He and Au ion radiation damage in sodalite, Na4Al3Si3O12Cl.

Sodalite, a candidate ceramic for the immobilisation of pyroprocessing nuclear waste, showed no observable lattice dilatation in grazing incidence X-ray diffraction when irradiated with up to 1017 5 MeV He ions/cm². However micro-Raman scattering showed considerable spectral broadening characteristic of radiation damage near the end of the ~22 μm He range. Partial amorphism plus nepheline formation was observed in grazing incidence X-ray diffraction when sodalite was irradiated by 1016 12 MeV Au ions/cm². Nepheline appeared less susceptible to 12 MeV Au ion damage than sodalite, with ~25% less amorphous fraction at 1016 ions/cm². [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]