Course - Thermodynamics of Materials - MT8307
Thermodynamics of Materials
About
About the course
Course content
The course is aimed at giving the students insight into thermodynamics for solids and thermodynamics for nanoscale systems. Focus will be on phase-stability, surfaces, interfaces, and adsorption, as well as the size-depenence of nanoscale systems. We will discuss trends in formation enthalpies, heat capacities, and entropy for inorganic compounds. Selected thermodynamic models, experimental methods, and methods for theoretical computation of thermodynamic data will be described. Course will run autumn 2026
Learning outcome
After the course the student should have the following knowledge:
- Apply chemical thermodynamics to a quantitative description of phase stability applied to both single and multicomponent phases.
- The concepts of thermodynamics of surfaces and interfaces and trends in interfacial thermodynamic data of materials
- Trends in thermodynamic data of important class of inorganic materials
- Microscopic models for the thermodynamics of solutions
- Microscopic models for the heat capacity and entropy of solids
- Theoretical methods to calculate thermodynamic date from first principles.
- Basic understanding of scaling laws, and how they apply to nano-scale system
- Use of Kirkwood-Buff theory, and how local structure influence macroscopic properties
- Use of statistical mechanics and use of computer models to determine thermodynamic properties of liquids, solids, or liquid/solid interfaces.
Learning methods and activities
Lectures, seminars, one semester project and self study. Expected time usage:
- Lectures: 40 hours,
- Work on semester project and presentation: 60 hours.
- Selfstudy: 100 hours.
If there are fewer than three candidates, the course will be taught through colloquium work.
Compulsory assignments
- Project work
Further on evaluation
The course has a mandatory project, that will be presented to the other students towards the end of the semester. This will have to be approved to have access to the exam. The project will involve a self-selected paper relevant to the PhD-topic of the candidate. In addition, the candidate will develop a computational model, and implement this in a programing language of own choosing. This will be presented with the paper project. The project will as far as possible be relevant for the students work. If the project has been approved in the last two iterations of the course, it does not have to be repeated.
Recommended previous knowledge
Chemical thermodynamics
Required previous knowledge
Chemical thermodynamics corresponding to TMT4155
Course materials
- Svein Stølen and Tor Grande, Chemical thermodynamics of Materials, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2004
- Dick Bedeaux, Signe Kjelstrup, Sondre K. Schnell, Nanothermodynamics. General Theory, Porelab, 2020.
- Selected scientific publications
Subject areas
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Physics
- Chemistry