Shock wave interactions with nano-structured materials: a molecular dynamics approach

Porous materials have long been known to be effective in blast mitigation strategies. Nano-structured materials appear to have an even greater potential for blast mitigation because of their high surface-to-volume ratio, a geometric factor which substantially attenuates shock wave propagation. A molecular dynamics approach was used to explore the effects of this remarkable property on the behavior of traveling shocks impacting on solid materials. The computational setup included a moving piston, a gas region, and a target solid wall with and without a porous structure. The materials involved were represented by realistic interaction potentials. The results indicate that the presence of a nano-porous material layer in front of the target wall reduced the stress magnitude and the energy deposited inside the solid by about 30 %, while at the same time substantially decreasing the loading rate.