Thermodynamics of Materials

Catalog description

This course will enable students to appropriately apply engineering, chemical, and statistical thermodynamics to solve problems, to use thermodynamics to predict and interpret phase equilibria and stability in unary and multicomponent systems, to describe liquid and solid solution behavior using solution thermodynamics, to describe thermal behavior of condensed matter including phase transitions and order-disorder transformations, and to analytically examine adsorption processes using surface thermodynamics. Students will learn to use thermochemical calculation software, and the principles behind how these software operate. This course will use a combination of lectures, in-class discussions, problem-based learning, and project-based learning experiences to provide students with a strong foundation in thermodynamics of materials. The learning goals listed above contribute to the program goals that the Ph.D. Program in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) has set forth for its graduate students.