Preface

This book was written to provide a foundation for interpreting phase diagrams. An emphasis was made on solving problems the way practitioners do rather than via the normal methods presented in texts. Additionally, most introductory texts ignore how phase diagrams are made. This text includes some information on how they are determined so interested readers can look up the techniques in more detailed texts. It also helps to present a wholistic view of phase diagrams. Lastly, the use of calculated phase diagrams in terms of materials engineering practice is introduced. This is an important topic that tends not to be covered in introductory texts.

Engineering is a field that requires solving problems to develop our understanding. The problems included represent a variety of materials and problems typical for materials engineers. Some problems are more in-depth than problems featured in a standard introductory text and should provide those already familiar with the topic with some new understanding. In addition, the examples were chosen to represent many common alloy systems and various phase reactions that can occur. The breadth of examples provides the reader with a better overall understanding of phase diagrams.