We present a molecular dynamics (MD) study of the micro-spallation of lead (Pb), which corresponds to damage and liquid fragment ejection following the reflection of a strong shock wave on the free surface of the target. First, the Hugoniot and melting curves of Pb are derived by equilibrium MD simulations, and the potential function is validated by comparing these curves with experimental results. Then nonequilibrium MD simulations are conducted to study the dynamical processes of micro-spallation. Damage and ejection processes are analyzed by a binning analysis and direct observations of atom configurations. Comparisons with classical spallation simulations or experiments are made where necessary. It is found that damages in classical spallation and micro-spallation are both dominated by cavitation, i.e. nucleation and the growth and coalescence of voids. The main difference in the cavitation process of classical and micro-spallation lies in the amount and spatial distribution of void nucleation sites. Different properties in dynamical stress evolutions between micro-spallation and classical spallation are also discussed. In addition, the properties of the surface micro-spall are found to be different from those of interior micro-spall particles in some shock intensity regimes. Factors that cause such differences are studied by analyzing in detail the thermodynamics paths of different parts of the shocked target.

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Abstract:We present systematic investigations on the shock responses of nanoporous aluminum (np-Al) by nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The dislocation nucleation sites are found to concentrate in low latitude region near the equator of the spherical void surfaces. We propose a continuum wave reflection theory and a resolved shear stress model to explain the distribution of dislocation nucleation sites. The simulations reveals two mechanisms of void collapse: the plasticity mechanism and the internal jetting mechanism. The plasticity mechanism, which leads to transverse collapse of voids, prevails under relatively weaker shocks; while the internal jetting mechanism, which leads to longitudinal filling of the void vacuum, plays more significant role as the shock intensity increases. In addition, an abnormal thermodynamic phenomenon (i.e., arising of temperature with pressure dropping) in shocked np-Al is discovered. This phenomenon is incompatible with the conventional Rankine-Hugoniot theory, and is explained by the nonequilibrium processes involved in void collapse. The influences of void collapse on spall fracture of np-Al is studied. Under the same loading velocity, the spall strength of np-Al is found to be lower than that of single-crystal Al; but the spall resistance is higher in np-Al than in single-crystal Al. This is explained by the combined influences of thermal dissipation and stress attenuation during shock wave propagation in np-Al.