Morphology and chemical composition of Si-ion-irradiated zirconolite glass-ceramic

Evaluation of the radiation resistance of zirconolite glass-ceramic is significant to it serves as the first barrier for high-level waste (HLW). The evolutions in the morphology and chemical composition of a Ce-bearing zirconolite glass-ceramic induced by 15 MeV Si-ion-irradiation were studied in this paper. The swelling of the glass matrix, amorphization, and shape change of the zirconolite phase were identified after irradiation. The chemical compositions of both zirconolite and glass matrix were changed and more Ce was incorporated into the glass. These modifications induced by ion irradiation were discussed in detail combined with thermal-spike model calculations, suggesting that the electronic energy deposition also can play a dominant role in the evolutions of both the morphology and the chemical composition of the ion irradiated zirconolite glass-ceramic. These results are extremely important for understanding the microstructural evolutions of zirconolite glass-ceramic in a strong radiation environment.