Single-crystal elastic properties of, (Cs, Na)AlSi2O6 x H2O pollucite: A zeolite with potential use for long-term storage of Cs radioisotopes

The single-crystal and aggregate elastic properties of the zeolite pollucite (Cs, Na)AlSi2O6 center dot H2O, a potential host for Cs radionucleides in geological repositories, have been determined by Brillouin scattering spectroscopy at ambient conditions. The three nonzero individual elastic constants of cubic pollucite are: C-11=105.0(1.3) GPa, C-44=27.0(3) GPa, and C-12=25.7(6) GPa. The Voigt-Reuss-Hill average of the aggregate bulk, shear modulus, Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio are K-S=52.2(1.0) GPa, G=31.5(7) GPa, E=78.6(1.0) GPa, and nu=0.248(4), respectively. The bulk modulus of pollucite is 12.7% lower than that of the all-Na isotypic mineral analcime NaAlSi2O6 center dot H2O whereas the shear moduli G are identical within mutual uncertainties. The higher compressibility of pollucite results from the weaker Cs-O bonds compared to Na-O bonds, suggesting strong control of the nature and configuration of the extraframework content on the behavior of the structure. The elastic properties of pollucite reported here will help in the prediction of its behavior as a geological barrier and in the modeling of the short-term and long-term safety of the Cs-repositories. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3504613]