Thermal Shock Resistance
A measure of a material's ability to avoid mechanical damage during sudden changes in temperature. It is calculated as UTS/(E x Te), where UTS is the ultimate tensile strength, E is the elastic modulus, and Te is thermal expansion. That equation is one of the performance indices popularized by Michael F. Ashby. Since the derived units carry little physical significance, "points" are used instead.
Another use of the term thermal shock resistance is expressed in degrees of temperature. It is the maximum change in temperature that a material can rapidly undergo (for example, through quenching) without damage. Unlike the calculation described above, this property is obtained by physical testing, and data is seldom available outside of technical ceramics. In this database, it is referred to as maximum thermal shock.