Equilibrium Between Phases of Matter Phenomenology and Thermodynamics [Paperback]

The first volume of this work is organized in three levels, so that the portion and importance of thermodynamics and mathematics increase from level to level. The ground level shows that basics of phase equilibria can be understood without thermodynamics provided the concept of chemical potential is introduced early. The intermediate level introduces thermodynamics, culminating in the Gibbs energy as the arbiter for equilibrium. At the third level the accent is on binary systems, where one or more phases are solutions of the components. Priority is given throughout to the thermodynamic assessment of experimental data. 200 exercises are included with solutions.

This work is organized in three levels, so that the portion and importance of thermodynamics and mathematics increase from level to level. Priority is given throughout to the thermodynamic assessment of experimental data. 200 exercises are included with solutions.

About the book, the project Equilibrium Between Phases of Matter  Phenomenology and Thermodynamics is a textbook, in which the phenomenology, the thermodynamic theory, and the practical use of phase diagrams are presented in three levels that diverge in nature  in particular as regards the role of thermodynamics. The book has been written from a chemical and geological teaching background. Each of the three levels of the book is representative of a particular course in a curriculum. Level 0: an introduction to phase diagrams The philosophy behind the ground level is that most of the characteristics of equilibrium between phases can be understood without the use of thermodynamics, realizing that, in a common-sense manner, the experimental observations on equilibria and spontaneous changes, and elementary notions about interactions, indicate the way to go. In spite of all this, the central figure in level zero, right from the beginning, is the chemical potential  a concept firmly rooted in thermodynamics. Equilibrlsª