Thermodynamics of Materials
Explore the fundamental competition between energy and disorder that determines the state of materials at equilibrium.
Thermodynamics of Materials
Explore the fundamental competition between energy and disorder that determines the state of materials at equilibrium.
How can thermodynamic principles be applied to predict physical phenomena? Thermodynamics of Materials is an online course that introduces you to the laws of thermodynamics and the concepts of equilibrium and thermodynamic potentials, and teaches you how to apply these ideas to solve materials science and engineering problems. Learn how to use materials data, computational techniques, and thermodynamics software for materials selection, process design, predictions, and more.
What you'll learn
- Understand the fundamental laws of thermodynamics through the lens of materials science and engineering
- Discover the molecular origins of enthalpy and entropy
- Describe what a thermodynamic system is and how to identify dependent and independent thermodynamics variables
- Construct unary and binary phase diagrams from thermodynamic principles and data, and use those to predict process outcomes and equilibrium states of reacting systems
- Learn how computational thermodynamics software works, how to find and assess data, and how to apply it to solve materials science and engineering problems
This course is organized into three sections covering the following topics:
Topic 1: Equilibrium
- Introduction to thermodynamics: enthalpy, entropy, and an atomic view
- Systems, states, and material properties
- Processes and the First Law of Thermodynamics
- Irreversible processes, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, and equilibrium
- The combined statement and differential forms
- Equilibrium conditions
Topic 2: Phase Diagrams
- Unary systems and phase diagrams
- Systems of reacting gases
- Introduction to binary phase diagrams
- The lever rule
- Partial molar properties and the common tangent construction
- Heterogeneous binary systems and ideal solutions
- Non-ideal solutions: Dilute and regular models
- Heterogeneous binary systems: Gibbs phase rule; eutectic, and peritectic reactions
- Reference states
- Intermediate phases and line compounds
- Ternary phase diagrams
- Reacting systems: Metal oxidation
Topic 3: Foundations
- Clausius’ statement and the Carnot efficiency limit
- Reversible and irreversible heat engines
- Introduction to statistical thermodynamics
Prerequisites
Knowledge of single and multivariable calculus; partial differential equations; data analysis; general chemistry.
Meet your instructors
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Thomas Lord Career Development Professor, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering -
Principal Lecturer and Digital Learning Scientist -
Instructor and Digital Learning Lab Fellow
Rafael Jaramillo
Rafael Jaramillo
Thomas Lord Career Development Professor, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Professor Jaramillo is broadly interested in the synthesis, properties and applications of electronic materials. His research focus areas fall under the control of sulfide and selenide semiconductors to enable energy and information technologies, and to further fundamental studies of solid state physics. For more information please check out his group’s web page: https://jaramillo.mit.edu
Jessica Sandland
Jessica Sandland
Principal Lecturer and Digital Learning Scientist
Jessica Sandland is a principal lecturer in MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE), where she leads online learning initiatives-- developing massive open online courses (MOOCs), collaborating with faculty, researching best practices in online learning, and designing blended learning experiences for the MIT community. She has overseen the development of a wide variety of DMSE’s online courses, including 3.086x (Innovation and Commercialization), 3.032x (Mechanical Behavior of Materials), 3.024x (Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of Materials), 3.15x (Electrical, Optical and Magnetic Materials and Devices), and 3.054x (Cellular Solids).
Jessica is one of the co-founders and leads of the MICRO program, whose mission is to provide a remote research and education experience for engineering undergraduates from disadvantaged backgrounds. She also serves as a senior member of Open Learning’s Digital Learning Laboratory. Her current research interests include the utility of peer review in open online courses and the use of humor in MOOCs, and she’s received awards for Best Paper in ‘20 and ‘22 for her contributions to the IEEE LWMOOCs Conference. Jessica also received the 2019 MITx Prize for Teaching and Learning in MOOCs and was a finalist for the 2019 edX prize. Jessica holds a Ph.D. in electronic materials from MIT.
John Harrold
John Harrold
Instructor and Digital Learning Lab Fellow
John Harrold is a Digital Learning Lab Fellow in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He earned his PhD in Biophysical Chemistry from Rutgers University. His research focused on photosynthesis and developing bioinspired energy applications. He moved to Cambridge for his postdoctoral appointment at Harvard University in Physics where he continued to study photosynthesis and working with biointerfaces. He serves as course coordinator for 3.012x Thermodynamics of Materials and is developing courses for MITx including Biomaterials.
His research focuses on finding lower cost alternatives to current commodities. To do this he is developing tools do metabolic engineering as well as novel synthetic techniques and applications. In his spare time John enjoys fencing both as a competitor and as a coach. He also likes to bicycle and hike as frequently as the Massachusetts weather will permit.