This paper focuses on the problem of temperature field and evaluation of the heat transfer coefficient in FGM cylindrical plates subjected to thermal shock. The cylindrical plates are made of five ceramic layers: purely Ai(2)O(3) layer and composite layers made of Al2O3 matrix and 5, 10, 15, 20 wt% content of ZrO2. The problem is solved in two stages. First, the heat transfer coefficient on the thermal shock surface is estimated by fitting the experimental data with calculated temperatures for a monolithic plate made of alumina. Then, the obtained heat transfer coefficient is used for prediction of the temperature field in the FGM plate subjected to the same boundary conditions. After comparison with the experimental data, the heat conduction characteristics of the alumina/zirconium composite can be estimated. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.