The channeling effect of symmetrical tilt grain boundaries on helium bubbles in tungsten

Helium atoms can migrate easily and aggregate at various crystal defects, such as grain boundaries, which promote the nucleation and growth of helium bubbles, ultimately causing severe radiation damage to nuclear materials. Structure characteristics of grain boundaries with low-angle symmetrical tilt of the [100] axle and their channeling effects on helium bubbles in tungsten were investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. The triaxial variation curves of the helium bubble size in each grain boundary model and the relationship of the helium diffusion coefficient of each grain boundary to their intrinsic crystal structures are analyzed. The results indicate that the helium bubbles grow into one-dimensional nanochannels at the selected grain boundaries, and there is a significant difference in the maximum number of helium bubbles these grain boundaries can accommodate before forming one-dimensional nanochannels. Furthermore, the existence of helium nanochannels along the (100) edge dislocation line in the low-angle symmetrical tilt grain boundaries is well verified by molecular dynamics simulation of the helium bubble growth and helium diffusion equations at the (100) edge dislocation line. This suggests that releasing helium outside of the tungsten matrix through the nanochannel structures of low-angle symmetrical tilt grain boundaries may be a potential strategy to address the root causes of bubble nucleation and swelling of tungsten material.

Automated summary

In this study, the impact of grain boundaries on the growth of helium bubbles was investigated. It was found that low-angle symmetrical tilt grain boundaries can form helium nanochannels and release helium outside of the tungsten matrix, which may be a potential strategy to address bubble nucleation and swelling.