ON THE STRUCTURAL STABILITY OF MONTMORILLONITE SUBMITTED TO HEAVY γ-IRRADIATION

The effect of heavy doses (up to 200 Mrad) of γ-radiation on the short-range structural organization in montmorillonite was studied using infrared (IR) spectroscopy and solid-state high-resolution 27Al and 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). No change attributable to irradiation was observed. A small variation in the water content was noted but it is not systematic. The results show that the montmorillonite structure can accumulate high doses of radiation without damage and therefore this clay is a suitable material for use in the safe disposal of radioactive waste.