57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy of annealed metamict davidite

Abstract

This paper reports preliminary results of 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies of metamict davidite samples (La,Ce,Ca,Th)(Y,U,Fe)(Ti,Fe,Mn)20(O,OH)38 after high temperature annealing in an argon atmosphere. The Mössbauer spectra show a gradual decrease of quadrupole splitting and line width values of an Fe3+ doublet with increasing annealing temperature. Rather unexpected feature of these spectra for an Fe2+ doublet is a considerable increase of the line width with progressive crystallinity and a simultaneous decrease of both quadrupole splitting and isomer shift values. Changes of the hyperfine parameters as a function of the annealing temperature appeared as sensitive indicators of the thermal recrystallization process of metamict davidite similar to metamict silicates.