ATOMISTIC INSIGHTS INTO Al/Al EXPLOSIVE WELDING: A MOLECULAR DYNAMICS STUDY OF INTERFACIAL BONDING AND DIFFUSION MECHANISMS

Abstract

Explosive welding (EXW) is widely used to join similar and dissimilar metals, yet its atomistic mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate aluminum–aluminum EXW using an embedded atom method potential. Results show that flyer impact causes temperature to exceed 2500 K and pressure to peak at ~27 GPa, inducing severe plastic deformation without bulk melting. Mean square displacement and concentration analyses reveal diffusion during loading, while unloading enables interfacial mixing, resulting in a thin diffusion layer of ~12 Å. Radial distribution function results confirm solid-state bonding dominated by plastic deformation and localized atomic rearrangement. These findings provide atomistic insights into Al–Al explosive welding, supporting process optimization for reliable similar-metal joints.