Sayenko L. Evolution of the structure and phase composition of granitoid and quartzite irradiated by accelerated electrons

Object: evolution of structure and properties of crystalline rocks under the influence of radiation. The purpose: determination of sequence and nature of changes in the structure and phase composition of granitoid and quartzite under the influence of electron irradiation. Methods: petrographic method, optical crystallographic and mineralogical-petrographic study, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray structural analysis, metal-keramographic analysis, measuring of the Vickers microhardness, pycnometer method for measuring of the density. Results: it is found that all of the studied rock-forming silicates (frame, layered and chain) in the initial stages of irradiation undergo radiation-stimulated annealing of defects of the original structure. Radiation-stimulated transformation of the structure and phase composition of silicates depends on the ordering of the original structure and content of defects and impurities in the crystal lattice of the initial material. It is shown that at an irradiation dose of 108 Gy minerals with disordered structure containing in initial state a large number of defects and impurities undergo phase transitions with increasing of symmetry and partial amorphization of substance. Field of application: solid state physics, radiation materials science