PNNL

Abstract

We have obtained new insights into the structure of amorphous zircon using classical molecular dynamics simulations with a partial charge model. We present detailed structural characterizations of the simulated high and low density amorphous zircon and compare our results with available neutron diffraction, EXAFS, NMR and other experimental results. The results show that amorphization leads to polymerization of the silicon-oxygen network and the formation of regions rich in zirconium. The average n value of Qn species is 1.6-1.8. A considerable percentage of the oxygen ions (around 20%) have only zirconium in the first coordination shell (free oxygen) in amorphous zircon. The Zr-O bond length (around 2.10Å) is shorter and the oxygen coordination number around zirconium smaller (6-7) than those in crystalline zircon, in good agreement with the EXAFS results. The total structure factors of simulated amorphous zircon also agree well with neutron diffraction results. We have examined the effects of the simulation cell size and relative density on the amorphous structure. The general features such as polymerization of silicon-oxygen network and the formation of clustered zirconium rich regions appear to be independent of system size and volume expansion in the range of 11 to 18%. Based on the obtained amorphous zircon structure, experimentally observed lower chemical durability of amorphous zircon compared to its crystalline form can be explained by the existence of the silicon-oxygen networks and zirconium rich regions in amorphous zircon that provides diffusion channels and eases dissolution processes. Battelle operates PNNL for the USDOE