THE ENTROPY PRODUCTION - NEW RESULTS

Thermokinetics is the general kinetic theory of physico-chemical pheno mena. Although its basic conception is very old, the thermodynamic the ory has been developed only in the last two decades. The scope of Ther mokinetics extends to equilibria (dynamics of equilibria), to near-equ ilibrium (Onsagerian Irreversible Thermodynamics) and far from equilib rium processes (chemical reactions). The kinetic treatment results in new interpretations for old concepts, such as rate coefficients, symme try relations, cross effects, etc. It uses the concept ''charge'' borr owed from other branches of physics and introduces a new (fourth) fund amental quantity, the Entropy Dissipation Function (D-S). It is shown here that the second differentials of D-S play important thermodynamic and technical roles. One of them is the well known quantity, the Entr opy Production.