Phase equilibria course content

In this first elementary treatment of this problem, these complications are avoided by confining ourselves to the calculation of the maximum loss that can occur in the course of a single temperature cycle. This is achieved by assuming that the tank contents are well mixed and in thermal and phase equilibrium at the maximum temperature attained in a cycle. The result is an enormous simplification of the problem because we are now dealing merely with algebraic expressions representing the vapor pressure of the system and the appropriate gas laws. 

Figure 4. Calculated 5 °0 of silicate melt in equilibrium with co-existing minerals over the course of equilibrium crystallization, plotted vs. measured MgO contents of those melts. Calculated 5 0 of co-existing olivine is shown for comparison (other minerals follow patterns similar to olivine and are excluded for simphcity). All calculations are based on measured phase chemistries and proportions in experiments of Tormey et al.

Taken together, the 13 chapters in this book probably represent somewhat more material than can comfortably fit into a standard semester course. Thus departments or individual instructors will need to make some further choices as to the content that is most suitable for their own students. We suspect that many instructors will not choose to include all of the material on equilibrium in Chapter 12, for example. Similarly, we have included more topics in Chapter 8, on condensed phases, than we expect most faculty will include in their courses. 

---