Post-irradiation plastic deformation in bcc Fe grains investigated by means of 3D dislocation dynamics simulations

Post-irradiation tensile straining is investigated by means of three-dimensional dislocation dynamics simulations adapted to body centred cubic Fe. Namely, 1 gm Fe grains are strained at various temperatures in the 100-300 K range, in absence and in presence of radiation-induced defect dispersions. The defect-induced hardening is consistent with the disperse barrier effect up to 5 x 10(21) m(-3) loops and is weakly dependent on the straining temperature. The dislocation-loops interaction rate augments with the accumulated plastic strain, loop density and strength; while it is mainly independent of the number of active slip systems and thermally activated screw dislocation mobility. An additional, radiation-induced hardening mechanism known as dislocation "decoration" is also implemented and tested for comparison. Those results show that the plastic flow localisation transition depends on the total yield point rise rather than on the lone, dispersed loop density. The simulation results are then rationalized through an original micro-mechanical model relating the grain-scale stress-strain behaviour to dislocation sub-structure formation and spreading. That model combines strain dependent and strain independent hardening mechanisms, which both contribute to the associated stress-strain response and plastic flow spreading. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.