Effect of surface energy barriers on void growth kinetics

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Abstract
A model coupling continuous diffusion theory with atomistic considerations near a void surface has been developed for studying the intrinsic growth kinetics of a void with a surface energy barrier against the migration of defects. Such barriers might exist, for example, due to short-range stress fields or to solute segregation. With parameters appropriate to stainless steel, it is found that a barrier as small as 0.01 eV can significantly modify the annealing kinetics of defects migrating to and from a void, especially for small voids. Void growth (or shrinkage) rates and effective bias parameters are given as a function of void radius for energy barriers up to 0.1 eV, three temperatures spanning the void swelling regime, and reactor and simulation irradiation rates.