Heating Effects in the Structure of Non-metamict Allanite-(La) from Palawan, Philippines

Abstract

Allanite is one of the most common sources of rare-earth elements (REEs) and contains significant amounts of thorium (Th) and uranium (U). The presence of radioactive Th and U nuclides in the mineral exposes it to long-term radiation. Like other natural minerals containing Th and U, allanite can be used as a natural analog to understand the long-term radiation effects in high-level nuclear waste (HLW) matrices. Allanite group mineral is generally found in the amorphous phase due to structural damage induced by self-irradiation. In this work, crystalline allanite-(La) samples collected in San Vicente, Palawan, Philippines – having a low absorbed -dose of ~ 1014 α-decays/ mg – were heated at 450, 650, and 850 °C to study the response of non-metamict allanite to heating at elevated temperatures, particularly at the early stages of exposure to alpha-particle radiation. An increase in structural order was observed upon heating to 450 and 650 °C, which is exhibited by a decrease in the unit cell volume by 1.6% and a decrease of the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of selected Bragg planes. It was evident that certain Bragg planes respond differently to the annealing temperatures with preferential reorientation. After annealing at 850 °C, however, the loss of OH bonds was observed in the infrared (IR) spectra, and the broadening of Bragg peaks was seen in the x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, suggesting an onset of structural degradation. Surface cracks are also seen in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. The study shows that the non-metamict allanite-(La) mineral structure responds to heating similarly to that of metamict ones reported in the literature. This study will provide data on the properties of allanite as part of the ongoing studies on radiation damage in silicate matrices.