Physical stability and durability of heavy-ion irradiated crystalline zirconolite CaZrTh2O7 ceramic designed for minor actinide disposition

External irradiation studies with heavy ions Pb3+ accelerated at 510 keV were conducted on non radioactive zirconolite ceramic pellets, containing actinide surrogates such as Rare Earth Elements (REE). Ion irradiation of ceramic pellet surfaces has transformed the outermost several tenths of nanometers of the surface into a metamict state. The chemical durability in water of the irradiated zirconolite ceramics was measured at 100 deg C. The dissolution behavior is similar to that for the fully crystalline materials, and natural zirconolite minerals as well, which are at least several hundred million years old and self-irradiated up to 10 20}alpha decay/g due to the presence of appreciable quantities of Th and U. The amorphization process of the crystalline structure by the alpha decay does not modify the high chemical durability of zirconolite.

Keywords

Zirconolite, Irradiation, Lead ions, Uranium, Thorium, Radioactive waste disposal, Radiation effects, Ceramics

Citation

Advocat, T, McGlinn, P, Smith, K, Gosset, D., Rabiller, H., Zhang, Z., Lumpkin, G., & Chaumont, J. (2004). Physical stability and durability of heavy-ion irradiated crystalline zirconolite CaZrTh2O7 ceramic designed for minor actinide disposition. Paper presented at Atalante 2004, Nimes, France, June 21-24, 2004.

URI

https://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/13990

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