1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 2Centre Interdisciplinaire de Nanoscience de Marseille - CNRS, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille
Phase transitions at interfaces in multi-component systems can result in the formation of adsorbed layers of widely varying thickness.In cases where the adsorbed layers are relatively thick they have often been referred to in the literature as surficial films or complexions.The origin of these layers is closely associated with the presence of wetting transitions.This paper will provide an overview of the effects of composition and temperature on layer thickness, obtained by modeling adsorption at surfaces and grain boundaries.Relevant experimental observations of interfacial phase transitions at the surfaces of several metallic alloy systems will also be summarized.