A molecular dynamics study of coalescence of tungsten nanoparticles

The coalescence behavior of tungsten nanoparticles was investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. Two free tungsten nanoparticles and tungsten nanoparticles on tungsten (0 01) substrate were studied. For free tungsten nanoparticles, the nanoparticles size, temperature and relative velocity were found to affect the coalescence. The surface effect had a considerable influence during the coalescence process. For coalescence of two tungsten nanoparticles on tungsten (0 01) surface, considerable deformation of nanoparticles and significant epitaxy on the nanoparticle-surface interface were observed. When the aligned structures were bombarded with other nanoparticles, the change in surface morphology was found to be more complicated. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.