An electro-thermo-chemo-mechanical coupled computational framework for contact–dissolution corrosion using a phase-field formulation

Metallic contact interfaces in electrical connectors, microelectromechanical systems, and related components are commonly subjected to sustained mechanical loading, electrical conduction, thermal effects, and corrosive environments. The strong coupling between contact constraints and evolving interfaces presents significant challenges for computational modeling, particularly when the contact state continuously changes during the interface evolution process. This work develops a unified phase-field computational framework for electro–thermo–chemo–mechanical contact problems with evolving interfaces. The governing equations are established within an irreversible thermodynamics framework, in which the contact contributions to the mechanical, electrical, thermal, and chemical fields are consistently incorporated. The formulation is implemented in a self-developed finite element code and assessed through benchmark comparisons with Abaqus simulations and experimental measurements of contact force degradation and corrosion morphology. Contact dissolution corrosion is subsequently employed as a representative application to demonstrate the capability of the proposed framework. The results show that dissolution initiates near the contact boundary and propagates inward, causing a progressive reduction in contact area, contact pressure, and load-bearing capacity, together with an increase in electrical contact resistance. The simulations also reveal a spatially nonuniform mechanical influence on corrosion: tensile stresses near the contact perimeter promote interface evolution, whereas compressive contact pressure suppresses dissolution within the central contact region. These findings establish the bidirectional interaction between corrosion-induced material loss and the mechanical and electrical response of metallic contact interfaces.