Object Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulations of Radiation Damage in Bulk Tungsten Part-II: With a PKA Spectrum Corresponding to 14-MeV Neutrons

TL;DR

This study uses object kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to analyze how neutron energy spectra and dose rates influence vacancy microstructure evolution in polycrystalline tungsten, revealing differences from previous HFIR spectrum results.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed simulation of vacancy microstructure evolution in tungsten under 14-MeV neutron PKA spectrum, considering grain size and dose rate effects.

Findings

Vacancy cluster density increases with dose rate.

Vacancy and vacancy cluster densities decrease with larger grain size.

Void lattice formation occurs only at the lowest dose rates.

Abstract

Object kinetic Monte Carlo was employed to study the effect of dose rate on the evolution of vacancy microstructure in polycrystalline tungsten under neutron bombardment. The evolution was followed up to 1.0 displacement per atom (dpa) with point defects generated in accordance with a primary knock-on atom (PKA) spectrum corresponding to 14-MeV neutrons. The present study includes the effect of grain size (2.0 and 4.0 $\mu$m) but excludes the impact of transmutation or pre-existing defects beyond grain boundary sinks. Vacancy cluster density increases with dose rate, while the density of vacancies decreases. Consequently, the average vacancy cluster size and the fraction of vacancies in visible clusters decrease with increasing dose rate. The density of vacancies and vacancy clusters decrease with grain size such that the average size of the clusters remains similar. However, the average size is larger for larger grains at dose rates < 4.5 x 10-7 dpa/s. The trend of vacancy accumulation as a function of dose, dose rate, and grain size is similar to that obtained with the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) PKA spectrum. However, the amount of vacancy accumulation and the vacancy microstructure are quite different. Compared to the HFIR case, we find that even though the dose rates are 2.5 times higher, the density of vacancies and the average vacancy cluster sizes are lower. In addition, a void lattice forms only for the lowest two dose rates (4.5 x 10-8 and 4.5 x 10-9 dpa/s). In contrast, a void lattice formed at all dose rates studied using the HFIR PKA spectrum. We discuss in detail the factors that lead to these different microstructures.