Interstitial loops were one of the principal evolving defects in irradiated materials. The evolution of interstitial loops, including spatial and size distributions, affects both vacancy and interstitial accumulations in the matrix, hence, void formation and volumetric swelling. In this work, a phase-field model describing the growth kinetics of interstitial loops in irradiated materials during aging was developed. The diffusion of vacancies and interstitials and the elastic interaction between interstitial loops and point defects were accounted in the model. The effects of interstitial concentration, chemical potential, and elastic interaction on the growth kinetics and stability of interstitial loops were investigated in two and three dimensions. It was found that the elastic interaction enhances the growth kinetics of interstitial loops. The elastic interaction also affects the stability of a small interstitial loop adjacent to a larger loop. The model predicts linear growth rates for interstitial loops that was in agreement with the previous theoretical predictions and experimental observations.

Evolution Kinetics of Interstitial Loops in Irradiated Materials: a Phase-Field Model. S.Hu, C.H.Henager, Y.Li, F.Gao, X.Sun, M.A.Khaleel: Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering, 2012, 20[1], 015011