3D DD modelling of the prismatic loops and dislocations interaction in pure iron

Full text of publication follows: Neutron irradiation can increase the yield stress and reduce the ductility of metals. These effects are mainly caused by the interaction of dislocations with damage produced during irradiation. In iron irradiated with fast neutrons the damage takes the form of 1/2<111> and 1/2<100> prismatic dislocation loops (the size of the loops varies from 2 nm to 20 nm depending on the dose of irradiation). The interaction between such loops and dislocations is the subject of this research. 3D dislocation dynamics simulations have been carried out to model the interaction between prismatic loops and dis- locations in pure iron subject to uniaxial loading conditions. The primary goal was to understand the mechanism of interaction of a a/2 <111> loop and a mobile dislocation. The simulations have shown a complicated 3D interaction resulting in either bowing around an obstacle (prismatic loop, Orowan mechanism) or cutting it through, carrying part of the loop away and leaving the other part behind. Cross-slip can be important, in a manner depending on the type of mobile dislocation, size, type and orientation of prismatic loop. The secondary goal was to investigate the dependence of the critical stress needed for dislocations to overcome the obstacles as a function of: size of loops, initial separation between loops, the direction of motion of the mobile dislocation and its type (pure edge or screw), and type of a loop (interstitial or vacancy). Many different configurations have been simulated. The size of the loops was varied from 10 nm to 100 nm; the separation between the loops in a row was varied from one to four loop diameters; the distance between the glide plane and the loop plane was varied from 0 to 20 nm. The glide plane of the mobile dislocation was either perpendicular to and or inclined to the loop plane. The results show a strong dependence of the critical stress on the size of the loops and the initial configuration. (authors)