He and Au ion radiation damage in sodalite, Na4Al3Si3O12Cl

Abstract Sodalite, a candidate ceramic for the immobilisation of pyroprocessing nuclear waste, showed no observable lattice dilatation in grazing incidence X-ray diffraction when irradiated with up to 1017 5 MeV He ions/cm2. However micro-Raman scattering showed considerable spectral broadening characteristic of radiation damage near the end of the ∼22 μm He range. Partial amorphism plus nepheline formation was observed in grazing incidence X-ray diffraction when sodalite was irradiated by 1016 12 MeV Au ions/cm2. Nepheline appeared less susceptible to 12 MeV Au ion damage than sodalite, with ∼25% less amorphous fraction at 1016 ions/cm2.