Transient response for a half-space with variable thermal conductivity and diffusivity under thermal and chemical shock

The present work aims to investigate the transient thermoelastic diffusive response for a half-space with variable thermal conductivity and diffusivity in the context of the generalized thermoelastic diffusion theory. The boundary plane of the half-space is assumed to be traction free and subjected to a time-dependent thermal and chemical shock. The governing equations of the problem are formulated by using Kirchhoff's transformation. Due to the complexity of the equations, Laplace transformation method is applied to solve them. Numerical results are obtained and illustrated graphically. Parameter studies are performed to evaluate the effects of variable thermal conductivity and diffusivity on the response. The present investigation could be helpful for better understanding the multifield coupling effect of mechanical and thermal fields in real materials.