Existence of weak solutions for Cahn-Hilliard systems coupled with elasticity and damage

Abstract

The Cahn-Hilliard model is a typical phase field approach for describing phase separation and coarsening phenomena in alloys. This model has been generalized to the so-called Cahn-Larché system by combining it with elasticity to capture non-neglecting deformation phenomena, which occurs during phase separation in the material. Evolving microstructures such as phase separation and coarsening processes have a strong influence on damage initiation and propagation in alloys. We develop the existing framework of Cahn-Hilliard and Cahn-Larché systems by coupling these systems with a unidirectional evolution inclusion for an internal variable, describing damage processes. After establishing a weak notion of the corresponding evolutionary system, we prove existence of weak solutions for rate-dependent damage processes under certain growth conditions of the energy functional