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| Phase Field and Crystal Plasticity Simulation of Irradiation-Induced He Bubbles Evolution and Mechanical Behavior in 316H Steel and Weld Metal |
WANG Dong1,2,3, XU Lianyong1,2,3( ), ZHAO Lei1,2,3( ), HAN Yongdian1,2,3, SONG Kai1,2,3 |
1 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China 2 Tianjin Key Laboratory of Advanced Joining Technology, Tianjin 300350, China 3 State Key Laboratory of High Performance Roll Materials and Composite Forming, Tianjin 300350, China |
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Cite this article:
WANG Dong, XU Lianyong, ZHAO Lei, HAN Yongdian, SONG Kai. Phase Field and Crystal Plasticity Simulation of Irradiation-Induced He Bubbles Evolution and Mechanical Behavior in 316H Steel and Weld Metal. Acta Metall Sin, 2026, 62(1): 173-190.
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Abstract 316H steel is an important structural material candidate for Generation-IV advanced nuclear reactors. During service, the material operates under conditions of high temperature, irradiation, and complex stress for extended durations, and the working environment is extremely harsh. In particular, He bubbles, generated through nuclear transmutation under irradiation, can cause severe irradiation embrittlement and accelerate the failure of the material. To clarify the role of He bubbles in the degradation of 316H steel and weld metal, this study proposes a coupled computational framework that integrates the phase field model and crystal plasticity. Within this framework, the nucleation, growth, and coalescence of He bubbles in 316H steel and weld metal were simulated, and their mechanical responses were systematically analyzed. The research shows that He bubbles nucleate and grow by absorbing supersaturated vacancies and He atoms. In the later stage, they grow through coalescence and Ostwald ripening processes. As the He bubble size increases, the internal pressure gradually decreases until reaching an equilibrium state. The high density of dislocations in the weld metal, which preferentially absorb interstitial atoms, results in an increased vacancy concentration. Meanwhile, dislocations act as rapid diffusion channels. These two factors together contribute to the rapid growth of He bubbles. An increase in diffusion capacity does not change the final proportion of He bubbles; instead, it accelerates the nucleation and growth processes, thereby promoting the kinetic evolution of He bubbles in the weld metal. At small strains, the stress-strain response is governed by the effects of external strain and the internal pressure of He bubbles, with the macroscopic stress value being negative. As the external strain increases, the stress-strain response becomes influenced by the external strain. During tensile deformation, significant stress concentration arises at the He bubble-matrix interface, leading to considerable plastic deformation in these regions. At 4% applied strain, distinct plastic deformation bands form in both 316H steel and the weld metal. However, due to strain localization in the weld metal, the degree of plastic deformation is greater than that observed in 316H steel.
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Received: 20 August 2025
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| Fund: National Funds for Distinguished Young Scholars(52025052) |
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