Parametric study of crack propagation under thermal shock using phase field method

Thermal shock is a major concern for brittle and quasi-brittle construction materials such as ceramics as it can easily lead to fracture. The complex mechanism and fracture pattern of this phenomenon make its analysis and prediction challenging. The phase-field method in this context is a promising candidate for simulating this phenomenon. By representing a discrete crack with a continuous damage variable that evolves according to its governing equations, the entire fracture process could be captured within the original finite element mesh. In this work, we developed a phase-field thermomechanical fracture model and implemented it into Abaqus software to reproduce literature work on the fracture behavior of ceramic materials subjected to water quenching. Different types of ceramic plates at various temperature conditions were investigated. The obtained results showed good agreement with the published works, validating the model implementation to be applied to further studies.