Stress state dependence of in-reactor creep and swelling: Part I: Continuum plasticity model

Irradiation induced swelling of reactor core materials may jeopardize safe and reliable operation of fast reactors due to swelling-induced distortion and interference of core components. The principles of incremental continuum plasticity are used here to develop constitutive equations that can be used to conduct engineering evaluations of these potential problems. The equations are used in Part II to analyze previously unreported in-reactor creep and swelling data obtained ca. 1977–1979 as part of the US breeder reactor program. Results of this stress state experiment showed for the first time that a deviatoric stress can affect volumetric swelling. The constitutive equations developed here predict that, in the presence of significant swelling, deviatoric and volumetric strain rate components each are functions of both deviatoric and hydrostatic components of stress for both linear and non-linear creep.