Numerical modelling on water retention and permeability of compacted GMZ bentonite under free-swelling conditions

In this study, a solid–liquid–gas coupled equation was established to simulate water retention characteristics of highly compacted GMZ bentonite. Then, modelling results were compared with laboratory test results. Results indicate that GMZ bentonite has a strong moisture expansion (or a limit drying shrinkage) characteristic. The control equation can simulate the water absorption and deformation characteristics very well at high relative humidity (or low suction). Environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) observation reveals the course grain soil texture of the surface under low relative humidity (RH), while the surface of GMZ bentonite becomes smooth (more fine-grained soil texture) as RH increases. Differences were found between the porosities calculated by macroexperiment results and microscopic observations with ESEM method. This is because only the interaggregate pores can be observed by ESEM photographs. Additionally, we find that the simulated effective porosities are close to the results calculated by microscopic tests, while the effective porosity is considered as the main flow channel of flow. Further, the intrinsic permeability, the effective water and gas permeability are calculated based on the proposed model. The modelling results coincide well with the laboratory experimental results and support the reliability of the proposed model.     

An experimental study of the water transfer through confined compacted GMZ bentonite

GMZ bentonite has been considered as a possible material for engineered barrier in the Chinese program of nuclear waste disposal at great depth. In the present work, the hydraulic conductivity of this bentonite was determined by simultaneous profile method. A specific infiltration cell equipped with five resistive relative humidity probes was designed for this purpose. The water retention properties were studied under both confined and unconfined conditions; the results show that at high suctions (> 4 MPa) the water retention capacity is independent of the confining condition, and by contrast, at low suctions (< 4 MPa) the confined condition resulted in significant low water retention. Furthermore, the microstructure was investigated at mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) in different states: on oven-dried powder, bentonite slurry, as-compacted and wetted samples. It has been observed that the soil powder is constituted of aggregates of various sizes; these aggregates are destroyed by full saturation at a water content equal to the liquid limit; compaction at the initial water content of 11–12% and a dry density of 1.7–1.75 Mg/m³ led to a microstructure characterized by a dense assembly of relatively well preserved aggregates; saturation of the compacted sample under constant volume condition defined a non-homogeneous microstructure with the presence of well preserved aggregates. This non-homogeneous microstructure would be due to the non uniform distribution of the generated swelling pressure within the soil sample upon wetting. The hydraulic conductivity determined has been found decreasing first and then increasing with suction decrease from the initial value of about 80 MPa to zero; the decrease can be attributed to the large pore clogging due to soft gel creation by exfoliation process, as observed at ESEM.     

Experimental study on the 1-D free swelling of compacted bentonite

Acta Geotechnica - This paper presents a new designed 1-D free swelling test of compacted bentonite in glass tubes to simulate the process by which the bentonite cushion in the nuclear waste...     

Insights into the water retention behaviour of GMZ bentonite pellet mixture

Bentonite pellets are recognized as good buffer/backfill materials for sealing technological voids in high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository. Compared to that of a traditional compacted bentonite block, one of the most important particularities of this material is the initially discrete pellets and the inevitable heterogeneous porosity formed, leading to a distinctive water retention behaviour. In this paper, water retention and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) tests were conducted on pellet mixture (constant volume), single pellet (free swelling) and compacted block (constant volume) of GMZ bentonite, water retention properties and pore structure evolutions of the specimens were comparatively investigated. Results show that the water retention properties of the three specimens are almost similar to each other in the high suction range (>?10 MPa), while the water retention capacity of pellet mixture is lower than those of the compacted block and single pellet in the low suction range (<?10 MPa). Based on the capillary water retention theory (the Young–Laplace equation), a new concept ‘saturated void ratio’ that was positively related to water content and dependent on pore size distribution of the specimen was defined. Then, according to the product of saturated void ratio and water density in saturated void, differences of water retention properties for the three specimens at low suctions were explained. Meanwhile, MIP tests indicate that as suction decreases, the micro- and macrovoid ratios of pellet mixture and compacted block decrease as the mesovoid ratio increases, while all the void ratios of single pellets increase. This could be explained that upon wetting, water is successively adsorbed into the inter-layer, inter-particle and inter-pellet voids, leading to the subdivision of particles and swelling of aggregates and pellets. Under constant volume condition, aggregates and pellets tend to swell and fill into the inter-aggregates or inter-pellets voids. While under free swelling condition, the particles and aggregates in a single pellet tend to swell outward rather than squeezing into the inter-aggregate voids, leading to the expansion of the pores and even formation of cracks. Results including the effects of initial conditions (initial dry density and fabric) and constraint conditions (constant volume or free swelling) on the water retention capacity and pore structure evolution reached in this work are of great importance in designing of engineering barrier systems for the HLW repository.

     

Investigating the swelling pressure of highly compacted bentonite/sand mixtures under constant-volume conditions

Acta Geotechnica - Compacted bentonite/sand mixtures are often considered as sealing/backfilling materials in deep geological disposal for radioactive waste. This study investigates the swelling...     

压实膨润土膨胀变形的分形计算方法

分形计算方法能较准确地计算膨润土的膨胀变形,但系数K没有确切的计算方法,限制了该方法的广泛应用。基于双电层（DDL）理论和分形方法在双电层膨胀下都适用的理论事实,提出在双电层膨胀条件下采用DDL理论推导出分形方法中系数K的方法,并计算出商用膨润土的K值为9.15。对商用膨润土进行了N2吸附试验,利用等温吸附数据计算出该膨润土的表面分维为2.65,然后根据得出的系数K和表面分维采用分形方法计算了膨润土的最大膨胀率并与膨胀试验结果作对比。结果表明,分形方法的理论计算和试验结果基本一致,尤其是在施加压力较大而膨胀变形较小的情况下,分形计算方法计算结果比起双电层理论更符合试验数据。     

Effective stress incorporating osmotic suction and volume change behavior of compacted GMZ01 bentonite

Acta Geotechnica - Investigation of osmotic suction effects on the volume change behavior of clay is of great importance in evaluating the performance of engineering barrier in deep geological...     

Investigation on gas migration behaviours in saturated compacted bentonite under rigid boundary conditions

Acta Geotechnica - To ensure the long-term safety and performance efficiency of a deep geological repository for disposal of high-level radioactive waste, understanding and assessment of gas...     

An unsaturated hydraulic conductivity model for compacted GMZ01 bentonite with consideration of temperature

As one of the most important properties of compacted bentonite used as buffer/backfill materials, hydraulic conductivity is influenced by various factors including temperature, microstructure and suction (or degree of saturation), etc. Based on the readily available results of both temperature-controlled water-retention tests and unsaturated infiltration tests under confined (constant volume) conditions, influences of temperature and microstructure variations on unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the compacted Gaomiaozi (GMZ01) bentonite were analyzed. Then, a revised unsaturated hydraulic conductivity model considering temperature effects and microstructure changes was developed. With this proposed model, prediction and comparison were made on the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the compacted GMZ01 bentonite at 20 °C. Results show that water-retention capacity of compacted GMZ01 bentonite decreases as temperature increases and the degree of the temperature influence depends on suction. Under confined conditions, influence of hydration on microstructure of compacted GMZ01 bentonite depends on pore size. The proposed model can well describe the variations of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity with suction at different temperatures. However, further improvement of the proposed model is needed to account for the phenomenon of inter-aggregate pores clogging that occurred at the initial stage of hydration of compacted GMZ01 bentonite under confined conditions.     

pH effect on Re(VII) and Se(IV) diffusion in compacted GMZ bentonite

In a high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository, pH has an impact on the solubility, migration, and adsorption of radionuclides. Thus, understanding the effects of pH on the diffusion of radionuclides is essential for long-term disposal of HLW. In this work, the diffusion behaviors of Re(VII) and Se(IV) in compacted Gaomiaozi (GMZ) bentonite at different pH have been investigated by a through-diffusion method. The effective diffusion coefficient, i.e., D_e values of Re(VII) and Se(IV) were in the range of (1.0–2.4) × 10⁻¹¹ m²/s at pH 3.0–10.0 and (0.38–2.3) × 10⁻¹¹ m²/s at pH 3.0–9.0. In the case of Re(VII), the D_e values remained almost unchanged probably because ReO₄⁻ was the dominant species in the pH range of 3.0–10.0. In the case of Se(IV), whose predominant species were HSeO₃⁻ at pH < 9.0 and SeO₃²⁻ at pH ≥ 9.0, the D_e values decreased by a factor of 3–6 at pH 9.0, i.e., D_e (pH < 9.0)/D_e (pH 9.0) ≈ 3–6, implying that the species with a higher valence state had a stronger anion exclusion effect. The decrease in D_e values can be explained by the diffusion species of Se(IV). Additionally, the rock capacity factor α decreased with the increase of pH. HSeO₃⁻ was absorbed on GMZ bentonite with distribution coefficient K_d values in the range of (1.0–2.5) × 10⁻⁴ m³/kg at pH ≤ 8.0, whereas SeO₃²⁻ was negligibly sorbed at pH > 8.0.     

大气条件下高庙子钠基膨润土化学缓冲特性研究

深地质处置目前被国际上公认为是处置高放废物的最有效可行的方法。我国采用多重工程屏障系统和适宜的地质体共同作用来确保与生物圈的安全隔离。缓冲材料是高放废物重要的工程屏障材料之一,我国选用高庙子钠基膨润土作为缓冲材料的基础材料。膨润土作为缓冲材料的一个重要性能表现为缓冲孔隙水的化学变化。介绍了GMZ-1钠基膨润土大气条件下与蒸馏水的反应试验,并对试验结果进行了讨论。批式试验反应溶液中钠离子来源于钠基膨润土层间阳离子和矿物溶解,镁离子来源于钠基膨润土层间阳离子,钾离子和钙离子来源于矿物溶解,相关研究认识对于高放废物处置库近场核素迁移研究和评价工程屏障的长期稳定性具有重要意义。     

盐溶液对膨润土膨胀性的影响

膨润土因其优良的膨胀性和低渗透性常被用作深层地质处置库的缓冲和回填材料,但其膨胀性会受到地下流体溶液浓度的影响。针对这种现象,利用单轴固结仪研究了压实商用膨润土在不同上覆荷载和不同浓度NaCl溶液作用下的膨胀变形特性。结果表明：随着NaCl溶液浓度升高,该膨润土的膨胀性显著降低,且最大膨胀应变与上覆荷载之间在双对数坐标系下存在良好的线性关系。利用有效压力的概念和计算方法,实现了用唯一一条曲线来描述不同盐溶液浓度作用下膨润土的膨胀变形行为,同时证明了有效压力理论的合理性。     

渗流条件下含裂缝压实膨润土应力及渗透性能试验研究

压实膨润土是放射性废物处置库的理想缓冲/回填材料,但它在失水收缩过程中易产生裂缝,该裂缝在浸水条件下能否愈合是放射性废物处置安全评价中的重要课题。其研究对含纵向单裂缝的压实膨润土样品开展渗透试验,以渗透系数、隙面法向应力及含水率为指标,研究含裂缝压实膨润土吸水膨胀后应力及渗透性能的变化,从而评价裂缝对膨润土屏障层性能的影响。研究结果表明,样品渗透系数随时间逐渐递减,隙面法向应力随时间逐渐递增,且在85 d时两参数达到稳定水平,分别为4.6410~(-10)m/s和2.5 MPa,与完整压实膨润土样品的渗透系数及内部应力处于相同水平,可以认为,此时土体实现了饱和及均一化。该研究从渗透性和应力角度证实了裂缝对压实膨润土渗透系数及应力参数未产生显著影响,膨润土具有较好的自愈合能力。研究建立了膨润土裂缝自愈合效果评价方法,为膨润土作为回填材料的安全性评价提供理论依据。     

密实砂-膨润土混合物膨胀特性的试验研究

密实砂－膨润土混合物作为高放废料地质处置的缓冲材料,人们来越来关心它的性质。通过大量的试验,研究了密实砂－膨润土的膨胀特性,阐明了其膨胀过程和方式,得出了一步有意义的结论。     

Effects of heat/water flow interaction on compacted bentonite: Preliminary results

Compacted bentonite blocks have been heated and hydrated in a stainless steel cell in order to simulate, in the laboratory, the conditions of the clay barrier in a high-level radioactive waste repository. Temperature distributions at different times, rate of hydration, final water content and dry density have been measured. Some chemical parameters, as electrical conductivity in an aqueous extractable amorphous silica, have also been obtained. For the periods of time considered (up to 2500 h), the hydration process is not affected by the thermal gradient, the high suction of the bentonite being the critical factor in the initial water uptake of the clay barrier. A remarkable saline environment has been detected near the heater, due to salt migration towards dried areas. This phenomenon should be taken into account in further investigations of the mechanical and geochemical behaviour of the clay barrier.     

高压实膨润土的非饱和渗透膨胀模型

高放废弃物深地质处置库中,作为缓冲/回填材料的高压实膨润土的设计功能是,遇水吸湿导致土体膨胀变形,以密封高压实膨润土块体砌置时形成的块体与块体之间和块体与围岩之间的施工缝隙以及围岩中因处置库开挖卸载引起的裂缝,形成阻障围岩中地下水渗入内库引起核素迁移,与库内高放废物的辐射扩散的人工屏障。高压实膨润土在自由膨胀条件下的膨胀应变和非饱和渗透系数由渗透试验测得;孔隙比和吸力的关系由压汞试验测得。吸力和含水率的函数关系可由土-水特征曲线测试试验得到。因此,自由膨胀条件下膨润土的非饱和渗透膨胀模型由膨胀应变、非饱和渗透系数和孔隙比与吸力的函数关系建立。结果表明：渗透系数和体积应变都随吸力减小而增加,因为吸力减小会导致孔隙比增加。这一发现有助于设计高放废物的最终处置方案。     

Effect of salt concentration on desiccation cracking behavior of GMZ bentonite

Bentonite has been proposed for use as an engineering barrier and buffer in nuclear waste repositories and has been used frequently in municipal waste landfills. The cracking behavior and deformation properties of this material can be influenced by the chemistry of pore water. In the present work, the influence of salt concentration on the desiccation cracking behavior of GMZ bentonite was investigated with laboratory experiments. Image processing techniques and SEM tests were performed on the specimens which had undergone the desiccation testing in order to analyze the cracking mechanisms. Results show that the water evaporation process can be identified by a steady rate stage, a falling rate stage and a residual stage. The water evaporation rate is strongly affected by the salt concentration of the pore water; higher salt concentrations result in lower evaporation rates; the final water content is strongly impacted by a high initial salinity; otherwise the water contents are very similar for the residual stage. During desiccating, most of cracks appeared at the steady evaporation stage. The cracking morphology and patterns were greatly affected by the salt concentration of the pore water; and larger crack lengths and lower crack densities were obtained as the initial salinity was increased.     

Consequences on water retention properties of double-porosity features in a compacted silt

The paper deals with an experimental investigation aimed at studying microstructural features and their consequences on water retention properties of statically compacted unsaturated silt. The evolution of the microstructure of the aggregate fabric induced by compaction is investigated by studying the pore size distribution changes under different initial conditions (void ratio and water content). The material used is low plasticity silt from Jossigny near Paris, France. A series of mercury intrusion porosimetry tests (MIP) were performed at different void ratios and water contents to provide microstructural information. The arrangement of aggregation/particles and pore network was also investigated with environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). The MIP data were used to determine the water retention curve on drying for the specific pore network configuration induced on compaction. The MIP data were used to formulate and calibrate a multimodal water retention model for a specific pore network configuration, which is obtained by linear superposition of subcurves of a modified van Genuchten type. The study is then complemented with controlled suction oedometer tests on compacted samples to obtain the water retention properties of the material at two different void ratios. Finally, we compare the water retention properties obtained by the simulated progression of the different pore network configurations induced on the hydraulic path with the water retention properties under suction-controlled conditions. Good agreement between the two methods for the drying path is reached.     

Fractal characteristics of pore structure of compacted bentonite studied by ESEM and MIP methods

Acta Geotechnica - In this paper, we aim to clarify microstructure of bentonite from Cerny vrch deposit in the Czech Republic. We adopt results of ESEM and MIP experiments performed at various...