Effects of defect trapping and solute segregation on defect recombination rates and void swelling in irradiated alloys

A model describing the synergistic effects of defect trapping and solute segregation on defect recombination rates and void-growth rates in irradiated alloys is discussed. The model predicts that solute depletion by radiation-induced segregation reduces trapped defect recombination. Further, for a given defect-production rate, segregation will cause the temperature for minimum defect recombination and, hence, maximum swelling to shift to lower temperatures. This shift increases as the binding energies and/or initial solute concentrations increase. The model also predicts that, for the same initial solute concentration and binding energy, segregation will be more severe and swelling resistance less at fast-reactor irradiation rates than at charged-particle irradiation rates