Thermal stress

These stresses can lead to fracturing or plastic deformation depending on the other variables of heating, which include material types and constraints.

In general, the greater the temperature change, the higher the level of stress that can occur.

An example of this is dental fillings can cause thermal stress in a person's mouth.

Sometimes dentists use dental fillings with different thermal expansion coefficients than tooth enamel, the fillings will expand faster than the enamel and cause pain in a person's mouth.

Once this material is attached to a rigid body at multiple locations, thermal stresses can be created in the geometrically constrained region.

A welding example involves heating and cooling of metal which is a combination of thermal expansion, contraction, and temperature gradients.

After a full cycle of heating and cooling, the metal is left with residual stress around the weld.

The change in temperature causes stresses on the surface that are in tension, which encourages crack formation and propagation.

[2] An example is when glass is heated up to a high temperature and then quickly quenched in cold water.