Interactions between irradiation-induced defects and dislocations in concentrated solid solution alloys

Dislocation is a common structural feature in metallic alloys. Under irradiation, interactions between dislocations and irradiation-induced defects play a crucial role in governing various microstructural changes and the irradiation response of materials. Though such interaction has been intensively studied in elemental metals, little is known about it in concentrated solid solution alloys (CSAs). In this work, we study defect-dislocation interactions in NiFe CSAs through both elastic theory and atomistic simulations. Unexpectedly, we find that dislocations interact more strongly with defects in CSAs than in pure metals due to their higher elastic moduli, which is adverse to their irradiation performance based on conventional understanding. By comparing random models (Rand) and average atom models (Ave) for NiFe, we show that the random occupancy of atoms in the Rand model compared to the Ave model can reduce the interaction between dislocations and defects, thereby diminishing the dislocation bias factor. We further perform defect kinetic simulations and find that the complex energy landscape for defect motion in NiFe tends to restrict the movement of defects and weaken the ability of dislocations to absorb interstitials. Therefore, the chemical disorder in CSAs can partly reduce the defect-dislocation interaction strength thermodynamically and, more importantly, limit the movement of defects kinetically, both of which suppress the absorption ability of dislocations toward defects. Our integrated efforts shed light on the mechanisms governing defect-dislocation interactions in CSAs, providing insight into the reasons for the superior irradiation resistance of CSAs and offering possible directions to tune their irradiation performance. © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.