Chemical resistance of some irradiated ceramic-glazes

Abstract

The effect of neutrons irradiation on the chemical durability of some ceramic-glazes with different compositions has been investigated with particular attention to the change in the corrosion rate. Different factors have been studied such as glaze composition, irradiation dose, concentration of the leaching solution, immersion time and temperature of leaching

solution. It was found that zircon improved the chemical durability. Corrosion rate increased with increasing concentration of immersion solution up to 2N HNO₃ then decreased, also it increased with increasing immersion time and raising the temperature of leaching solution. The amount of the silica released in solution showed a maximum weight loss percent up

to 2N HNO3, and then decreased dramatically with increasing the concentration of the tested solution. The corrosion results have been explained in relation to the hydration, diffusion and selective dissolution. The density increases with successive increase of zirconium oxide content reaching the highest value of 2.59 g/cm³. The induced defects obtained on irradiating a glaze, either in the surface or in the bulk, have been assumed to result from neutron irradiation which decreases both the chemical durability and the density.