Materials Kinetics: Transport and Rate Phenomena

Materials Kinetics: Transport and Rate Phenomena provides readers with a clear understanding of how physical-chemical principles are applied to fundamental kinetic processes. The book integrates advanced concepts with foundational knowledge and cutting-edge computational approaches, demonstrating how diffusion, morphological evolution, viscosity, relaxation and other kinetic phenomena can be applied to practical materials design problems across all classes of materials. The book starts with an overview of thermodynamics, discussing equilibrium, entropy, and irreversible processes. Subsequent chapters focus on analytical and numerical solutions of the diffusion equation, covering Fick’s laws, multicomponent diffusion, numerical solutions, atomic models, and diffusion in crystals, polymers, glasses, and polycrystalline materials.

Dislocation and interfacial motion, kinetics of phase separation, viscosity, and advanced nucleation theories are examined next, followed by detailed analyses of glass transition and relaxation behavior. The book concludes with a series of chapters covering molecular dynamics, energy landscapes, broken ergodicity, chemical reaction kinetics, thermal and electrical conductivities, Monte Carlo simulation techniques, and master equations.

Covers the full breadth of materials kinetics, including organic and inorganic materials, solids and liquids, theory and experiments, macroscopic and microscopic interpretations, and analytical and computational approachesDemonstrates how diffusion, viscosity microstructural evolution, relaxation, and other kinetic phenomena can be leveraged in the practical design of new materialsProvides a seamless connection between thermodynamics and kineticsIncludes practical exercises that reinforce key concepts at the end of each chapter

1. Thermodynamics vs. Kinetics 2. Irreversible Thermodynamics  3. Fick’s Laws of Diffusion 4. Analytical Solutions of the Diffusion Equation  5. Multicomponent Diffusion  6. Numerical Solutions of the Diffusion Equation 7. Atomic Models for Diffusion 8. Diffusion in Crystals 9. Diffusion in Polycrystalline Materials 10. Motion of Dislocations and Interfaces 11. Morphological Evolution in Polycrystalline Materials 12. Diffusion in Polymers and Glasses 13. Kinetics of Phase Separation 14. Nucleation and Crystallization 15. Advanced Nucleation Theories 16. Viscosity of Liquids 17. Nonequilibrium Viscosity and the Glass Transition 18. Energy Landscapes 19. Broken Ergodicity 20. Master Equations 21. Relaxation of Glasses and Polymers 22. Molecular Dynamics 23. Monte Carlo Techniques 24. Fluctuations in Condensed Matter 25. Chemical Reaction Kinetics 26. Thermal and Electrical Conductivities