Molecular Dynamics Study of the Interface Effect on the Fracture of a Heterostructure under Uniaxial Tension

The effect of the interface on the fracture of metal heterostructures under constant-rate uniaxial tension was investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. It was found that the presence of an interface aligned in the direction of the tensile loading axis leads to the strengthening of the sample. A cause of the observed strengthening is the inflow of atoms of one metal into the voids in the subsystem of another metal formed during stretching. In addition, the Chernov–Luders bands propagating in the neck region in the copper and silver components of the heterostructure change their paths when crossing the interface, which results in smaller displacements of the atomic planes in each of the metals.