| Abstract Scope |
Void swelling in irradiated materials critically affects mechanical integrity, with pronounced differences between body-centered cubic (BCC) and face-centered cubic (FCC) metals. This talk introduces a physics-based model that leverages point defect lifetimes to predict sink strength and bias factors with quantitative accuracy. Comparative studies on BCC Fe and FCC Cu reveal how major sinks—dislocations, loops, voids, stacking fault tetrahedra, and grain boundaries—govern swelling behavior. By benchmarking predictions against ion- and neutron-irradiation data across temperatures, we identify why FCC metals exhibit higher swelling rates and quantify each sink’s contribution. These insights are foundational for realistic microstructural evolution models, enabling strategies to mitigate swelling in structural materials for nuclear and energy systems. |