Positively invariant regions for a problem in phase transitions (Q1820302)

This paper is devoted to construct positively invariant regions in the wv-plane for a system of equations with specific initial conditions. In these equations the pressure (p) versus specific volume (w) diagram is considered as containing equilibrium configurations for materials undergoing first order phase transitions. Then, these phase transitions in classical theories of equilibrium have reconciled such p-w graphs with non-monotone constitutive relations by approximations of flat regions where the average value of p was taken equal to its value at the inflection point. This choice of p is motivated by the Maxwell construction for a van der Waals fluid.