Molecular dynamics studies on mechanical properties of graphene/nanotwinned aluminum matrix composites

Many studies have shown that both the nanotwinned structure and the graphene reinforcing phase can improve the mechanical properties of aluminum, but the synergistic effect of the two on the strengthening and toughening mechanisms of aluminum matrix composites has rarely been reported. In this work, the mechanical properties and microscopic deformation mechanisms of graphene/nanotwinned aluminum matrix composites under uniaxial tensile load are studied by molecular dynamics simulations. The effects of the distribution patterns of graphene and twin boundaries (TBs), their angles and the number of graphene layers on the mechanical behaviors of graphene/nanotwinned aluminum matrix composites are analyzed. It is found that the synergistic effect of TBs and graphene results in secondary reinforcement of aluminum matrix composites in the plastic stage, resulting in enhanced strength and toughness. Moreover, the elastic modulus, strength and toughness of graphene/nanotwinned aluminum matrix composites increase linearly with the number of graphene layers. By analyzing the microscopic deformation and dislocation evolution of aluminum matrix composites, the mechanisms of dislocation derivation and propagation induced by graphene and TBs are explored. In addition, it is found that there is a competition between graphene and TBs for the dislocation evolution, and the graphene can weaken the dislocation blocking effect of TBs. Finally, it is proved that the angle between graphene and TBs will weaken the mechanical properties of the composites. The effect of the TB angle on the mechanical properties of graphene/nanotwinned aluminum matrix composites is discussed in three cases, depending on the stress-strain curve and the microstructure deformation mechanism.