Abstract
Metamict minerals are a special class of materials which were initially crystalline but have become amorphous because of accumulated structural damage caused by the radioactive decay of their constituent U and Th nuclides1–3. Damage from α particles and recoil nuclei may cause dramatic changes in physical, chemical, mechanical and structural properties of materials4–6. Thus, metamict minerals provide a natural example of the potential long-term effects of radiation damage in proposed crystalline radioactive waste forms7, such as the Sandia ceramic waste forms8–10, SYNROC11–13, super-calcine14 or the tailored ceramics15. The determination of the microstructures of metamict materials, therefore, may help to predict long-term radiation effects in crystalline waste forms. This report presents the results of an examination by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of a wide range of metamict silicate and complex Nb–Ta–Ti oxide minerals.
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Headley, T., Ewing, R. & Haaker, R. Amorphous structure of metamict minerals observed by TEM. Nature 293, 449–450 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/293449a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/293449a0
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