Examining alkali silica reaction of radiation-damaged quartz and feldspar minerals

Quartz and feldspar in end-of-life biological shielding concrete in nuclear power plants exhibit a maximum volume expansion at a neutron fluence of 10⁹ n/cm² of 17.8 % and 7.7 % respectively. [1] To simulate neutron-radiation damage, shallow ion-penetration depths in the order of a few hundred nanometers are optimal for 2D examinations of radiation-induced structural changes in silicate minerals and subsequent hydraulic weathering under aqueous alkaline conditions.

Using vertical scanning interferometry (VSI) we observed an out-of-plane expansion for quartz within concrete equivalent to 18.8 vol. % using Si-ion radiation with a fluence of 5·10¹⁴ ions/cm² and an energy of 300 keV. This agrees well with results recently acquired by Luu et al. (2021), [2] who achieved 18.1 vol. % using a Si-ion fluence and beam energy each an order of magnitude higher (6·10¹⁵ ions/cm², 3000 keV). These irradiation conditions correspond to penetration depths calculated in SRIM [3] of respectively 430 nm and 2000 nm.

By virtue of the resistance to polishing exhibited by feldspars, it is difficult to reduce the inherent surface roughness down to submicron relief required for VSI and even finer for electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Furthermore, structural relaxation in feldspar begins further away from the surface than quartz. We polish mineral specimen surfaces using a low-energy and -incident Ar+ broad ion beam (Ar-BIB) prior to Si-ion irradiation. In addition to depth profile changes due to radiation-induced structural relaxation and subsequent aqueous alkaline dissolution using VSI, we examine structural changes using EBSD in conjunction with electron scanning microscopy (SEM).

[1] Le Pape et al. (2018) J. Adv. Conc. Technol. 16 191-209
[2] Luu et al. (2021) J. Nucl. Mat. 545 152734
[3] Ziegler et al. (2010) Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B268 1818-1823 (http://www.SRIM.org)