Role of Physical Properties in the Resistance of Brittle Ceramics to Failure by Thermal Buckling

An analysis is presented of the role of the physical properties which affect the thermal buckling behavior of ceramic materials for various geometric and thermal conditions. For a column with slight initial curvature or a curvature as the result of a transverse temperature gradient, expressions are derived for the maximum increase in temperature, ΔTmax or transverse temperature gradient, or heat flux to which the column can be subjected to avoid failure under the influence of the bending stresses. From the solutions obtained several “thermal buckling resistance parameters” are defined for comparing the relative thermal buckling resistance of brittle materials. Numerical examples indicate that thermal buckling of brittle materials of the proper geometry can occur relatively easily.