Investigation of mechanisms of radiolytic H2 production in C-S-H: Influence of water content and radiation induced defects

Water radiolysis is a major concern for the conditioning of radioactive waste in cement materials. Synthetic calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H), the main hydrates of concrete, were synthesized with different calcium to silicate ratios and relative humidity. The samples were irradiated under γ- and electron beam irradiation. The radiolytic hydrogen production was quantified and the radiation induced defect produced at low temperature was characterized by electron paramagnetic resonance. The results show that the radiolytic H2 production and defect production are 20% sensitive to the relative humidity.