Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-fwgfc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-11T07:24:59.778Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

On radiation-induced fluidization (quasi-melting) of silicate glasses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Michael Ojovan
Affiliation:
Immobilisation Science Laboratory, Department of Engineering Materials, University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
Gunter Mobus
Affiliation:
Immobilisation Science Laboratory, Department of Engineering Materials, University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
Get access

Abstract

The effect of intensive electron radiation on viscous flow in silicate glasses is analysed and shown that it can result in a many orders of magnitude decrease of viscosity and stepwise decrease of activation energy of flow. Fluidisation or quasi-melting of glasses on intensive electron irradiation is caused by bond breaking via the radiation-chemical reaction ≡Si-O-Si≡ + e Si-O + Si + (e)′ which weakens the silicate glass network and leads tofive-fold coordination of oxygens around the silicon. An explicit equation of viscosity wasobtained for irradiated glasses as well as an equation for glass transition temperature. Theassessments of temperature increase by electron radiation show that radiation-inducedfluidisation of glasses can occur at minimal thermal effects. Radiation-induced fluidisation ofglasses can result in nanoscale patterning effects caused by surface tension forces. Changes inthe viscous flow behaviour are also important in conditions of long-term irradiation for glassesused in nuclear installations as well as for nuclear waste glasses.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Marcus, G.S.. Progr. Nucl. Energy 50, 9296 (2008).Google Scholar
2 Raj, B., Vijayalakshmi, M., Vasudeva Rao, P.R. and Rao, K.B.S.. MRS Bulletin 33, 327337 (2008).Google Scholar
3 Weber, W.J., Ewing, R.C., Angell, C.A., Arnold, G.W., Cormack, A.N., Delaye, J.M., Griscom, D.L., Hobbs, L.W., Navrotsky, A., Price, D.L., Stoneham, A.M. and Weinberg, M.C.. J. Mater. Res. 12, 19461978 (1997).Google Scholar
4 Ojovan, M.I. and Poluektov, P.P.. Mat. Res. Symp. Proc. 648, P.3.1.16. (2001).Google Scholar
5 Ojovan, M.I. and Lee, W.E.. J. Nucl. Mat., 335 425432 (2004).Google Scholar
6 Pikaev, A.K.. Contemporary Radiation Chemistry. Moscow, Nauka (1987).Google Scholar
7 Mobus, G., Yang, G., Saghi, Z., Xu, X., Hand, R.J., Pankov, A. and Ojovan, M.I.. Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 1107, 239244 (2008).Google Scholar
8 Doremus, R.H.. J. Appl. Physics 92, 76197629 (2002).Google Scholar
9 Ojovan, M.I.. Advances in Condensed Matter Physics 2008, 817829, 23 p.(2008).Google Scholar
10 Mobus, G., Tsai, J., Xu, X.J., Bingham, P. and Yang, G.. Microsc. Microanal. 14 (Suppl. 2), 434435 (2008).Google Scholar
11 Fisher, S.B.. Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids 5, 239243 (1970).Google Scholar
12 Meldrum, A., Wang, L.M. and Ewing, R.C.. American Mineralogist 82, 858869 (1997).Google Scholar
13 Zhang, Y., Lian, J., Wang, C. M., Jiang, W., Ewing, R. C., and Weber, W. J.. Phys. Rev. B 72, 094112 (2005).Google Scholar
14 Bae, I.T., Zhang, Y., Weber, W.J., Higuchi, M. and Giannuzzi, L.A.. Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 021912 (2007).Google Scholar
15 Ojovan, M.I., Travis, K.P. and Hand, R.J.. J. Phys.: Condensed Matter 19, 415107, 12 p.(2007).Google Scholar
16 Ojovan, M.I.. Proc. WM'09 Conference, March 1 – 5, 2008, Phoenix, Arizona, WM9082, 10 p.(2009).Google Scholar
17 Ojovan, M.I. and Lee, W.E.. J. Phys.: Condensed Matter 18, 1150711520 (2006).Google Scholar
18 Avramov., I. J. Non-Cryst. Solids 351, 31633173 (2005).Google Scholar
19 Ajayan, P.M., Iijima, S.. J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 75 (4) 9991001 (1992).Google Scholar
20 Camanzi, B. and Holmes-Siedle, A.G.. Nature Materials 7, 343345 (2008).Google Scholar
21 Kuczynski, G.C.. J. Appl. Phys. 20, 11601163 (1949).Google Scholar