Mechanics of tungsten blistering II: Analytical treatment and fracture mechanical assessment

Since a decade the blistering of pure tungsten under hydrogen implantation has been one of the major research topics in relation to the plasma-wall interaction of tungsten-armored first wall. Overall blistering may reduce the erosion lifetime of the wall. Mature blisters grown by high internal pressure are likely to burst leading to exfoliation of the surface. Therefore, the control and suppression of blistering is an important concern for sustainable operation of the tungsten-armored plasma-facing components. In this context, a quantitative assessment of the mechanical conditions for blister bulging and growth is an important concern. In this article we present a theoretical framework to describe the bulging deformation of tungsten blisters and to estimate the mechanical driving force of blister growth. The validity of the analytical formulations based on the theory of elastic plates is evaluated with the help of finite element analysis. Plastic strains and J-integral values at the blister boundary edge are assessed by means of numerical simulation. Extensive parametric studies were performed for a range of blister geometry (cap aspect ratio), gas pressure, yield stress and hardening rate. The characteristic features of the blistering mechanics are discussed and the cracking energy is quantitatively estimated for the various combinations of parameters.