Abstract
Defect production and amorphisation due to energetic uranium recoils in zircon (ZrSiO4), which is a promising ceramic nuclear waste form, is studied using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with a partial charge model. An algorithm that distinguishes between undamaged crystal, crystalline defects and amorphous regions is used to develop a fundamental understanding of the primary damage state. The amorphous cascade core is separated from the surrounding crystal by a defect-rich region. Small, chemically inhomogeneous amorphous clusters are also produced around the core. The amorphous regions consist of under-coordinated Zr and polymerised Si leading to amorphisation and phase separation on a nanometer scale into Zr- and Si-rich regions. This separation could play an important role in the experimentally observed formation of nanoscale ZrO2 in ZrSiO4 irradiated at elevated temperatures.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.