Wigner Energy of Nanodiamond Bombarded with Neutrons or Irradiated with γ Radiation

Abstract

Commercial detonation nanodiamond samples were exposed to neutron bombardment in the dose range between 1.1 and 3.3 × 10¹⁶ n cm⁻². Differential scanning calorimetry revealed that this nanodiamond material allows up to 237 J/g of Wigner energy to build up until released as an exothermic peak above 300°C. At comparable neutron dose the Wigner energy of graphite flakes is only 9.5 J/g. The same nanodiamond processed with γ radiation to dose levels of 1MGy and 2 MGy did not show any accumulation of Wigner energy but even a reduction of the internal defects in the pristine nanodiamond.

Keywords:

• Nanodiamonds
• neutron bombardment
• Wigner energy
• γ-radiation
• DSC