  The increasing demand for more efficient and environmental-friendly gas
turbines has driven the development of new strategies for material development.
SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) can fulfil the stringent requirements;
however, they require protection from the operating environment and debris
ingested during operation. Environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) are a
protective measure to enable the CMCs to operate under harsh conditions.
EBC-coated CMCs will enable an increased efficiency and reduced pollutant and
CO2 emissions. In this review, the fundamentals of SiC/SiC ceramic matrix
composites degradation in steam environments and under the presence of molten
alkali salts, namely CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 (CMAS), are first presented. Then, a
summary of EBCs along with a comprehensive summary of the current compositions
and their interactions with steam and molten salts is presented. Finally, an
overview of the latest research directions for the potential next generation of
EBCs are outlined
