Scope

The central theme of the teaching was computational thermodynamics exploiting the Calphad method, and the school has addressed the practical assessment of multi-component systems using thermodynamic models. The importance and use of different kinds of theoretical and experimental data were underlined, as well as how theoretical calculations can be combined with experimental data by way of thermodynamic models, and integrated in multi-component databases applicable to modern materials.

Which audience?

PhD students, postdocs, academic and industrial scientists...

• working with assessment of thermodynamic systems and interested to gain a better understanding of modelling and how to handle the assessment software
• wishing to enhance their comprehension as to how atomistic simulations can be applied for establishing multi-components phase equilibria and diagrams
• interested in learning how to model defects, interstitial solutions, chemical and magnetic ordering
• wishing to become familiar with the coupling between thermodynamics, phase diagrams and microstructures
• interested in integrating thermodynamic databases in simulations of phase transformations
• ...

Overview

More than half of time at the school was devoted to practical assessment of real systems by the students themselves with assistance from the teachers. Some typical examples were considered in the courses as case studies. Participants were however encouraged to discuss the systems they were currently working on. A week is too short to perform a complete assessment of any system but one objective was to give the students a chance to understand how the available software tools can be used in particular cases.