Abstract Borosilicate glass has been employed for immobilization of high‐level radioactive waste (HLW). During long‐term geological disposal, the irradiation damage from radionuclides and the potential risk of groundwater corrosion may compromise the integrity of HLW containment. In this work, Na‐borosilicate and Zr‐Na borosilicate glasses were irradiated with 2 MeV He ions. The leaching behaviors of both glass types were investigated using the MCC‐1 method at 90°C. Different techniques, including Raman spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy, and Time‐of‐Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry, were employed to analyze the leached samples and the leachate. The results indicated that He ion radiation could accelerate the leaching process of borosilicate glasses. The leaching rate of He irradiated borosilicate glass was between that of the pristine and Xe irradiated borosilicate glasses. This finding enhances our understanding of the discrepancies in leaching behavior associated with alpha particles and recoil nuclides during alpha decay.

Effect of He ions irradiation on the leaching behavior of borosilicate glasses