Texture evolution and mechanical behaviour of irradiated face-centred cubic metals

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Solid Mechanics
• Nuclear Engineering

Background:

• Irradiated metals exhibit complex mechanical behaviors like hardening and softening.
• Understanding crystallographic texture evolution is crucial for predicting material performance under irradiation.
• Existing models may not fully capture the interplay between irradiation effects and material properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a physically based theoretical model for irradiated face-centered cubic (FCC) metals.
• To investigate the influence of irradiation on mechanical behavior and crystallographic texture.
• To analyze the relationship between irradiation hardening, mechanical properties, and texture evolution.

Main Methods:

• Development of a physically based theoretical model for FCC metals.
• Simulation of mechanical behavior (stress-strain relationships) under tensile loading.
• Analysis of crystallographic texture evolution in both unirradiated and irradiated states.

Main Results:

• The model accurately captures irradiation hardening, post-yield softening, and plasticity localization.
• Numerical results show good agreement with experimental stress-strain data for unirradiated and irradiated metals.
• Irradiation alters crystallographic texture evolution, promoting faster dominance of [100] and [111] textures due to higher crystal strength and active plastic deformation.

Conclusions:

• Irradiation-induced defects significantly impact both the mechanical behavior and texture evolution of FCC metals.
• The developed model provides insights into the mechanisms of irradiation hardening and its effects on material properties.
• The findings are crucial for designing and predicting the performance of materials in nuclear and other irradiation environments.