Study on Absorption Spectra of Borosilicate Glasses Irradiated with γ Rays

Vitrification is one kind of silicates which is used for immobilization of high-level waste (HLW). As the first engineered barrier of HLW disposition, its anti-irradiation characteristic is particularly noticeable. Vitrification is replaced by borosilicate glass to investigate radiation effect, and the irradiation damage generated by natural radioactivity in vitrification is simulated by different doses gamma rays on borosilicate glass. By measuring and analyzing the absorption spectrum of irradiated borosilicate glasses, it is confirmed that E'defect, non-bridging oxygen hole center, peroxy dangling bond and bridge oxygen link, etc. are induced in borosilicate glass after irradiation. Furthermore, the relations between the defects and absorbed doses are shown. For the concentrations of these defects induced by irradiation, all of them increase with absorbed dose. Meanwhile, absorption band gap in borosilicate glass after irradiation decreases with absorbed dose and the band gap becomes saturated when absorbed dose is equal to or greater than 10⁵ Gy.