A surrogate approach of ion beam irradiation is employed to simulate alpha decay of actinides in iron
phosphate nuclear waste glasses. Bismuth and helium ions of different energies have been selected for
simulating glass matrix modification owing to radiolysis and ballistic damage due to recoil atoms.
Structural modification and change in coordination number of network former were probed by employing
Reflectance Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR), and Raman spectroscopies as a consequence of ion
irradiation. Depolymerisation is observed in glass sample irradiated at intermediate energy of 2 MeV.
Helium blisters of micron size are seen in glass sample irradiated at low helium ion energy of 30 keV