Thermodynamics of Non-Equilibrium Processes for Chemists with a Particular Application to Catalysis consists of materials adapted from lectures on the thermodynamics of nonequilibrium processes that have been taught at the Department of Natural Sciences of Novosibirsk State University since 1995. The thermodynamics of nonequilibrium processes traditionally required students to have a strong background in physics. However, the materials featured in this volume allow anyone with knowledge in classical thermodynamics of equilibrium processes and traditional chemical kinetics to understand the subject. Topics discussed include systems in the thermodynamics of irreversible processes; thermodynamics of systems that are close to and far from equilibrium; thermodynamics of catalysts; the application of nonequilibrium thermodynamics to material science; and the relationship between entropy and information. This book will be helpful for research into complex chemical transformations, particularly catalytic transformations.
Thermodynamics of non-equilibrium processes is a comparatively new area of thermodynamics which traces back to the 1950 s. This area is traditionally considered as a very complex part of physical chemistry which is inapplicable in routine chemical investigations. Therefore, the traditional version of this discipline usually is taught only to chemistry students with a very strong background in physics.
The author has adapted the course of thermodynamics of non-equilibrium processes for students who study chemistry at Novosibirsk State University and discovered that the subject can be treated in terms understandable to any chemist who received his formal physicochemical education in the fields of classical thermodynamics of equilibrium processes and traditional chemical kinetics. Moreover, the discipline combines thermodynamics and chemical kinetics and thus may be helpful to researchers engaged in studying complex chemical transformations, in particular, catalytic ones. For example, the very important concepts for such studies are conditions of kinetic irreversibility of complex stepwise stoichiometric reactions, rate-determining and rate-limiting stages, etc. In traditional chemical kinetics these concepts are not very clear and thus are usually "concealed" in courses. Fortunately, these concepts appear to be consistently and properly defined in terms of thermodynamics of non-equilibrium processes.
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Thermodynamics of non-equilibrium processes is a comparatively new area of thermodynamics which traces back to the 1950 s. This area is traditionally considered as a very complex part of physical chemistry which is inapplicable in routine chemical investigations. Therefore, the traditional version of this discipline usually is taught only to chemistry students with a very strong background in physics.
The author has adapted the course of thermodynamics of non-equilibrium processes for students who study chemistry at Novosibirsk State University and discovered that the subject can be treated in terms understandable to any chemist who received his formal physicochemical education in the fields of classical thermodynamics of equilibrium processes and traditional chemical kinetics. Moreover, the discipline combines thermodynamics and chemical kinetics and thus may be helpful to researchers engaged in studying complex chemical transformations, in particular, catalytic ones. For example, the very important concepts for such studies are conditions of kinetic irreversibility of complex stepwise stoichiometric reactions, rate-determining and rate-limiting stages, etc. In traditional chemical kinetics these concepts are not very clear and thus are usually "concealed" in courses. Fortunately, these concepts appear to be consistently and properly defined in terms of thermodynamics of non-equilibrium processes.
