Radiation and chemical resistance of synthetic ceramics based on ferritic garnet

Critical dose of X-ray amorphization of the garnet phase Ca1.5Gd0.908Cm0.092Th0.5ZrFe4O12, which is the base of the synthetic ceramics doped with 241Cm (∼2 wt %), was determined. Amorphization occurs at a dose of 1.6 × 1018 α-decay g−1 or 0.17 dpa (displacements per atom). The chemical resistance of the amorphized ceramics to leaching (MCC-1 test) is comparable to that of the initial ceramics. The rates of Cm leaching from the freshly prepared and amorphized ceramics decrease with time and after storage for two weeks amount to 1.4 × 10−3 and 5.8 × 10−3 g m−2 day−1, respectively. Data on thermal restoration of the crystal structure of the ceramics are also presented.