Various theoretical treatments and models for nonlocal diffusion are briefly reviewed and discussed. The nonlocal effects arise in far from equilibrium processes, which involve extremely fast heat and mass transfer at very small time and length scales. With only diffusive dynamics, the nonlocal models result in a set of transfer equations of parabolic type with an infinite velocity of diffusive disturbances. With the wavelike dynamics, the models lead to a set of transfer equations of hyperbolic type with a finite velocity of diffusive disturbances. Rapid solidification of binary alloys has been used to illustrate the influence of the nonlocal diffusion effects on solute partitioning at the phase interface. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.