Dependence of the thermoluminescent glow-peaks of Mexican zircon of different particle size on the exposure to high gamma radiation doses

Abstract The effect of gamma irradiation on the low-pressure phase of ZrSiO4 (zircon) was studied by the thermoluminescence technique and the analysis of the intensity in the TL glow-curves. Specifically, in this approach, the GlowFit computer program was used to solve the complex TL glow-curves produced in zircon after gamma-irradiation. Dose levels of 5, 10, and 30 Mega Gray (MGy) were applied to zircon samples exhibiting particle size of 100, 200, and 300 mesh. The TL results were associated with the main changes in lattice planes observed in the XRD spectra of irradiated samples. Furthermore, the surface damages due to gamma irradiation were evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomica Force Microscopy (AFM). The effect of gamma irradiation is verified in the shallow layers of all the zircon samples, but no dependence of the superficial damage was observed regarding the dose of gamma. The size of the zircon particulate was also evaluated as a result of the surface damage in order to elucidate any relationship with the exposure of the material to the radiation.