Molecular dynamic simulation of heating of titanium nanoclusters

The melting of titanium nanoclusters Tin (n = 3599, 28725, 97045) with different heating rates (from 0,1 to and 10,0 TK/s) was studied by the molecular dynamics method. Molecular dynamics simulation was carried out using the LAMMPS program on a multiprocessor computer. A many-particle potential of interatomic interaction was used. The crystal structure of a titanium nanocluster upon heating passes into the liquid phase through the formation of a system of atoms (islands) with an ordered local environment near the melting point. The appearance of the latter is due to the non-equilibrium of the simulated heating process – the system does not have time to relax to an equilibrium state for a chosen temperature. The melting temperature was taken as the average value between the temperatures of the beginning and finishing of the phase transition process. The temperature of the beginning of melting corresponded to the state of completion of formation of individual islands. At the end of melting, the nanostructure is characterized by a completely disordered structure. It is noted that the melting temperature increases with the size of the nanoparticle and the rate of its heating. The limiting temperatures of the considered phase transition (at N → ∞) are significantly lower than the melting temperature of the bulk titanium.