SUMMARY

Nanoporous metals are cellular materials consisting of nanosized ligaments. Their high surface area and size effects make them useful for various applications. However, many applications require information on mechanical behavior, and questions remain regarding the mechanical properties of nanoporous metals. These questions arise due to the two-fold contribution of nanoscale effects complicating material response and an intermediate porosity, which limits the applicability of the rules generally used in characterizing porous solid. This work aims to address some of these questions by decoupling the contribution of nanosize effects from the geometrical effects using 3D printing and testing of models created using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The 3D printing approach preserves the unique structural features while eliminating nano-scale effects and the MD simulations will allow for an exploration of nano scale behavior. The result will be a more complete understanding of the mechanical response of nanoporous metals.