Abstract
Metamict (amorphous) zircon ZrSiO 4 has been irradiated by an electron beam in situ in a transmission electron microscope. Our observations indicate that the material undergoes solid–solid phase transformations. First a phase separation into SiO 2-rich and ZrO 2-rich domains occurred in the glass owing to a spinodal decomposition. Second, small crystallites of ZrO 2 are nucleated and grew within the ZrO 2-rich domains. This study shows that metamict zircon are not stable under ionizing radiation and tends to decompose into SiO 2-rich and ZrO 2-rich domains.
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