Thermodynamics of Non-Equilibrium Processes for Chemists with a Particular Application to Catalysis

Thermodynamics of non-equilibrium processes is a comparatively new area of thermodynamics. Traditionally this discipline is taught only to chemistry students who have a very strong background in physics. The author of the present book has adapted his course of thermodynamics of non-equilibrium processes so that the subject can be treated in terms understandable to any chemist with a formal physicochemical education in the fields of classical thermodynamics of equilibrium processes and traditional chemical kinetics.

The discipline combines thermodynamics and chemical kinetics and is helpful to researchers engaged in studying complex chemical transformations, in particular, catalytic transformations. For example, 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 tend to be “concealed” in courses. Fortunately, these concepts appear to be consistently and properly defined in terms of thermodynamics of non-equilibrium processes.

The present book is the synopsis of lectures on thermodynamics of non-equilibrium processes and a particular course on thermodynamics of operating catalysts.

Applies simple approaches of non-equilibrium thermodynamics to analyzing properties of chemically reactive systems

Covers systems far from equilibrium, allowing the consideration of most chemically reactive systems of a chemical or biological nature

This approach resolves many complicated problems in the teaching of chemical kinetics