Plane shock loading on mono- and nano-crystalline silicon carbide

The understanding of the nanoscale mechanisms of shock damage and failure in SiC is essential for its application in effective and damage tolerant coatings. We use molecular-dynamics simulations to investigate the shock properties of 3C-SiC along low-index crystallographic directions and in nanocrystalline samples with 5 nm and 10 nm grain sizes. The predicted Hugoniot in the particle velocity range of 0.1 km/s-6.0 km/s agrees well with experimental data. The shock response transitions from elastic to plastic, predominantly deformation twinning, to structural transformation to the rock-salt phase. The predicted strengths from 12.3 to 30.9 GPa, at the Hugoniot elastic limit, are in excellent agreement with experimental data.