Fracture in nanoporous gold: An integrated computational and experimental study

We present simulation/experimental integrated study examining crack propagation in nanoporous gold. We utilized a simulation technique that combines continuum fracture mechanics with molecular dynamics. We applied this to a large atomistic digital sample of nanoporous gold to implement mode-1 crack propagation. Crack propagation tests were also conducted on an experimental sample, prepared via chemical dealloying and observed via in-situ TEM microscopy. We observed cracks in both samples propagating by the same mechanisms of sequential individual ligament failure. A series of nanowire computational deformation tests were also conducted to understand individual ligament behavior, and how this influences the overall sample fracture. This iterative direct experiment/simulation comparison provides new insight into the failure response of nanoporous gold.