Influence of temperature and uranium on the radiation stability of zircon

The influence of temperature and uranium on the zircon (ZrSiO4) radiation stability has been studied. The results show that zircon clusterization (formation of USiO4 clusters) may influence appreciably the radiation stability of zircon. However, the temperature also exerts an effect on the zircon radiation stability and may decrease the effective α-dose. In case of USiO4 cluster formation, the dependence of the undamaged part of the mineral on the quantity of uranium atoms per cluster has been derived.