MSE 575 Transport Phenomena in Solids

Sem 2. Class 3, cr. 3 (offered in alternate years).  Prerequisite:  senior or graduate standing in engineering science.

MSE 575 is an elective course.

Weekly Schedule:  Three 50-minute lectures.

Energetics and kinetics of phase changes in metals and alloys. Nucleation and growth models, with special emphasis on the role of crystal defects. Selected topics in multicomponent diffusion. Offered in alternate years.

Relation of Course to Program Outcomes
1. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering to problems in materials engineering.
5. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems, particularly in the context of materials selection and design.

Goals
To develop a strong background in the kinetics of phase changes.  To understand and analyze diffusion in multicomponent, multiphase systems with emphasis on the thermodynamic and kinetic interactions among components and the role of defects.

Course Objectives
Upon completion of the course the student is able to:

  • identify homogeneous and heterogeneous transformations as well as the basic atomic processes that underly such transformations
  • develop kinetic expressions for thermally activated processes involving diffusion.
  • describe fluxes of individual components on the basis of stationary and various moving frames of reference.
  • set up Fick’s law for intrinsic and interdiffusion fluxes in terms of concentration gradients for both binary and multicomponent systems and determine intrinsic and interdiffusion coefficients for the various components from the concentration profiles of isothermal solid-solid and vapor-solid diffusion couples.
  • use data on interdiffusion coefficients for the generation and representation of concentration profiles for solid-solid and vapor-solid couples assembled in binary and ternary systems.
  • calculate interdiffusion fluxes of individual components at any section in the diffusion zone of multicomponent couples by-passing the need for interdiffusion coefficients.
  • identify the phenomenon of zero-flux planes and flux reversals in single phase and multiphase diffusion couples in multicomponent systems.
  • relate the motion of a planar interface to interdiffusion fluxes and concentrations at the interface during a phase transformation.
  • describe the development of planar and nonplanar interphase morphologies, single phase and multiphase diffusion layers with the aid of diffusion paths.
  • calculate equilibrium concentrations of vacancies, divacancies and impurity-vacancy clusters in metals and alloys from energies of formation of defects and to relate atom flows to vacancy flows.
  • identify variables that affect nucleation processes in solids.
  • analyze the growth of a phase as a diffusion-controlled or interface-controlled process.

Reference
“Atom Movements Diffusion and Mass Transport in Solids”, Jean Phillibert, les Editions de Physique 1991.
Typed class-notes and handouts.

Instructor
Mysore Dayananda

Contribution of course to meeting the professional component: MSE 575 is a materials-specific technical elective course.

Prepared by: Elliott Slamovich                                                            Date: April 25th, 2007