3 Credit Hours

This course provides a foundation for the advanced understanding of the phenomenological and atomistic kinetic process in materials and provides a broad overview of the important phase transitions that are critical to the structure-property relationships in materials. The topics covered include classifications of phase transitions, nucleation, growth, formal kinetics of phase transitions, diffusional phase transitions, and diffusionless phase transitions in solids.

Prerequisite

MSE 500 Modern Concepts in Materials Science, MSE 708 Mechanical Properties of
Nanostructored Materials or consent of the instructor.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course the students will be able to:

1. know the accepted classification schemes of phase transformations
2. be familiar with the concepts and theories for nucleation and growth
3. be able to calculate and explain the formal theories for the kinetics of phase transformations
4. be familiar with the common phase transformations including diffusional and diffusionless transformations

Course Requirements

EXAMINATIONS: 3 exams (25% each).
ORAL PRESENTATION: 25% of the final grade.

Textbook

David A. Porter and Kenneth E. Easterling: Phase transformations in metals and alloys.
John W. Christian: The Theory of Transformations in Metals and Alloys.

Updated: 12/16/2025.