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Thermoluminescence, electron paramagnetic resonance and optical absorption in natural and synthetic rhodonite crystals

Physics and Chemistry of Minerals volume 35, pages 535–544 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Thermoluminescence, electron paramagnetic resonance and optical absorption properties of rhodonite, a natural silicate mineral, have been investigated and compared to those of synthetic crystal, pure and doped. The TL peaks grow linearly for radiation dose up to 4 kGy, and then saturate. In all the synthetic samples, 140 and 340°C TL peaks are observed; the difference occurs in their relative intensities, but only 340°C peak grows strongly for high doses. Al2O3 and Al2O3 + CaO-doped synthetic samples presented several decades intenser TL compared to that of synthetic samples doped with other impurities. A heating rate of 4°C/s has been used in all the TL readings. The EPR spectrum of natural rhodonite mineral has only one huge signal around g = 2.0 with width extending from 1,000 to 6,000 G. This is due to Mn dipolar interaction, a fact proved by numerical calculation based on Van Vleck dipolar broadening expression. The optical absorption spectrum is rich in absorption bands in near-UV, visible and near-IR intervals. Several bands in the region from 540 to 340 nm are interpreted as being due to Mn3+ in distorted octahedral environment. A broad and intense band around 1,040 nm is due to Fe2+. It decays under heating up to 900°C. At this temperature it is reduced by 80% of its original intensity. The pink, natural rhodonite, heated in air starts becoming black at approximately 600°C.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge financial support by FAPESP and CNPq. Thanks are due to IPEN for irradiation of samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    J. R. B. Paião & S. Watanabe

  2. University of Grande ABC, UniABC, São Paulo, Brazil

    J. R. B. Paião

Authors
  1. J. R. B. Paião
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  2. S. Watanabe
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Correspondence to J. R. B. Paião.

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Paião, J.R.B., Watanabe, S. Thermoluminescence, electron paramagnetic resonance and optical absorption in natural and synthetic rhodonite crystals. Phys Chem Minerals 35, 535–544 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00269-008-0247-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00269-008-0247-1

Keywords

  • Rhodonite crystals
  • Thermoluminescence
  • Optical absorption
  • Synthetic polycrystals