混合型缓冲回填材料膨胀力试验研究

与纯膨润土相比,混合型缓冲回填材料（膨润土与石英砂混合物）能够实现防渗阻隔能力、热传导性能、力学强度和可施工性能的最佳组合。选用高庙子钠基膨润土（GMZ001）为缓冲回填材料的主料,添加不同比例的石英砂,对掺砂比分别为0、10%、20%、30%、40%和50%的膨润土-砂混合物压实试样进行室内试验。结果表明,混合物的液限、塑限随掺砂率的增大而线性降低;膨胀力随时间呈指数增长。初始含水率较大时,最大膨胀力随初始含水率的增大略有降低。掺砂率一定时,最大膨胀力随初始干密度指数增长。提出了有效黏土密度的概念,建立了一定初始含水率条件下,任意掺砂率和初始干密度的高庙子膨润土-砂混合物最大膨胀力归一化模型,为混合型缓冲回填材料膨胀力的预测与控制提供了依据。     

Dynamic compaction properties of bentonite-based materials

Dynamic compaction tests of bentonite-based materials (BBMs) with 100, 70 and 50% bentonite contents have been performed using five powdery bentonites with different physicochemical properties to establish the simplified evaluation method for dynamic compaction properties of BBMs. For a given bentonite content and a total compaction energy condition, the maximum dry density, ρ_dmax, and the optimum water content, w_opt, which are well-known indexes of compaction properties, for BBMs were determined according to the type of bentonite used for BBMs. For evaluation of those values of BBMs derived in this study, the plastic limit of BBM, w_pbbm, was defined as the plastic limit that was measured using the sample pulverized to a maximum grain size of less than 425 μm in the case of BBM with sand having a maximum grain size of more than 425 μm and was measured using the powdery bentonite itself in the case of BBM without sand. This study proposed equations for evaluating ρ_dmax and w_opt of BBMs with more than 50% bentonite content under the total compaction energy conditions of 551–2755 kN-m/m³ using w_pbbm. Finally, we related the equations derived in this study to the equation for evaluating hydraulic properties of compacted BBMs proposed in previous work and proposed the preparation method of BBMs with more than 50% bentonite content for constructing BBM buffer by in-situ compaction method.     

混合型缓冲回填材料膨胀变形试验研究

选用高庙子钠基膨润土(GMZ001)为缓冲回填材料的主料,添加不同比例的石英砂,对掺砂率分别为0%、10%、20%、30%、40%和50%的膨润土-砂混合物压实试样进行室内膨胀变形试验。结果表明：膨胀率随时间呈指数增长;掺砂率一定时,最大膨胀率随初始干密度的增大而线性增长;初始干密度一定时,最大膨胀率与掺砂率呈二次函数关系。引入有效黏土密度的概念对最大膨胀率进行计算,建立了任意掺砂率和初始干密度条件下膨润土-砂混合物最大膨胀率归一化模型,为混合型缓冲回填材料在高放废物地质处置中膨胀行为的预测与控制提供了依据。     

Performance evaluation of soil mixtures treated with graphite and used as barrier fill material for high-level radioactive waste repository

Buffer/backfill material is an important engineering barrier in a deep geological repository of high-level radioactive waste (HLW). Its thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) performance is very important for the safe and stable operation of the HLW repository system. Natural graphite powder mixed with sodium bentonite forms a buffer/backfill material that can dissipate heat quickly and provide strong isolation. In this paper, the THM characteristics of bentonite–sand–graphite–polypropylene fiber (BSGF) mixtures, used as a buffer/backfill material, were studied through a series of laboratory tests. The influence of graphite and polypropylene fiber contents on thermal conductivity, swelling pressure, hydraulic conductivity, and strength properties of BSGF mixtures with different sand contents was analyzed. Experimental results indicated that the graphite content, the maximum graphite mesh number, and the initial dry density of bentonite–graphite mixtures influenced the thermal conductivity of bentonite–graphite mixtures. The addition of polypropylene fiber was found to enhance the shear strength and inhibit cracking without significantly affecting the expansivity, permeability, and thermal conductivity of the BSGF mixtures. This study provides a new buffer/backfill material that can improve the stability, functionality, and thermal efficiency of the HLW repository.

     

Impact of wetting–drying cycles on the hydraulic conductivity of liners made of lime-stabilized sand–bentonite mixtures for sanitary landfills

In this study, an investigation was performed to determine if lime-stabilized sand–bentonite mixtures are appropriate for the construction of sanitary landfills liners. For this aim, the hydraulic conductivity tests were conducted in the laboratory on sand–bentonite mixtures and lime-stabilized sand–bentonite mixtures to evaluate the effect of wetting–drying cycles. The hydraulic conductivity tests were performed to see if their hydraulic conductivities are affected by wetting–drying cycles. First series of specimens have been prepared as a mixture of sand and bentonite only. In the first series of specimens, sand was mixed with bentonite in proportions of 20, 30, 40, and 50 %. In the second series of the specimens, lime in proportions of 1, 2 and 3 % by weight was added to the mixtures of sand–bentonite in proportions of 20, 30, 40, and 50 %. From the results of the tests, it was observed that while optimum water content increased, maximum dry density decreased with addition of lime to the sand–bentonite mixtures. Generally, the hydraulic conductivity increased with the addition of lime to the mixtures but at low percentages of lime (1–2 %), however, slight decreases in k were recorded. It was also observed that the wetting–drying cycles on the permeability test indicate cure effect on specimens with addition of lime which resulted in decreased the hydraulic conductivity.     

缓冲／回填材料——砂-膨润土混合物研究进展

砂-膨润土混合物已被很多核能国家选为核废物地质处置库中理想的缓冲/回填材料。膨润土中加入砂可提高热传导系数和强度,维持适当的膨胀力,使其工程上易于处理并节省成本;但同时会导致其阻水能力和自愈性减弱。研究表明,影响砂-膨润土混合物以上各性质的主要因素为：砂/膨润土配合比、初始含水量、干密度等,它们综合决定着砂/膨润土最优配合比的选取。石英砂对混合物的渗透性、热传导性、强度等的影响,最优配合比选取,以及非饱和状态下吸力变化对混合物渗透性的影响等,应该是今后一段时间内砂-膨润土混合物研究的重点。     

砂-膨润土混合屏障材料渗透性影响因素研究

膨润土因具有渗透性低、阳离子交换能力高等优点被认为是最适合高放废物深地质处置库中屏障系统的缓冲材料,工程实践发现随着水化过程的进行,纯高压实膨润土强度不断降低,并最终影响到工程屏障系统功能的发挥。针对这一问题,在膨润土中加入一定比例的石英砂,可以有效地提高工程屏障的热传导特性、压实性、力学强度和长期稳定性,降低工程造价。本文研究了影响砂-膨润土混合物渗透性的主要因素,包括膨润土含量、粒径分布、含水量和干密度、压实方法以及膨润土类型等。结果表明,砂土混合物渗透性主要受膨润土的渗透性控制,渗透系数随着膨润土含量和干密度的增加而减小,当膨润土含量超过某一界限值后,继续增加膨润土含量对降低渗透系数的作用有限;细颗粒和级配良好的混合物渗透系数小,当土体内部发生渗透侵蚀将增大渗透系数;最优含水量条件下压实得到的渗透系数最低,高于最优含水量压实得到的渗透系数比低于最优含水量压实得到的渗透系数要小。     

含水率和添加剂对膨润土导热性能影响的研究

膨润土的热学性能是评价膨润土作为高放废物深地质处置库缓冲/回填材料的重要参数。高庙子膨润土矿床初步确定为我国缓冲/回填材料的供应基地,本研究以石英砂作为添加剂,通过实验获得了高庙子膨润土在不同含水率和不同砂含量时所对应的导热系数。结果表明,在相同压实条件下,导热系数随着含水率、石英砂含量的增加而增加。     

Adsorptive removal of azo dyes from aqueous solutions by natural bentonite under static and dynamic flow conditions

This work reports new findings on the physisorption of Foron Blue 291 on natural bentonite under both static and dynamic flow conditions of the aqueous solution that may prove important when using the adsorption technique for wastewater treatment. The quantity of dye retained by the solid matrix under both ideal exchange conditions between dyes and adsorbents given in a batch reactor and a pulse injection of dissolved azo dye in a soil column composed of a mixture of mean grain-sized sand and bentonite at different flow rates and at various mass fractions of bentonite was studied. Column experiments involving the use of a non-reactive tracer (Fluorescein) were performed to examine hydrodynamic behaviours of the clay/sand mixture studied. It is shown that advective–dispersive transport across a clay/sand mixture may be characterized by a double porosity medium. The results obtained on the reactive transport of Foron Blue 291 underscore that Foron Blue 291 adsorption depends heavily on the mass fraction of clay in a clay/sand mixture. With a clay mass fraction of 30 %, 77 % of the dissolved Foron Blue 291 mass was irreversibly removed by the adsorbent. At low flow rates, removal ratios obtained from the dynamic reactive system were similar to those obtained through previous static reactor experiments.     

江西广丰李家膨润土压实性能研究--高放废物处置缓冲/回填材料压实性能初探

研究了广丰李家钠基膨润土的压实性能,得出了不同压实功作用下,膨润土干密度与含水率之间的关系．以及粒径、压实功等因素对压实性能的影响;在相同压实功和相同含水率条件下,膨润土粒径较小时相对应的干密度较小．当压实功为2684．9kJ／m^3时,钠基膨润土的最大干密度可达1．525g／cm^3,最优含水率为26．30％。首次选用石英砂作为添加荆,探索了添加荆对膨润土压实性能的改善作用,实验结果说明石英砂添加荆的加入可以大大提高膨润土的干密度。减小对应的最优含水率,并得出约10％的石英砂是添加剂的最佳用量。该研究结果为钠基膨润土作为高放废物处置库缓冲／回填材料的性能评价提供了重要的依据。     

膨润土加砂混合物膨胀特征试验研究

运用自行研制的膨胀仪对膨润土加砂混合物进行了一系列膨胀力及膨胀应变等膨胀特性的试验研究,分析了膨胀力随时间的变化规律、两向膨胀力之间的关系和膨胀应变与时间及吸水量之间的关系。试验研究表明,膨润土加砂混合物的最大膨胀力以及最大膨胀应变主要取决于混合物的最初干密度和膨润土含量,并且随着二者的增大而增大;膨润土加砂混合物的水平膨胀力与竖向膨胀力之比随着混合物干密度的增大减小,并且与干密度近似成线性关系;不同膨润土含量的膨润土加砂混合物的膨胀应变与时间成双曲线关系,与吸水量近似呈S型曲线关系,并且其最大膨胀应变与膨润土含量存在指数关系。试验结果对高放废物深处置库中的缓冲回填材料设计具有一定的参考价值。     

Feasibility of using fly ash,lime, and bentonite to neutralize acidity of pore fluids

Acidic groundwater resulting from the poorly planned use of acid sulfate soils has become a major environmental issue in coastal Australia over the last several years. Use of permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) designed to generate alkalinity by promoting sulfate reduction has recently become popular as an alternative solution to this problem. However, recent studies have also revealed that the long-term performance of such PRBs can be significantly undermined by chemical precipitation and clogging of pore space, which would decrease the buffer capacity and hydraulic conductivity of the reactive material. This study seeks to explore the feasibility of using bentonite in addition to lime and fly ash to form mixtures with a high buffer capacity and permeability that would enable groundwater flow through PRBs over a substantial period of time. A series of laboratory experiments, including buffer capacity and leaching tests, were performed on different mixtures of fly ash with lime and bentonite using acidic fluids of low pH. It was found that the ability of such mixtures to neutralize acidic fluids was mostly controlled by the content of lime. Laboratory data also showed that an addition of bentonite to lime—fly ash mixtures could decrease the buffer capacity of soil. Compaction tests indicated that the presence of bentonite would increase the dry density of mixtures at the optimum moisture content. A series of hydraulic conductivity tests were carried out to study changes in the coefficient of permeability of lime—fly ash mixtures with different contents of bentonite permeated with acidic liquids. The obtained results revealed that the coefficient of permeability of the specimens tended to increase over a period of time, likely due to the changes in the diffuse double layer of bentonite particles.     

高庙子膨润土水化膨胀特性及其微观机理研究

膨润土具有遇水膨胀的特性,是高放核废料深地质处置库理想的缓冲回填材料。膨胀特性是其作为缓冲材料最重要的性能之一,同时受多方面因素的影响。本文以我国首选缓冲材料高庙子膨润土为研究对象,以含水率和干密度为控制变量,以恒体积法为试验方法,研究了高压实高庙子膨润土的水化膨胀特性,采用压汞试验法(MIP)对膨润土微观结构进行了研究,并以此对水化膨胀特性进行了解释。膨胀力试验结果表明,高庙子膨润土的膨胀力发展形式和最大膨胀力均受试样含水率和干密度影响,干密度较小时,水化曲线呈明显的双峰结构,干密度较大时,水化曲线形态与含水率相关,随着含水率增大,双峰结构逐渐消失。MIP试验结果表明,高庙子膨润土的孔径分布同样受含水率和干密度影响,随着含水率和干密度降低,集合体间大孔隙体积增多。膨润土的水化膨胀曲线受集合体间大孔隙影响显著。大孔隙较多时,膨润土集合体能迅速膨胀形成临时结构,当膨胀力超过临时结构的极限荷载时发生坍塌,膨胀力回落,内部结构重组后继续水化达到最大膨胀力,因此其水化膨胀曲线呈明显的双峰结构。随着大孔隙量减少,水化膨胀曲线由双峰结构演变成一条平滑曲线。     

Mechanisms and Models for Bentonite Erosion Used for Geologic Disposal of High Level Radioactive Waste: A Review

The performance of the bentonite buffer in nuclear waste repository concept relies to a great extent on the buffer surrounding the canister having sufficient dry density. Loss of buffer material caused by erosion remains as the most significant process reducing the density of the buffer. In the worst case, the process is assumed to last as long as the free volume between the pellets in the pellets filled regions is filled with groundwater. Erosion rate and mass erosion are calculated based on the erosion model, and the measures are presented to prevent the geological disaster due to bentonite erosion. The groundwaters may solubilise the smectite particles in the bentonite and carry them away as colloidal particles. A dynamic model is developed for sodium gel expansion in fractures where the gel soaks up groundwater as it expands. The model is based on a force balance between and on smectite particles, which move in the water. Attractive van der Waals forces, repulsive electric diffuse layer (DDL) forces, gravity and buoyancy forces and forces caused by the gradient of chemical potential of the particles act to move the particle in the water. The effect of the fracture width and the frictions between particles and water and surrouding rock is analysed based on erosion model. The DDL forces strongly depend on the type of clay minerals and the type of ion and concentration in the water surrounding the particles. In the designed safe use of nuclear waste disposal (tens of thousands of years to hundreds of thousands of years), the safety of nuclear waste disposal is affected by the hydrodynamic and chemical effects, and bentonite erosion. Due to the bentonite erosion, the buffer/backfill layers become loose, and their permeability increases, which causes the nuclear element diffusion and convection, and even the nuclear disaster. In this paper, the mechanisms, models, experiments and control measures of bentonite erosion were systematically summarized. The current deficiencies of bentonite erosion were pointed out, and new methods were put forward to carry out the research for bentonite erosion. The measures were presented to prevent the geological disaster due to bentonite erosion through changes. The project is not only academic innovation, but also has a large practical significance. The research results of this project can be widely applied to the design, construction and maintenance of the bentonite buffer in nuclear waste repository.     

Additives for Slurry Shields in Highly Permeable Ground

Summary. For tunneling projects in saturated soils tunnel boring machines (TBMs) with slurry shields are widely used. However, in coarse, highly permeable soils the suspension penetrates the ground and the required support pressure cannot be built up. For the Zimmerberg Base Tunnel near Zurich permeabilities much greater than 10⁻³ m/s were expected. This value is usually considered as the critical limit for the applicability of slurry shields. Therefore it was aimed to find additives for the bentonite suspension which would allow it to attain a higher suspension pressure. For these investigations an apparatus has been developed. It allows the maximum attainable support pressure for a given suspension and a ground to be determined. It reflects the real situation, produces reproducible results and is insensitive to the inevitable variation of individual parameters. In the tests the additives polymer, sand and vermiculite were studied and their effects on the attainable maximum suspension pressure investigated. For the best combination, i.e. with a well defined proportion of the individual components, suspension pressures could be attained which were about 10 to 20 times higher than those with an ordinary bentonite suspension. Successful excavation of the Zimmerberg Base Tunnel proved the validity of the laboratory tests containing 200 kg bentonite per m³ water.     

Reduction of Expansive Index,Swelling and Compression Behavior of Kaolinite and Bentonite Clay with Sand and Class C Fly Ash

Swelling behavior of expansive soil has always created problems in the field of geotechnical engineering. Generally, the method used to assess the swelling potential of expansive soil from its plasticity index, shrinkage limit and colloidal content. Alternative way to evaluate swelling behavior is from its expansive index (EI) and swelling pressure value. The present study investigates the reduction of EI and swelling pressure for kaolinite and bentonite clay when mixed with various percentages of Ottawa sand and Class C fly ash. The percentages of Ottawa sand and Class C fly ash used were 0–50 % by weight. The results show that there is a significant reduction in the swelling properties of expansive soil with the addition of Ottawa sand and Class C fly ash. The reduction in EI ranged approximately from 10 to 50 and 4 to 49 % for kaolinite and bentonite clay, respectively. Also the maximum swelling pressure of kaolinite and bentonite clay decreased approximately 93 and 64 %, respectively with the addition of various percentages of Ottawa sand and Class C fly ash. Standard index properties test viz., liquid limit, plastic limit and linear shrinkage test were conducted to see the characteristics of expansive soil when mixed with less expansive sand and fly ash. Also, for these expansive soils one dimensional consolidation test have been conducted with sand and fly ash mixtures and the results were compared with pure kaolinite and bentonite clay.     

A laboratory study of the self sealing behaviour of a compacted sand–bentonite mixture

Bricks made of compacted sand–bentonite mixture are considered as a possible engineered barrier to isolate high-level radioactive waste at great depth. This work is aimed at investigating some specific effects related to the presence of discontinuities at the contact between the bricks and the excavation wall. In order to do this, an experimental device was developed in the laboratory. The model is made up of a specially designed infiltration cylinder which allows the precise definition of a planar discontinuity between the compacted specimen (a sand–bentonite mixture made up of sand and Kunigel clay from Japan) and a metal wall. During hydration and subsequent specimen swelling, the planar wall is filled, resulting in a healing process. Three total pressure gauges placed along the wall allow a detailed observation of the increase in total stress against the wall. After different periods of swelling, the maximum resistance of the specimen–wall interface to pressure was tested by imposing a pressure increase through a porous stone placed at one end of the cylinder. It was found that the maximum pressure supported by the interface is a function of the initial thickness of the discontinuity and the initial density of the specimen. It was also found that the maximum sustainable pressure depends linearly on the elapsed time. These results are of interest for optimizing water infiltration procedures in either mock-up tests or real disposal systems. If the maximum sustainable pressure at the interface is known, it is possible either to ensure homogeneous hydration of a mass of bricks by respecting the maximum injection pressure limit or to accelerate hydration by forcing water paths along the discontinuities.     

我国高放废物处置库缓冲／回填材料压实膨胀特性研究

本文研究了我国高放废物地质处置库缓冲／回填材料－内蒙古高庙子膨润土的压实、膨胀力和膨胀变形特性。实验结果表明，膨润土样品的压实密度与压制压力和蒙脱石含量有关，膨胀力与样品压实密度和蒙脱石含量有关，样品在荷载作用下膨胀变形明显减小。     

Influence of dry density and water salinity on the swelling pressure and hydraulic conductivity of compacted GMZ01 bentonite–sand mixtures

Acta Geotechnica - Compacted Gaomiaozi bentonite–sand mixtures are regarded as attractive buffer/backfill materials for nuclear waste deep geological disposal. When the mixture blocks are...     

An upscaling method and a numerical analysis of swelling/shrinking processes in a compacted bentonite/sand mixture

This paper presents an upscaling concept of swelling/shrinking processes of a compacted bentonite/sand mixture, which also applies to swelling of porous media in general. A constitutive approach for highly compacted bentonite/sand mixture is developed accordingly. The concept is based on the diffuse double layer theory and connects microstructural properties of the bentonite as well as chemical properties of the pore fluid with swelling potential. Main factors influencing the swelling potential of bentonite, i.e. variation of water content, dry density, chemical composition of pore fluid, as well as the microstructures and the amount of swelling minerals are taken into account. According to the proposed model, porosity is divided into interparticle and interlayer porosity. Swelling is the potential of interlayer porosity increase, which reveals itself as volume change in the case of free expansion, or turns to be swelling pressure in the case of constrained swelling. The constitutive equations for swelling/shrinking are implemented in the software GeoSys/RockFlow as a new chemo‐hydro‐mechanical model, which is able to simulate isothermal multiphase flow in bentonite. Details of the mathematical and numerical multiphase flow formulations, as well as the code implementation are described. The proposed model is verified using experimental data of tests on a highly compacted bentonite/sand mixture. Comparison of the 1D modelling results with the experimental data evidences the capability of the proposed model to satisfactorily predict free swelling of the material under investigation. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.