REARRANGEMENT AT COHERENT INTERFACES IN HETEROGENEOUS SOLIDS

The rearrangement of species in the vicinity of coherent interfaces be tween chemically distinct vacancy-free solid substances is analyzed in the framework of thermodynamics. Irreversible thermodynamics show tha t two surface dissipative tensors are required for a consistent descri ption of slow rearrangement at coherent interfaces, contrary to grease d interfaces and free boundaries which require only one dissipative su rface tensor of self-diffusion. The additional tensor (named the tenso r of in-plane rearrangement) pertains to the interfaces between solid substances. The governing system of rearrangement postulated is concep tually the simplest; it is used for establishing the simplest dispersi on equations revealing the physics of the interface rearrangement proc esses.