Induced Order-Disorder Transformations in Fluorite Based Oxides
Résumé
Fluorites and fluorite-related materials are of interest within the nuclear context, primarily due to the use of UO2 as the predominant
fuel in reactors, along with pyrochlore/zirconolite/fluorite being a key waste form for actinide immobilisation. This study examines the radiation damage response of fluorite-derivative structures within the Sc2O3-HfO2 system. Such oxides, for example δ-Sc4Hf3O12,
γ-Sc2Hf5O13, and β-Sc2Hf7O17 exhibit distortion away from the ideal fluorite crystal lattice undergoing an order-to-disorder transformation upon irradiation. Samples of γ-Sc2Hf5O13, and β-Sc2Hf7O17 were irradiated by 400 keV Ne and 600 keV Kr under
cryogenic conditions with fluences between 1x1014-4x1015 ions cm-2. Irradiations by 400 keV He were undertaken on δ-Sc4Hf3O12 and γ-Sc2Hf5O13 samples at 500°C, at fluences of 1x1015 and 1x1016 ions cm-2.
Analysis of the induced changes has been undertaken using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), Raman spectroscopy and electron imaging/diffraction, to elucidate the order to disorder transformation. The results will then be compared with similar transitions in other nuclear-related oxides, such as the pyrochlore-disordered fluorite transformation.