This book provides a comprehensive exploration of the fundamental principles of thermodynamics and kinetics in materials science, offering a balanced integration of theoretical frameworks, computational methodologies, and real-world applications. Covering both equilibrium and non-equilibrium thermodynamics, it introduces key concepts such as thermodynamic laws, phase diagrams, reaction kinetics, and transport phenomena.
A distinctive feature of this book is its dedicated coverage of computational thermodynamics and kinetics, including CALPHAD modeling, Monte Carlo simulations, phase-field methods, and coupled thermodynamics-kinetics approaches. These topics are critical for understanding the behavior of materials in complex, real-world conditions. Additionally, the book examines capillarity-driven morphological evolution, microstructural coarsening, and diffusion mechanisms, all of which are fundamental to material design and processing.
Designed as a textbook for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as a reference for researchers and professionals, this book provides a structured approach to mastering thermodynamics and kinetics in materials science. The integration of theoretical foundations with computational techniques ensures that readers develop a robust, application-oriented understanding of the subject.
Professor K. A. Padmanabhan is a renowned Indian metallurgical/ materials engineer with over five decades of contributions to research, education, and leadership in his and allied fields. He earned his B.Sc. (Metallurgy) from Banaras Hindu University (1968) and completed his Ph.D. in Materials Science & Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge, U.K., in 1972. He is the first Indian engineer to receive a Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) from Cambridge for outstanding research and the first Indian to be conferred the “Forschungspreis” (Humboldt Prize) of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany.
Prof. Padmanabhan served as Professor and Head of Metallurgical & Materials Engineering, and the Dean of Research, both at IIT Madras, and later as the Director of IIT Kanpur (1997–2001). He has been Professor of Eminence at Anna University, Chennai (2006-2008; since 2015 to date), and a member of the Research & Innovation Advisory Board of TCS, India’s largest computer company (2010-2024).
He is a pioneer in superplasticity, nanostructured materials, and research on metal formability and forming, and his work on the origin of grain boundary sliding and the inverse Hall–Petch effect has earned him international recognition. With over 320 international research papers, several books, and 12 patents, Prof. Padmanabhan has received numerous honors (including 5 Lifetime Achievement Awards). He is a Fellow of 18 Academies of Science as well as Engineering, spread across the globe.
Professor S. Balasivanandha Prabu is Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Anna University, Chennai, where he also served as Head of Department from 2021 to 2025. He earned his M.E. from the College of Engineering, Guindy, and completed his Ph.D. at Anna University in 2005. With over two decades of teaching and research experience, his work spans composite materials, nanostructured metals, severe plastic deformation, and advanced manufacturing processes, with a focus on the materials aspects of production engineering. He has published more than 150 research papers, contributed to several books and chapters, and co-authored the acclaimed volume Superplasticity: Common Basis for a Near-Ubiquitous Phenomenon (Springer, 2018). Prof. Prabu’s research and leadership have significantly advanced materials engineering education and industry collaboration in India. He is Inventor of three Indian patents.
Akash Bhattacharjee is Innovative Computational Materials Scientist with over a decade of experience in alloy design, computational thermodynamics, and integrated computational materials engineering (ICME). His expertise spans microstructure modeling, additive manufacturing, and the application of AI/ML in advanced materials design. At TCS Research, Tata Consultancy Services, he focuses on optimizing digital manufacturing processes for sustainability and energy efficiency. He has extensive experience working with steels, Ni-based superalloys, and aluminum alloys. Akash holds an M.Tech. in materials engineering from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore (2013–2015). He was part of the award-winning team that secured the First Prize in the AM-Bench 2018 international benchmarking competition, organized by NIST, USA, for accurately predicting microstructure evolution during additive manufacturing.
Dr. B.P. Gautham is currently Chief Scientist in the Knowledge Engineering and Engineering Decision Platforms group at TCS Research, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., Pune, where he has been contributing to research and innovation advances since 1994. His work focuses on transformational research and next- generation digital solutions for engineering decision-making. He integrates simulation tools, artificial intelligence, and experiments to solve complex industrial problems in product design and manufacturing, with a focus on enhancing performance and optimizing processes. His research interests include knowledge modeling and reasoning for engineering decisions, computational techniques for multi-physics problems, and the application of AI and data science in materials and mechanical engineering.
Dr. Gautham earned his Ph.D. (1994) and B.Tech. (1990) in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He has published two books, three book chapters, and over ninety research papers spanning mechanical engineering, materials science, and computer science.
