CONTINUUM THEORIES OF MIXTURES: BASIC THEORY AND HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

In this paper we derive the basic equations of a continuum theory of mixtures and outline the historical development of the subject since 1957. As a particular example, a constitutive theory for a chemically inert mixture of two ideal gases is considered and the classical Fick's law is deduced from this theory. The results for a binary mixture of gases are also compared with those derived from the kinetic theory. Applications of the basic theory to different types of mixtures are discussed in (1).