Thermal shock

Thermal shock is damage caused when rapid temperature changes create stress within a material. It can produce cracking, fracture, or other failure when temperature gradients exceed the material’s ability to accommodate them.

Thermal stress: Mechanical stress produced by temperature changes when expansion or contraction is constrained or uneven. Uneven heating or cooling creates the internal stresses that drive thermal shock.
Young's modulus: A measure of a solid material’s stiffness under elastic deformation. Stiffer materials develop greater stress for a given constrained thermal strain.
Thermal shock resistance: A material’s ability to withstand rapid temperature changes without cracking or failing. This property compares materials for components facing abrupt temperature changes.
Thermal fatigue: Progressive damage caused by repeated cycles of heating and cooling. Thermal shock can cause failure in one severe event; thermal fatigue accumulates across cycles.
Thermal expansion: The change in a material’s dimensions as its temperature changes. Different regions expand or contract by different amounts during rapid temperature changes.
Poisson's ratio: The ratio of transverse contraction to axial extension in a material under load. It influences the stress state produced by constrained thermal expansion.
Refractory: A heat-resistant material used to line furnaces, kilns, and other high-temperature equipment. Refractories must tolerate sharp heating and cooling during operation and maintenance.
Mechanical shock: Damage or stress caused by a sudden mechanical load or impact. Both can cause abrupt failure, but thermal shock begins with temperature change.
Temperature gradient: The rate at which temperature changes across distance in a material or space. A steep gradient concentrates expansion differences within the material.
Fracture toughness: A material’s resistance to crack extension under applied stress. Higher fracture toughness makes thermally induced cracks harder to propagate.

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