Abstract
In the present study, we researched the behavior of graphene experiencing high strain rate impacts by employing molecular dynamics simulations. Graphene with various thicknesses are selected for the study. A silver particle is designed to impact these carbon nanostructures with pre-specified speeds. The amount of energy absorbed during impacting graphene is calculated from the change in the kinetic energy of the silver particle before and after the impact. Graphene is shown to have excellent flexibility and its structural integrity is retained under a high strain rate impact. At an impact velocity of 4 km/s, a single layer of graphene absorbed 6.5 keV without any damage in the structure. The impact energy used to fracture graphene is shown to increase linearly with an increase in the thickness of graphene; the absorbed energy during breaking seven layers of graphene was 23 keV when the impact velocity was 10 km/s. It was also found that temperature does not affect the impact energy required to break a graphene sheet. The results obtained in the present research study will be used to accelerate the development of futuristic strong light-weight materials for military applications.
