Thermal-shock crack patterns explained by single and multiple crack propagation

The phenomenon of thermal-shock cracking in ceramics is approached theoretically and experimentally. Sintered slabs made from a glass-quartz powder mix were quenched in water in order to generate crack patterns of various types, depending on the severity of the shock. The patterns serve as evidence for a scheme set up with the aim of explaining the variety of ways in which materials respond to thermal shock. The fracture-mechanical explanations are based on the time-dependent thermal load and on the concept of an energy release rate, with single and multiple crack propagation starting from randomly distributed initial flaws on the surface.