Stressing the fundamental solid state behavior of minerals, and emphasizing both theory and experiment, this text surveys the physics and chemistry of earth materials. The author begins with a systematic tour of crystal chemistry of both simple and complex structures (with completely new structural drawings) and discusses how to obtain structural and thermodynamic information experimentally. Dr. Navrotsky also reviews the quantitative concepts of chemical bonding--band theory, molecular orbit and ionic models. She then covers physical properties and relates microscopic features to macroscopic...

Many materials used in industry are crystals. These crystals often show anomalies, such as sudden softening or embrittlement at certain temperatures. If controlled, such behavior can be extremely useful, for manufacturing and high-technology applications. This is one of the first books to describe the recently determined physical origins of such behavior, and provides an insight into the important thermodynamic principles and microstructural properties involved. It starts with the fundamental principles of structural phase transitions in materials. Ferroelasticity, twinning and related...