Program Overview

Introduction to MSE 575

MSE 575 is an elective course offered in alternate years, with a prerequisite of senior or graduate standing in engineering science. The course focuses on the energetics and kinetics of phase changes in metals and alloys, including nucleation and growth models, with special emphasis on the role of crystal defects.

Course Objectives

The primary objectives of MSE 575 are to:

• Develop a strong background in the kinetics of phase changes
• Understand and analyze diffusion in multicomponent, multiphase systems with emphasis on the thermodynamic and kinetic interactions among components and the role of defects

Course Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students will be 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
• 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 Materials

The course references the book "Atom Movements Diffusion and Mass Transport in Solids" by Jean Phillibert, as well as typed class-notes and handouts.

Instructor and Contribution to Professional Component

The course is taught by Mysore Dayananda, and it contributes to meeting the professional component as a materials-specific technical elective course.