The creation rate of defects produced by α recoils in mono-silicated fluoroapatite was determined by using a transmission electron microscope with an ion implanter, and was compared to previous results obtained for fully phosphated fluoroapatite. In both materials, defect creation was controlled, at room temperature, by amorphization directly in the cascade. Furthermore, it had been shown previously that, in mono-silicated fluoroapatite, disorder recovery proceeded mainly via α-annealing. By taking account of the published data, and new results on defect creation in mono-silicated fluoroapatite, amorphization level changes as a function of time were modelled. The main conclusion was that, because of α-annealing, mono-silicated fluoroapatite loaded with 244Cm would maintain its disorder at a level which was low enough to prevent total amorphization of the host lattice for long periods.

Determination of the Defect Creation Mechanism in the Mono-Silicated Fluoroapatite. S.Soulet, J.Carpéna, J.Chaumont, J.C.Krupa, M.O.Ruault: Journal of Nuclear Materials, 2001, 299[3], 227-34