Improving the mechanical shock response of aluminum by graphene composition: molecular dynamic simulation study

Investigating the resistance of materials in some applications, such as aerospace, to ballistic shocks is of great importance. This article used molecular dynamics simulation to study the effect of mechanical shock under impact loads. In the ballistic shock simulation of aluminum-graphene nanocomposites, the Mishin, Tersoff, and Lennard–Jones potentials were used for aluminum, carbon in the projectile, and aluminum-carbon nanocomposites. The study results show that the presence of graphene sheets in aluminum increases its mechanical properties, including Young's modulus and yield strength. Adding graphene prevents projectile penetration into the material, so aluminum with a higher percentage of graphene will have maximum absorption in less time. Furthermore, the effect of adding more graphene layers to aluminum was also investigated. Specifically, single to five-layer graphene sheets absorb 11, 28, 53.5, and 90% of the projectile's energy, respectively. Furthermore, some optimal configuration for withstanding along the external projectile was discussed here.