When exposed to irradiation—e.g., in nuclear power plant environments—minerals may experience alterations in their atomic structure which, in turn, result in changes in their physical and chemical properties. Herein, we mimic via Ar⁺ implantation the effects of neutron irradiation on calcite (CaCO₃) and dolomite (CaMg(CO₃)₂) – two carbonate minerals that often find use as aggregates in concrete: a material that is extensively used in the construction of critical structural and safety components in nuclear power plants. By a pioneering combination of nanoscale quantifications of mineral dissolution rates (i.e., a proxy for chemical durability) in alkaline solutions, vibrational (infrared and Raman) spectroscopy, and molecular simulations, we find that irradiation minimally affects the atomic structure and properties of these carbonate minerals. This insensitivity to radiation arises from the predominantly ionic nature of the interatomic bonds in these minerals which can relax and recover their initial configuration, thus ensuring minimal damage and permanent alterations to these minerals following radiation exposure. The outcomes have significant implications on the selection, use, and specification of mineral aggregates for use in nuclear concrete construction.

当暴露在辐射下时（例如，在核电站环境中），矿物质可能会经历原子结构的改变，进而导致其物理和化学性质发生变化。在这里，我们通过Ar ⁺注入模拟中子辐照对方解石（CaCO ₃）和白云石（CaMg（CO ₃）₂）–经常在混凝土中用作骨料的两种碳酸盐矿物：一种广泛用于建造核电厂关键结构和安全组件的材料。通过在碱性溶液，振动（红外和拉曼）光谱以及分子模拟中对矿物溶出速率（即化学耐久性的代表）进行纳米级定量的开创性组合，我们发现辐照对这些碳酸盐的原子结构和性质的影响最小。矿物质。对辐射的不敏感性是由于这些矿物中原子间键的主要离子性质引起的，这些离子可以放松并恢复其初始构型，从而确保在辐射暴露后对这些矿物的损害最小且永久性改变。