Investigating the Influence of Ion Species on the Irradiation-Induced Mechanical Properties of Borosilicate Glass

Investigating the irradiation effects on borosilicate glass is of great significance for understanding the long-term evolutions of this substance in radioactive environments. In the present study, the hardness and modulus of conventional and ion-irradiated borosilicate glass were investigated through nanoindentation measurements. The obtained results show that the maximum decrease of the mean hardness after He and Ar ion irradiation was 8.4% and 17.0%, respectively, when the fluence reached 1.1 × 1015. It was found that the hardness reduction had a significant ionic correlation. Meanwhile, it was observed that the mean modulus increased by less than 5.0%, while there was no meaningful ionic correlation. The variation in hardness and modulus were primarily the consequence of nuclear energy deposition. The hardness recovery was observed under Ar-irradiated and He-irradiated Ar pre-damaged samples. It was concluded that the hardness recovery mainly originates from electronic energy deposition induced by ion irradiation.