Radiation damages the silicates present in polyphasic mineral aggregates causing concrete’s degradation

Arnaud Bouissonnié; Xin Chen; Q. I. Zehui; Marie Collin; Steven John Zinkle; Yann Le Pape; Elena Tajuelo Rodriguez; Mathieu Bauchy; Gaurav Sant

doi:10.1038/s41529-025-00692-6

Radiation damages the silicates present in polyphasic mineral aggregates causing concrete’s degradation

Arnaud Bouissonnié
, Xin Chen
, Q. I. Zehui
, Marie Collin
, Steven John Zinkle
, Yann Le Pape
, Elena Tajuelo Rodriguez
, Mathieu Bauchy
, Gaurav Sant

Nuclear Construction and Operations

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

While many U.S. nuclear power plants have submitted Subsequent License Renewal Application to operate beyond 60 years, others are already considering Operations Beyond Eighty years. In such cases, concrete biological shields are exposed to neutron and gamma radiation exceeding prescribed thresholds. Radiation-induced volumetric expansion (RIVE), extensively studied in single crystals, may also contribute to the degradation of polycrystalline aggregates. Since minerals differ in atomic structure and chemistry, radiation can affect them in distinct ways. This study examines quartzite, marble, and limestone to evaluate how irradiation affects their physical attributes and chemical reactivity. Results show crystalline silicates experience significant RIVE damage and enhanced reactivity in alkaline solutions compared to non-irradiated phases. Enhanced intra- and inter-granular dissolution could compromise aggregate integrity. An empirical correlation links silicate dissolution rate to atomic constraints (density, rigidity) and radiation dose, providing a predictive framework for estimating changes in silicate aggregate properties within radiation-exposed concrete.

Original language	English
Article number	142
Journal	npj Materials Degradation
Volume	9
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41529-025-00692-6
State	Published - Dec 2025

Funding

The authors acknowledge financial support for this research provided by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the Nuclear Energy University Program (DOE-NEUP: DE-NE0008882), and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). This research was carried out in the Laboratory for the Chemistry of Construction Materials (LC2) at UCLA, and the Ion Beam Material Laboratory (IBML) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. As such, the authors gratefully acknowledge the support provided by these laboratories that has made operations possible. The contents of this paper reflect the views and opinions of the authors, who are responsible for the accuracy of the datasets presented herein, and do not reflect the views and/or policies of the funding agencies, nor do the contents constitute a specification, standard or regulation.

Keywords

Aggregate
Chemical reactivity
Concrete
Durability
Radiation
Silicates

Access to Document

10.1038/s41529-025-00692-6

Cite this

@article{b2583d87acde40c2a7ef97676fe2cb81,

title = "Radiation damages the silicates present in polyphasic mineral aggregates causing concrete{\textquoteright}s degradation",

abstract = "While many U.S. nuclear power plants have submitted Subsequent License Renewal Application to operate beyond 60 years, others are already considering Operations Beyond Eighty years. In such cases, concrete biological shields are exposed to neutron and gamma radiation exceeding prescribed thresholds. Radiation-induced volumetric expansion (RIVE), extensively studied in single crystals, may also contribute to the degradation of polycrystalline aggregates. Since minerals differ in atomic structure and chemistry, radiation can affect them in distinct ways. This study examines quartzite, marble, and limestone to evaluate how irradiation affects their physical attributes and chemical reactivity. Results show crystalline silicates experience significant RIVE damage and enhanced reactivity in alkaline solutions compared to non-irradiated phases. Enhanced intra- and inter-granular dissolution could compromise aggregate integrity. An empirical correlation links silicate dissolution rate to atomic constraints (density, rigidity) and radiation dose, providing a predictive framework for estimating changes in silicate aggregate properties within radiation-exposed concrete.",

keywords = "Aggregate, Chemical reactivity, Concrete, Durability, Radiation, Silicates",

author = "Arnaud Bouissonni{\'e} and Xin Chen and Zehui, \{Q. I.\} and Marie Collin and Zinkle, \{Steven John\} and \{Le Pape\}, Yann and Rodriguez, \{Elena Tajuelo\} and Mathieu Bauchy and Gaurav Sant",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1038/s41529-025-00692-6",

language = "English",

volume = "9",

journal = "npj Materials Degradation",

issn = "2397-2106",

publisher = "Nature Research",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Radiation damages the silicates present in polyphasic mineral aggregates causing concrete’s degradation

AU - Bouissonnié, Arnaud

AU - Chen, Xin

AU - Zehui, Q. I.

AU - Collin, Marie

AU - Zinkle, Steven John

AU - Le Pape, Yann

AU - Rodriguez, Elena Tajuelo

AU - Bauchy, Mathieu

AU - Sant, Gaurav

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - While many U.S. nuclear power plants have submitted Subsequent License Renewal Application to operate beyond 60 years, others are already considering Operations Beyond Eighty years. In such cases, concrete biological shields are exposed to neutron and gamma radiation exceeding prescribed thresholds. Radiation-induced volumetric expansion (RIVE), extensively studied in single crystals, may also contribute to the degradation of polycrystalline aggregates. Since minerals differ in atomic structure and chemistry, radiation can affect them in distinct ways. This study examines quartzite, marble, and limestone to evaluate how irradiation affects their physical attributes and chemical reactivity. Results show crystalline silicates experience significant RIVE damage and enhanced reactivity in alkaline solutions compared to non-irradiated phases. Enhanced intra- and inter-granular dissolution could compromise aggregate integrity. An empirical correlation links silicate dissolution rate to atomic constraints (density, rigidity) and radiation dose, providing a predictive framework for estimating changes in silicate aggregate properties within radiation-exposed concrete.

AB - While many U.S. nuclear power plants have submitted Subsequent License Renewal Application to operate beyond 60 years, others are already considering Operations Beyond Eighty years. In such cases, concrete biological shields are exposed to neutron and gamma radiation exceeding prescribed thresholds. Radiation-induced volumetric expansion (RIVE), extensively studied in single crystals, may also contribute to the degradation of polycrystalline aggregates. Since minerals differ in atomic structure and chemistry, radiation can affect them in distinct ways. This study examines quartzite, marble, and limestone to evaluate how irradiation affects their physical attributes and chemical reactivity. Results show crystalline silicates experience significant RIVE damage and enhanced reactivity in alkaline solutions compared to non-irradiated phases. Enhanced intra- and inter-granular dissolution could compromise aggregate integrity. An empirical correlation links silicate dissolution rate to atomic constraints (density, rigidity) and radiation dose, providing a predictive framework for estimating changes in silicate aggregate properties within radiation-exposed concrete.

KW - Aggregate

KW - Chemical reactivity

KW - Concrete

KW - Durability

KW - Radiation

KW - Silicates

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105022126880

U2 - 10.1038/s41529-025-00692-6

DO - 10.1038/s41529-025-00692-6

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105022126880

SN - 2397-2106

VL - 9

JO - npj Materials Degradation

JF - npj Materials Degradation

IS - 1

M1 - 142

ER -

Radiation damages the silicates present in polyphasic mineral aggregates causing concrete’s degradation

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this