thermal shock

Thermal shock refers to a significant and rapid temperature change and its impact on living organisms or structural components. In materials science, particularly with refractories, thermal shock occurs when an object is rapidly cooled from a high temperature. This rapid cooling causes the surface layers to contract more than the inner layers, creating tensile stress that can lead to cracks.12

Materials like ceramics can be engineered to resist thermal shock by adjusting their microstructure. Features such as larger grains and pores can help blunt cracks, reducing susceptibility. However, the need for crack blunting must be balanced with other requirements, like resistance to corrosion, which may necessitate a denser, less porous structure. Silicon carbide is noted for its high thermal conductivity, which helps prevent extreme temperature differences between layers and thus enhances its resistance to thermal shock.2