This paper reviews glass transition kinetics models that are used to describe the formation of structural (for example, covalent and metallic) glasses as well as to account for the transition of a polymer to a solid glassy state. As the two approaches most used to model the glass transition over the last decade, the Tool—Narayanaswamy—Moynihan model and the Adam—Gibbs theory of the glass transition are described together with examples of their applications. Also discussed are entropy-based approaches that rely on irreversible thermodynamics methods originated in the work of De Donder, Mandelstam, and Leontovich. The actual problems that arise in application of these methods and the perspectives of their development are discussed. A brief overview on statistical glass transition models is given, including the mode-coupling and energy-landscape theories.

Keywords: glass transition, kinetics of glass transition, polymer glass transition, theory and modeling of glass transition, thermal properties of amorphous solids and glasses PACS: 61.43.Fs, 64.70.kj, 64.70.Q− (all) DOI: 10.3367/UFNe.0186.201601c.0047 URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2016/1/c/ 000374119000002 2-s2.0-84962910922 2016PhyU...59...42T Citation: Tropin T V, Schmelzer Ju W P, Aksenov V L "Modern aspects of the kinetic theory of glass transition" Phys. Usp. 59 42–66 (2016) BibTexBibNote ® (generic)BibNote ® (RIS)MedlineRefWorks Received: 17th, July 2015, revised: 8th, October 2015, accepted: 10th, October 2015 Оригинал: Тропин Т В, Шмельцер Ю В П, Аксенов В Л «Современные аспекты кинетической теории стеклования» УФН 186 47–73 (2016); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0186.201601c.0047