Refers to mechanical stresses in a composite material that are caused by differences in temperature or thermal expansion. If two or more materials with different coefficients of thermal expansion are bonded together, temperature changes inevitably lead to different expansions of the materials. The resulting stresses in the materials involved are referred to as thermo-mechanical stresses. These stresses often lead to warping of the entire component and to material fatigue during operation.

See also: coefficient of linear thermal expansion