Effects of thermal environments on the thermal shock resistance of ultra-high temperature ceramics

In the present study, the temperature-dependent thermal shock resistances ofUltra-High Temperature Ceramics (UHTCs) were measured based on the currentevaluation theories of thermal shock resistance parameters, since thematerial parameters of the UHTCs are very sensitive to the changes oftemperature. The influence of some important thermal environmentparameters，such as the surface heat transfer coefficient, heat transfercondition, thermal stress decay modulus and initial temperature of thethermal shock，on the thermal shock resistance parameters, criticaltemperature of rupture and critical temperature difference of rupture of theUHTCs were studied considering the effects of temperature on the physicaland mechanical properties of the UHTCs within the range of thermal shocktemperature. The results show that thermal shock behaviour of the UHTCs isstrongly affected by the thermal environments.