International Journal Of Non Equilibrium Processing

The rapid technological developments during the later half of the 20th century have demanded materials that are stronger, capable of use at much higher temperatures, more corrosion-resistant, and much less expensive than those currently used. These demands become even more significant on the threshold of the new century and the millennium. Significant improvements in properties can only be achieved by processing the materials under far-from-equilibrium (or non-equilibrium) conditions. Several new processing technologies have been developed during the past few decades including, rapid solidification, spray forming, mechanical alloying, ion mixing, vapor deposition, laser processing and plasma processing. Remarkable advances have been made in recent years in the science and technology of these processes used to synthesize, characterize, and apply these materials processed under non-equilibrium conditions. Some of these techniques have evolved from laboratory curiosity to commercial-scale manufacturing in just a few years. In other cases, industrial necessity prompted development of the technology, and the science followed later. The chapters in this book have been written by people who are world-recognized experts in their respective fields. Each chapter describes the principles, processing techniques, special features of the materials produced, and their applications. An extensive list of references is provided at the end of each chapter that will facilitate location of additional information on specific aspects of any technique.

The present volume studies the application of concepts from non-equilibrium thermodynamics to a variety of research topics. Emphasis is on the Maximum Entropy Production (MEP) principle and applications to Geosphere-Biosphere couplings. Written by leading researchers from a wide range of backgrounds, the book presents a first coherent account of an emerging field at the interface of thermodynamics, geophysics and life sciences.

Almost all processing of technologically important materials includes a process where liquid material is cooled to form a solid, called "solidification." In order to form a solid from an undercooled melt, the formation of crystalline nuclei and growth of these nuclei to form a solid are necessary. The process of an atom jumping from the liquid to the solid is a diffusive jump with a driving force. The book Solidification is logically developed through a careful presentation of the relevant theories and models of solidification occurring in a variety of materials. Mathematicians, chemists, physicists, and engineers concerned with melting/freezing phenomena will also find this book to be valuable.

This book presents the physical concepts and tools to characterize and describe the formation of metastable solids from undercooled melts. Its aim is to facilitate understanding of the development of the science and technology of solidification of melts and to introduce new concepts within this exciting research field in order to fulfil the challenges of the future in the field of undercooled melts. A comprehensive description of the science and applications of the undercooling phenomenon is given. It is composed of several main parts: experimental techniques for undercooling; characterization of the undercooled melt as the first step in rapid solidification; introducing the concepts of modern theories of rapid dendrite and eutectic growth and their comparison with experimental results, and a survey of metastable materials formed from the non-equilibrium state of an undercooled melt. * Showing clear links to possible application of results obtained from basic research * The subject matter is multidisciplinary and will be of interest to material scientists, physicists, physical chemists, mechanical and electrical engineers

Current interest in research of solidification of melts is focussed to understand crystal nucleation and crystal growth. They determine the solidified product with its physical properties. A detailed description of these processes lead to the development and validation of physical models, which may form the basis of quantitative modelling of solidification routes in e.g. casting and foundry processes in order to develop a predictive capability in the design of materials during solidification. This book, based on a symposium held at EUROMAT 2003 aims to gives an overview on current developments in the research of solidification and crystallisation of liquids. The materials of interest range from metals and their alloys over semiconductors and isolators to organic substances.

Rapid Solidification Processing of molten metals and alloys has proved to be a reliable route for producing new and advanced materials. The Chill-Block Melt Spin (CBMS) technique is important because its simplicity, flexibility and perfection. High quality materials can be produced with lower costs, as compared to other routes, by refining the microstructure and trapping the nucleated (new) metastable phases. Melt-spun ribbons subsequently produced can then be consolidated to produce billets and sheets that can be used in many industries especially high-tech industries such as aerospace and racing automobiles. This book contains several perspectives about CBMS technology and should be a useful review for undergraduate and post-graduate metallurgy students.