vapor deposition process to thicknesses as previously set forth . a thin layer of silica , however , may be subject to deterioration in a hydrous atmosphere so that additional layers must be applied to protect the silica from deterioration . in one embodiment of the present invention , an intermediate layer 107 is applied over inner layer 106 . intermediate layer 107 may include a plurality of sublayers . the first sublayer 108 of the intermediate layer 107 preferably contains mullite ( 3al 2 o 3 . 2sio 2 ), over which is deposited a second sublayer 110 of an alkaline earth metal aluminosilicate , preferably barium strontium aluminosilicate ( bsas ). separating the bsas sublayer 110 and the ysz top coat 114 is a third sublayer 112 that consists of mullite , ysz , alumina , and / or an alkaline earth metal aluminosilicate ( again , preferably bsas ) and combinations thereof . the third sublayer 112 promotes the ability of the t / ebc system to thermally and environmentally protect the silicon containing substrate 104 over numerous thermal cycles and at elevated temperatures . the mullite sublayer 108 can serve as a bond coat to adhere the bsas sublayer 110 and the third sublayer 112 to the inner layer 106 and the silicon containing substrate 104 , while also preventing interactions between the bsas sublayer 110 and the silica layer 106 and the silicon - containing substrate 104 at high temperatures . mullite is a suitable material for the first sublayer 108 because of its chemical stability , particularly silicon containing materials such as a silica inner layer 106 , at high temperatures . a suitable thickness range for the mullite sublayer 108 is about 25 to about 250 μm ( about 0 . 001 to about 0 . 010 inch ), depending on the particular application . the bsas sublayer 110 overlying the mullite sublayer 108 provides excellent environmental protection and exhibits good thermal barrier properties due to its low thermal conductivity . particularly , bsas is able to serve as an environmental barrier to the underlying mullite sublayer 108 and an inner layer 106 of silica , which would exhibit significant silica activity and volatilization if exposed to a hydrous environment at high temperatures . the bsas sublayer 110 prevents decomposition of the mullite in sublayer 108 into its constituent components , which decomposition would then adversely affect the silica layer 106 . in addition , bsas is relatively compatible with the mullite sublayer 108 in terms of coefficient of thermal expansion ( cte ). a suitable thickness range for the bsas sublayer 110 is about 125 to about 500 μm ( about 0 . 005 to about 0 . 020 inch ), depending on the particular application . bsas typically is comprised of 0 . 00 to about 1 . 00 moles of bao , 0 . 00 to about 1 . 00 mole of an oxide of a second alkaline earth metal such as sro , about 1 . 00 moles of al 2 o 3 , about 2 . 00 mole of sio 2 and wherein the total of the bao and the second alkaline earth metal is about 1 . 00 mole . the bsas sublayer is applied by thermal spraying in the temperature range of about 400 - 2200 ° f . ( 200 - 1200 ° c .). the composition of the third sublayer 112 may vary broadly . in one embodiment , the third sublayer 112 is a substantially homogeneous mixture of ysz and bsas , mullite and / or alumina , and ysz , with ysz constituting up to 90 weight percent of sublayer 112 . alternatively , sublayer 112 can be divided up into further discrete sublayers , each with a different composition of bsas , mullite , ysz and alumina , having varying ratios . in this second embodiment , the composition of the innermost surface of sublayer 112 contacting the bsas sublayer 110 is bsas - rich , preferably essentially bsas , mullite and / or alumina , while the outermost surface of sublayer 112 contacting the ysz top coat 114 is ysz - rich , preferably essentially ysz . the compositions between the innermost and outermost surfaces of sublayer 112 and than increasingly higher ysz - content approaching the outermost sublayer . in the third embodiment , third sublayer 112 has a graded composition , continuously changing from essentially all ysz adjacent the ysz topcoat 114 to essentially all bsas , mullite and / or alumina adjacent the bsas sublayer 110 . in this embodiment , the ysz - containing sublayer 112 has a decreasing concentration of bsas , mullite and / or alumina and an increasing concentration of ysz in a direction away from the bsas sublayer 110 . in combination , the higher concentration of bsas , mullite and / or alumina adjacent the bsas sublayer 110 , that is , a higher volume fraction of bsas , mullite and / or alumina , and the higher concentration of ysz adjacent the ysz top coat 114 , that is a higher volume fraction of ysz , serve to provide a gradually increasing cte , with a minimum cte adjacent the bsas sublayer 110 , which corresponds to that of bsas sublayer 110 , and a maximum cte adjacent the ysz top coat 114 , which very closely matches the cte of the ysz top coat 114 . a suitable thickness for the ysz - containing sublayer 112 is up to about 500 μm ( up to about 0 . 020 inch ), depending on the particular application and the thickness of the other sublayers 108 - 110 and 114 . high application temperatures , e . g ., up to 2000 ° c ., necessitate thick protective coating systems , generally on the order of 250 μm or more . it is with such coating systems that the benefits of the third sublayer 112 that includes become necessary to improve the mechanical integrity of the coating system . the ysz constituent of this layer 112 serves to increase its overall cte to a cte that more closely matches the cte of ysz topcoat 114 . advantages of using mullite , alumina or a mixture of these with ysz in the ysz - containing sublayer 112 include a higher temperature capability as compared to bsas . simultaneously , a mixture of bsas and ysz in sublayer 112 provides a sublayer having an intermediate cte between the overlying ysz layer 114 and underlying bsas sublayer 110 , so that there is less tendency for spalling to occur . as with prior art bond coats and environmental coatings , the sublayers 108 - 112 can be individually deposited by air and vacuum plasma spraying ( aps and vps , respectively ), though it is foreseeable that deposition could be performed by other known techniques , such as chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) and high velocity oxy - fuel ( hvof ). the ysz topcoat 114 can also be deposited by known techniques , including plasma spraying and physical vapor deposition ( pvd ) techniques . thereafter , a heat treatment may be performed after deposition of the individual layers 106 - 112 and / or ysz topcoat 114 to relieve residual stresses created during cooling from elevated deposition temperatures . bsas is applied in thicknesses of 0 . 5 mils to about 30 mils by a thermal spray process and forms a substantially crack - free crystallographic structure . mullite , which is also applied by a thermal spray process , tends to crack . this tendency of mullite to crack can be overcome by carefully controlling process parameters , as is taught in the prior art . but mullite has high sio 2 activity and can deteriorate in hydrous environments . the tendency of mullite to crack can also be reduced when applied as a mixture in combination with bsas , although it may also be mixed with calcium aluminosilicate , or yttrium silicate . thus , when mullite alone is used as one of the sublayers in the intermediate layer , an additional sublayer of bsas is typically applied over the mullite to act as a diffusion barrier and protect it from deterioration . it is desirable to heat treat the substrate coated with the coating system of the present invention to a temperature of about 2280 ° f . ( 1250 ° c .) for about 24 hours . not only does this stress relieve the structure and promote bonding between the layers and among the as - sprayed powders of the individual layers , but also it assists in developing the bsas as a crystalline phase . fig2 illustrates another embodiment of the coating system of the present invention . the coating system illustrated in fig2 has an inner oxide layer 106 , silica , overlying the cmc substrate 104 and a ysz top coat 114 as described above with regard to fig1 . the coating system illustrated in fig2 has an intermediate layer 107 that includes a first sublayer 120 that contains a combination of mullite and bsas for less demanding applications , e . g ., temperatures below about 1300 ° c . the addition of bsas to the mullite in the first intermediate layer 20 is also relatively compatible with the silica layer 106 in terms of cte . overlying the first sublayer 120 is a second sublayer 110 . the second sublayer 110 is an alkaline earth metal aluminosilicate , preferably barium strontium aluminosilicate ( bsas ). the ysz topcoat 114 then overlies the bsas layer 110 . while the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof . therefore , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention , but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims .