The main objective of the contributions contained in this volume is to present the thermodynamic foundations of the response of elastic and dissipative materials. In particular, the governing equations of non linear thermoelasticity and thermoinelasticity as well as the basic properties of these equations as resulting from the primary assumptions of continuum thermodynamics are derived. The global formulation of thermodynamics of continua is discussed. A special attention is paid to the properties of the balance equations on a singular surface. The possible forms of the second law of thermodynamics are discussed within the frame work ofaxiomatic thermodynamics. Furthermore, the thermodynamiG requirements for differ ent kinds of materials are examined. The secondary purpose of the Course was to discuss some connections between rational and classical formulations of the principles of thermodynamics. The present volume contains the texts of three (of the four delivered) Course lectures. I hope it will constitute a useful source of information on the problems presented and discussed in Udine. Special thanks are due to the International Centre for Mechanical Sciences whose direction encouraged us to prepare and to deliver the lectures.

In this invaluable book, macroscopic irreversible thermodynamics is presented in its realm and its splendor by appealing to the notion of internal variables of state. This applies to both fluids and solids with or without microstructures of mechanical or electromagnetic origin. This unmatched richness of essentially nonlinear behaviors is the result of the use of modern mathematical techniques such as convex analysis in a clear-cut framework which allows one to put under the umbrella of “irreversible thermodynamics” behaviors which until now have been commonly considered either not easily covered, or even impossible to incorporate into such a framework.The book is intended for all students and researchers whose main concern is the rational modeling of complex and/or new materials with physical and engineering applications, such as those accounting for coupled-field, hysteresis, fracture, nonlinear-diffusion, and phase-transformation phenomena.