Metamict minerals are a class of natural amorphous materials which were initially crystalline but self-radiation damage mainly
from alpha decays of
238U and
232Th series inside the structure can produce partially or fully amorphization (metamictization) of these minerals. This paper
reports the results of
57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, gamma-ray spectrometry and X-ray diffraction (XRD) study of some complex metamict minerals like:
davidite-(La), gadolinite, steenstrupine-(Ce), vesuvianite and comparatively epidote. The absorbed α-dose for these minerals
varies in wide range from 1.9 × 10
14 α-decay/mg (epidote) to as high as 2.7 × 10
16 α-decay/mg (steenstrupine). The Mössbauer spectra show decreasing IS values (except steenstrupine) for Fe
2+ components with absorbed α-dose. Rather unexpected feature of these spectra is a noticeable decrease of the spectral line
widths with increasing absorbed α-dose both Fe
2+ and Fe
3+ components in gadolinite, davidite and steenstrupine.
Key words davidite - steenstrupine - vesuvianite - Mössbauer spectroscopy - metamict state