In the interest of transparency, MRS is a co-publisher of this title. However, this review was requested and reviewed by an independent Book Review Board.
This authoritative volume introduces the reader to computational thermodynamics and the use of this approach to the design of material properties by tailoring the chemical composition. The text covers applications of this approach, introduces the relevant computational codes, and offers exercises at the end of each chapter.
The book has nine chapters and two appendices that provide background material on computer codes. Chapter 1 covers the first and second laws of thermodynamics, introduces the spinodal limit of stability, and presents the Gibbs–Duhem equation. Chapter 2 focuses on the Gibbs energy function. Starting with a homogeneous system with a single phase, the authors proceed to phases with variable compositions and polymer blends. The discussion includes the contributions of external electric and magnetic fields to the Gibbs energy. Chapter 3 deals with phase equilibria in heterogeneous systems, the Gibbs phase rule, and phase diagrams. Chapter 4 briefly covers experimental measurements of thermodynamic properties used as input for thermodynamic modeling by calculation of phase diagrams (CALPHAD).
Chapter 5 discusses the use of density functional theory to obtain thermochemical data and fill gaps where experimental data are missing. The chapter introduces the Vienna ab initio simulation package (VASP) for density functional theory and the YPHON code for phonon calculations. Chapter 6 introduces the modeling of Gibbs energy of phases using the CALPHAD method. Chapter 7 deals with chemical reactions and the Ellingham diagram for metal oxide systems, and presents the calculation of the maximum reaction rate from equilibrium thermodynamics. Chapter 8 is devoted to electrochemical reactions and Pourbaix diagrams with application examples. Chapter 9 concludes this volume with the application of a model of multiple microstates to Ce and Fe3Pt. CALPHAD modeling is briefly discussed in the context of genomics of materials.
The book introduces basic thermodynamic concepts clearly and directs readers to appropriate references for advanced concepts and details of software implementation. The list of references is quite comprehensive. The authors make liberal use of diagrams to illustrate key concepts. The two appendices discuss software requirements and the file structure, and present templates for special quasi-random structures. There is also a link to download pre-compiled binary files of the YPHON code for Linux or Microsoft Windows systems. The exercises at the end of the chapters assume that the reader has access to VASP, which is not freeware. Readers without access to this code can work on a limited number of exercises. However, results from other first-principle codes can be organized in the YPHON format, as explained in the appendix. This book will serve as an excellent reference on computational thermodynamics, and the exercises provided at the end of each chapter make it valuable as a graduate level textbook.
Reviewer: Ram Devanathan is Acting Director of the Earth Systems Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, USA.
