Radiation-induced enhancement of proton-conductivity in porous glass

We studied the effect of ionizing Co60-gamma radiation on the thermally stimulated electric conductivity (TSEC) of dense and porous alumina−silica glass and ceramics in the presence of water vapor. The measurements were carried out in the course of irradiation at a dose rate from 0.12 to 29.6 Gy/s within the temperature interval of 230–630 K. The peak of TSEC at 300 K, related to the proton-conductivity, occurs only in porous materials, and its magnitude depends on the density, porosity degree, and amount of absorbed water. The irradiation increases the TSEC by 3–5 orders of magnitude in proportion to the dose rate in the temperature interval because of the radiation-induced proton-conductivity and the activation by charging of the total pore surface in the glass.