Multiscale Modeling for the Simulation of Damage Processes at Refractory Materials under Thermal Shock

Refractory materials, for example ceramic materials, initially contain a multitude of defects such as voids, microcracks, grain boundaries etc. The deformation process and failure mechanisms due to thermal shock at high temperatures above 1000°C are going along with the creation of new micro defects as well as the growth and coalescence of cracks. A material damage model based on the theoretical concept of damage mechanics and the mechanics of microcracks is presented in this paper. Cell models are developed as representative volume elements (RVE) including crack initiation and growth as well as microstructural shielding effects. For simple configurations of the microstructure, the relation between stress, strain and temperature is derived from analytical considerations. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)