A Model for Dose Dependence of the Void Swelling in Electron-Irradiated Alloys

Abstract

Understanding the void swelling dependence on irradiation dose for structural materials is critical for the design and operation of advanced nuclear reactors. Due to their easy accessibility in high-voltage transmission electron microscopes, electron beams have been frequently employed to investigate the void swelling mechanisms. Here, we build a general model to describe the radiation-induced swelling produced by energetic electrons. Based on this model, we develop a quantitative relation between void swelling and irradiation dose, which is in good agreement with experimental data. By extrapolating to high-dose swelling in electron-irradiated alloys, our model validation is consistent with available experiments. Furthermore, the model is well supported by our phase-field simulations.