Principles of Classical Thermodynamics, Applied to Materials Science

The aim of this book is to present Classical Thermodynamics in a unified way, from the most fundamental principles to non-uniform systems, thereby requiring the introduction of coarse graining methods, leading for instance to phase field methods. Solutions thermodynamics and temperature–concentration phase diagrams are covered, plus also a brief introduction to statistical thermodynamics and topological disorder. The Landau theory is included along with a general treatment of multicomponent instabilities in various types of thermodynamic applications, including phase separation and order disorder transitions. Nucleation theory and spinodal decomposition are presented as extreme cases of a single approach involving the all-important role of fluctuations.

In this way, it is hoped that this coverage will reconcile in a unified manner techniques generally presented separately in physics and materials texts.

Readership: Students and professionals in solid state physics and materials science.

Didier de Fontaine went to High School in Europe and in the US, obtained an MS degree in Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Louvain, Belgium, then performed his required military service in the Belgian Navy, obtaining the rank of Reserve Lieutenant. Later, he taught physical metallurgy at Lovanium University in the Congo (Kinshasa), then returned to the US to obtain a PhD in Materials Science, which was then a new discipline created at Northwestern University. That was followed by two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Bell Telephone Labs, then 10 years on the faculty at the Materials Science Department at UCLA as Associate Professor. He transferred later to UC Berkeley as Professor of Materials Science, from which he retired in 1995. Didier de Fontaine has authored or co-authored over 200 publications in Materials Science and Solid State Physics. He has been elected Fellow of the American Physical Society, the Materials, Mining and Minerals Society and Honorary Member of the Japanese Institute of Metals and Materials. He is the recipient of the Turnbull Lectureship Award, the Hume-Rothery Award, the Berkeley Citation and the Distinguished Career Award from Northwestern University. In addition he has received several Exceptional Creativity Awards from the US National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. He and his wife have three sons and seven grandchildren.