THERMAL STRESSDOE-HDBK-1017/2-93Thermal ShockIf the material is not constrained, it expands, and one or more of its dimensions increases. Thethermal expansion coefficient (a) relates the fractional change in length , called thermalDllstrain, to the change in temperature per degree DT.a=(3-1)DllDT=aDT(3-2)Dllwhere:l=length (in.)Dl=change in length (in.)a=linear thermal expansion coefficient (°F-1)DT=change in temperature (°F)Table 1 lists the coefficients of linear thermal expansion for several commonly-encounteredmaterials.TABLE 1 Coefficients of Linear Thermal ExpansionMaterialCoefficientsofLinearThermalExpansion(°F-1)Carbon Steel5.8 x 10-6Stainless Steel9.6 x 10-6Aluminum13.3 x 10-6Copper9.3 x 10-6Lead16.3 x 10-6MS-03Page 2Rev. 0
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