Abstract:
This study aims to develop a unified model for predicting the critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) in materials containing impenetrable obstacles of arbitrary shapes, which is essential for understanding radiation hardening. The interaction between dislocations and radiation-induced defects, such as voids, bubbles, and dislocation loops, leads to an increase in material yield strength, a phenomenon known as radiation hardening. Traditional models, such as the Bacon-Kocks-Scattergood (BKS) model, are limited to spherical obstacles and fail to accurately predict the hardening effects of complex-shaped defects. To address this limitation, we propose a generalized hardening model based on linear elasticity theory, which accounts for the geometric configuration of obstacles and provides a unified framework for predicting CRSS. The research methodology combines dislocation dynamics simulations and theoretical derivations to investigate the interaction mechanisms between dislocations and obstacles of various shapes, including spherical, ellipsoidal, and cubic geometries. The proposed model is validated through extensive simulations, demonstrating its ability to predict CRSS with high accuracy across different obstacle shapes. The results show that the model effectively captures the coupled hardening effects of multiple obstacles with varying geometries and strengths. Key findings include: (1) The proposed unified model extends the traditional BKS framework by incorporating critical debonding angles, enabling accurate predictions for non-spherical obstacles. (2) Dislocation dynamics simulations reveal that the hardening process is influenced by the geometric arrangement of obstacles, with the critical stress being inversely proportional to the spacing between obstacles. (3) When dislocations interact with multiple obstacles of different shapes, the overall hardening effect can be approximated by the average of the individual hardening contributions. The study also highlights the limitations of existing models in dealing with complex-shaped obstacles, such as needle-like precipitates in tungsten and square-shaped precipitates in Ni-based alloys. By considering the geometric configuration of obstacles, the proposed model provides a more accurate prediction of CRSS for materials with irregularly shaped defects. The results of dislocation dynamics simulations confirm that the model can effectively predict the hardening effects of spherical, ellipsoidal, and cubic obstacles, as well as their combined effects. In conclusion, this study provides a robust theoretical tool for predicting the hardening effects of complex-shaped obstacles, offering significant insights for improving the design and performance prediction of radiation-resistant materials. The proposed model has practical implications for optimizing material properties in nuclear engineering and other high-radiation environments. By extending the traditional BKS model to account for the geometric configuration of obstacles, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the interaction between dislocations and radiation-induced defects, ultimately enhancing the accuracy of material performance predictions in real-world applications.