Understanding the influence of crystal orientation on mechanical properties of boron carbide allows for optimal design of structures. In this work, we investigate the influence of chain orientation on the shock response of single-crystal boron carbide through molecular dynamics simulations of planar, normal impact experiments in LAMMPS. Three crystal orientations are studied, wherein the three-atom chain lies along, at an angle of 45° and 67° to the shock direction. Eulerian and Lagrangian binning methods are utilized for calculating the quantities of interest. While the former method enables determination of temperature, density, pressure and particle velocity through time in the direction of shock, the latter method allows for precise tracking of volumetric deformation, construction of Raleigh lines over a wide range of impact velocities and the P-V shock Hugoniot. Further, the level of post-shock crystalline disorder, indicative of amorphization, can be captured using radial distribution function. In addition to revealing the influence of crystal orientation on the HEL and shock Hugoniot of boron carbide, our study also captures the influence of temperature rise on loss of shear strength, level of melting, and the degree of post-shock amorphization at various orientations.
