Statistical Distribution of Pores in Solid and Molten Metals at Dynamic Tensile Fracture

Knowledge about the evolution of the size distribution of pores during fracture of material is essential for formulation and verification of the fracture models. Here we continue our previous study on the size distribution of pores in molten and solid metals in conditions of high-rate tension. We expand the previous molecular dynamics simulations on larger systems and lower strain rates. This simulations show that behaviour of solid metals can be more complex than in the case of melts. Solid metals can exhibit secondary nucleation of voids in intersection of lattice defects created by plastic growth of primary pores. Also we compare the obtained molecular dynamics results with theoretical model that takes into account nucleation of pores due to thermal fluctuations and variation of their sizes, which is governed by viscous flow in the case of melt or plasticity in the case of solid metals.