Institute of Fundamental Technological Research

graphene, liquid Cu, Raman spectroscopy, reactivity, sessile drop, wettability

Wettability between liquid Ag and graphene-coated SiC single crystal has been investigated by dispensed drop method at T = 970 oC under vacuum accompanied with subsecond recording of the drop/substrate images (100 frames per second) by high-speed high-resolution CCD camera. Non-contact heating method coupled with capillary purification of the Ag drop procedure has been applied. Scanning electron microscopy combined with EDS analysis and scanning probe microscopy combined with Raman spectroscopy techniques has been utilized for microstructure and surface characterization of samples before and after high-temperature wetting tests. Immediately after its detachment from the capillary, the Ag drop showed non-wetting behavior (h > 90o) forming a high contact angle of h = 114o. Surface characterization of the drop surface after wettability tests evidenced the presence of graphene and Si transferred from the substrate to the top of Ag drop. These findings suggest chemical interaction phenomena occurring at the interface. Locally, an intimate contact between liquid Ag and SiC substrate was allowed by the appearance of discontinuities in the graphene layer basically produced by thermomechanical stress. Local dissolution of carbon into liquid Ag and its reorganization (by segregation, nucleation and growth) as secondary graphene layer at the Ag surface was also observed.

Ag/graphene, Ag/SiC, dispensed drop, sessile drop method, wetting at high temperature

Problem of locally disordered atomic structure is solved by using a hybrid formulation in which nonlinear elastic finite elements are linked with discrete atomic interaction elements. The continuum approach uses nonlinear hyperelasticity based upon the generalized strain while the atomistic approach employs the Tight-Binding Second-Moment Approximation potential to create new type of elements. The molecular interactions yielding from constitutive models of TB-SMA were turned into interactions between nodes to solve a boundary value problem by means of finite element solver.
In this paper we present a novel way of modelling materials behaviour where both discrete (molecular dynamics) and continuum (nonlinear finite element) methods are used. As an example, the nanoindentation of a copper sample is modelled numerically by applying a hybrid formulation. Here, the central area of the sample subject to a nanoindentation operation is discretised by an atomic net where the remaining area of the sample far from indenters tip is discretised by the use of a nonlinear finite element mesh.

Nanostructure, Nanoindentation, Molecular statics, Finite element modelling