Temperature Dependent Material Properties

All the thermal element types support temperature-dependent material properties. If this type of material is selected, you will define all the isotropic or orthotropic material properties at multiple temperatures in a tabular format. You can add a row to the bottom of the table by pressing the Add Row button. You can delete a row from the table by selecting the row and pressing the Delete Row button The temperature values must be input in ascending order. The data can be sorted according to increasing temperatures by pressing the Sort button.

The temperature values must cover the range of temperatures that will be encountered in the model.

You can also import the material properties from a csv file by pressing the Import button. The data in the csv file must be formatted into the appropriate number of columns. The properties should be in the same order as they appear in the table.

Note: The material property of an element is based on linearly interpolating the table using the average calculated temperature of the nodes. If the slope of the material property-temperature curve is large or there are stepped changes in the curve, a small time step and/or small mesh should be used to capture the effect of the changing material property within the element.

Tip: The values in the comma-separated file are imported using the active Display Units. Change the Display Units if necessary before importing the data. For example, a value of 314 is imported as 314°F if the Display Units are in Fahrenheit, and 314°C if the Display Units are in Celsius.

Refer to the isotropic or orthotropic properties for more information on the specific material properties.