Molecular dynamic simulations of displacement cascades in molybdenum and molybdenum-rhenium alloys
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Molybdenum-Rhenium (Mo-Re) alloys are considered core materials for advanced nuclear reactor components due to their excellent mechanical properties, machinability, and resistance to irradiation damage. However, irradiation-induced embrittlement and phase precipitation at high temperatures, along with transmutation nuclides, have hindered their broader application. To address this, we developed a Mo-Re interatomic potential using the Finnis-Sinclair formalism, facilitating molecular dynamics simulations to study primary irradiation damage. Systemically primary irradiation damage simulations for Mo and Mo-Re alloys have been performed. It’s found that there were more Frenkel-pair defects produced during the stage of thermal spike in Mo-Re alloys but fewer defects survived at the end of the cascade compared to Mo. In addition, the number of large-size interstitial clusters and dislocation loops was higher in Mo-Re alloys than in pure Mo with the same PKA energy. This is mainly attributed to the fact that Mo-Re alloys have lower thermal conductivity, while the binding energies of interstitial clusters and dislocation loops with sizes less than 100 in Mo-Re alloys are comparable to those of pure Mo, resulting in higher defect composites and larger defect sizes in Mo-Re alloys. These findings provide valuable insights into the primary damage mechanisms in Mo-Re alloys under irradiation, offering a foundation for developing kinetic models to simulate radiation-induced microstructural evolution.
Source: Nuclear Materials and Energy
Authors: Xudong Wang, Rongyang Qiu, Yankun Dou, Yangchun Chen, Haipan Xiang, Peng Jiang, Xinfu He, Wen Yang, Guangdong Liu, Huiqiu Deng
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,840
OpenAlex ID: W4404051839