The pseudopotential method and the thermodynamics of alloys

Abstract

The authors review their work on the use of the pseudopotential method in the thermodynamics of alloys. Treatment of the theory of phase equilibria in alloys on the basis of the pseudopotential method makes it possible to use first principles in order to set up a thermodynamics of alloys in which the energy parameters are not presumed to be phenomenological but are calculated from the electronic characteristics of the pure components. The approach developed allows a priori calculation of the phase diagrams of alloys, the effect of cubic compression on phase diagrams, and the various thermodynamic functions of alloys. A classification of phases in alloys on the basis of analysis of their thermodynamic characteristics is proposed.