ENGS 132 Thermodynamics and Kinetics in Condensed Phases
This course discusses the thermodynamics and kinetics of phase changes and transport in condensed matter, with the objective of understanding the microstructure of both natural and engineered materials. Topics include phase equilibria, atomic diffusion, interfacial effects, nucleation and growth, solidification of one-component and two-component systems, solubility, precipitation of gases and solids from supersaturated solutions, grain growth, and particle coarsening. Both diffusion-assisted and diffusionless or martensitic transformations are addressed. The emphasis is on fundamentals. Applications span the breadth of engineering, including topics such as polymer transformations, heat treatment of metals, processing of ceramics and semiconductors. Term paper.