4. Evolution of solid reactivity

The reactivity of solids at high temperatures, and its "kinetic" branch in particular, are certainly far from being mature disciplines. They are of fundamental interest for understanding the evolution over time of solid matter, brought to high temperature, but above all, in a given environment, they offer the promise of progress in the reliability and ageing of a great many materials, new or otherwise, which is of primary interest to the engineer.

The conceptual complexity of this branch of physical chemistry is not very great, but it is relatively little-known, resulting in numerous errors and misunderstandings both in scientific publications, even at the highest level, and in design offices. The cause is insufficient teaching in universities and engineering schools.

In the coming years, we can expect to see major developments in solid...