The aim of this book is to present Classical Thermodynamics in a unified way, from the most fundamental principles to non-uniform systems, thereby requiring the introduction of coarse graining methods, leading for instance to phase field methods. Solutions thermodynamics and temperature–concentration phase diagrams are covered, plus also a brief introduction to statistical thermodynamics and topological disorder. The Landau theory is included along with a general treatment of multicomponent instabilities in various types of thermodynamic applications, including phase separation and order–disorder transitions. Nucleation theory and spinodal decomposition are presented as extreme cases of a single approach involving the all-important role of fluctuations.

In this way, it is hoped that this coverage will reconcile in a unified manner techniques generally presented separately in physics and materials texts.