[en] Ceramics subjected to irradiation show a wide range of damage responses, depending on composition, nature of bonding, crystal structure, impurity levels, starting microstructure, number of phases, and type of bombarding particle. As doses reach high levels (a condition that varies in magnitude from one material to another) major changes in physical properties can occur, and atomic arrangements may even change from crystalline to disordered. However, some ceramics show marked resistance to damage, and some properties may improve. More work is needed to fully understand these phenomena, but it is currently possible in many cases to predict at least qualitatively both microstructural damage response and observed property changes