KIT | KIT-Bibliothek | Impressum | Datenschutz

Long term bentonite erosion experiments in an artificial fracture: radionuclides mobility and diffusion in FEBEX bentonite

Kouhail, Yasmine 1; Rinderknecht, Franz 2; Quinto, Francesca ORCID iD icon 1; Metz, Volker ORCID iD icon 1; Schäfer, Thorsten; Geckeis, Horst 1
1 Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung (INE), Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)
2 Fortbildungszentrum für Technik und Umwelt (FTU), Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)

Abstract (englisch):

Natural bentonite is envisaged to be used as engineered barrier for repositories of high-level radioactive waste in, e.g., crystalline rocks [1]. The intrusion of glacial melt water through fractures in host rock is expected to lead to the swelling and the erosion of the bentonite [3], with consecutive formation of bentonite colloids that would act as carrier for radionuclides, increasing their mobility. Therefore, there is a need to study the processes of radionuclide (RN) diffusion through the bentonite, bentonite erosion and the colloid-associated RN migration in order to assess its long-term barrier function.
FEBEX bentonite erosion experiments have been conducted in an artificial fracture set-up to simulate the intrusion of water in a repository. A ring of compacted bentonite (inner diameter of 40 mm, outer diameter of 80 mm, 25 mm height) was emplaced between two Plexiglas plates spaced by a one mm height aperture to simulate a parallel fracture around the bentonite. Groundwater of the Grimsel Test Site, pumped through the fracture at a flow rate of 50 µL/min, led to bentonite swelling and formation of a gel in the aperture [4]. ... mehr


Zugehörige Institution(en) am KIT Fortbildungszentrum für Technik und Umwelt (FTU)
Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung (INE)
Publikationstyp Vortrag
Publikationsdatum 05.07.2021
Sprache Englisch
Identifikator KITopen-ID: 1000167363
HGF-Programm 32.11.01 (POF IV, LK 01) Nuclear Waste Disposal
Veranstaltung Goldschmidt (2021), Online, 04.07.2021 – 09.07.2021
Projektinformation KOLLORADO-e3 (BMWK, 02E11759B)
KIT – Die Forschungsuniversität in der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft
KITopen Landing Page