An Atomistic Study of Crack-Void Interaction in Aluminum

The interaction between a brittle crack and pre-existing void was investigated using molecular dynamics simulations in face centered cubic Al. The results reveal that a pre-existing void offers considerable resistance to crack growth. By changing the void radius, it has been found that increase in void size leads to an increase in strain to fracture. Consequently, this work highlights the importance of larger voids in impacting the fracture response of materials that fail in a potentially brittle manner.