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。     

混合型缓冲回填材料导热性能试验

为提高高放废物地质处置库中缓冲回填材料的导热性能,选用高庙子钙基膨润土和钠基膨润土为基础材料,添加不同比例的石英砂、石墨和沸石配置成混合型缓冲回填材料,运用瞬变平面热源法进行了不同含水率、不同干密度条件下导热系数的测试分析,并提出了混合型缓冲回填材料的建议配合比。结果表明,缓冲回填材料的导热性能随着含水率、干密度的增大而增大,各材料导热系数的大小排序为:石墨(M)石英砂(S)钠基膨润土(N)钙基膨润土(G)沸石(F)。石英砂和石墨作为添加剂可以极大地提高缓冲回填材料的导热性能,沸石对混合材料导热性影响不大,但其优良的吸附性与化学稳定性可为混合型缓冲回填材料其他性能提供保障。     

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。     

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。     

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。     

膨润土-砂混合型缓冲/回填材料土-水特征曲线研究

高放废物（HLW）深地质处置中,在膨润土中添加一定比例的石英砂能优化缓冲/回填材料的性能。利用水汽平衡法,对高庙子压实膨润土-砂混合物在不同温度、掺砂率和干密度条件下的土-水特征曲线（SWCCs）进行试验研究,分析温度、掺砂率与干密度对混合物土-水特征曲线的影响。试验结果表明,随着温度升高,混合物的持水能力明显下降;在试验控制吸力范围内,低吸力段掺砂率对土-水特征曲线影响明显,高吸力段掺砂率对混合物土-水特征曲线的影响逐渐降低;干密度对混合物的土-水特征曲线基本没有影响。根据试验数据建立了不同温度和掺砂率条件下膨润土-砂缓冲/回填材料土-水特征曲线的经验公式,可用来预测不同温度和掺砂率条件下的膨润土-砂混合型缓冲/回填材料土-水特征曲线     

压实度与制样含水率对压实黄土微结构及水力特性的影响

压实黄土的水力特性受微结构控制,而微结构受制样条件影响。为探究制样条件对压实黄土微结构、饱和渗透系数与土-水特征曲线的影响及机制,对不同制样条件下制备的压实黄土试样开展了压汞试验、变水头渗透试验和土-水特征曲线的测定,获得了它们的孔径分布曲线、饱和渗透系数及其随渗透次数的变化和土-水特征曲线。结果表明：（1）制样含水率通过影响集粒尺寸改变试样中的中孔（2 000 nm 相似文献   

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。     

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。     

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。     

不同介质材料组合可渗透反应墙渗透性能试验研究

渗透系数是可渗透反应墙(PRB)正常运行的关键参数之一,与PRB活性填充材料的选择密切相关。本试验采用常水头渗透系数测试法,首先选用斜发沸石、红辉沸石为作为PRB的活性介质材料,考察了沸石矿物的类型和粒径对PRB渗透系数的影响,试验结果显示,同一粒径的斜发沸石PRB和红辉沸石PRB渗透系数相差一个数量级;处于同一数量级渗透系数沸石PRB,斜发沸石的粒径大于红辉沸石的粒径。在此基础上,以膨润土作为掺和活性介质材料,讨论了渗透系数处于同一数量级沸石PRB,掺和比例对渗透系数的影响,结果表明,膨润土的掺和能导致沸石PRB渗透系数量级上的差异,与斜发沸石相比,红辉沸石更有利于实现沸石PRB系统渗透系数的可调性。     

Study on the Themal Conductivity of Compacted Buffer/Backfill Materials

The thermal property is one of the key properties for the design of the high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository. In this study, the thermal properties transient automatic tester (HPP-F) is uesd to study the thermal conductivity of multiphase composite buffer/backfill material including the type B-Z and B-Z-P (Here B、Z、P represents bentonite、zeolite and pyrite respectively,the same as in the following.) in different dry density and moisture conditions. The results show that for the same moisture content (dry density), thermal conductivity of specimens increases as the dry density (moisture content) increases. As a result, the type B-Z-P which is highly compacted of 1.8 g/cm3 in dry density and 17.65% in moisture content performs well, it meets the requirements of the IAEA and is easy to be compacted ,so it can be recommend as a alternative material of high level radioactive waste disposal repository buffer/backfilling materials.     

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.

     

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。     

Hydro-mechanical path dependency of claystone/bentonite mixture samples characterized by different initial dry densities

In the context of the French Cigéo-project, a mixture composed of 70% processed Callovo-Oxfordian claystone spoil and 30% MX80-bentonite could be a potential backfill material, whose installation aims to stabilize the surrounding rock formation and to limit the propagation of the excavation damaged zone. The backfill material must sustain the overburden pressure, despite that it might be exposed to different hydraulic and mechanical paths. The reference concept considers employing conventional compaction techniques, although their employment involves spatial variations in the dry density after compaction. In general, as the initial dry density has a significant impact on the hydro-mechanical behavior of backfill materials, it is of major importance to relate the variations in the initial dry density to differences in the behavior. This experimental laboratory study aimed to analyze how variations in the initial dry density affect the swelling and compression behavior of the claystone/bentonite mixture, in particular in unsaturated state. Further, it evaluated whether those variations affected possible hydro-mechanical path dependences. The experimental program comprised suction-controlled oedometer and constant-volume swelling pressure experiments, in which samples characterized by different initial dry densities were exposed to different hydro-mechanical paths. The analysis of microstructural and water retention characteristics complemented the program. Major results indicated that the magnitude of swelling pressure at a given suction depends considerably on the initial dry density, but it is independent of the imposed hydro-mechanical path. Interestingly, the dependency of the yield behavior on the hydro-mechanical path appears to be more pronounced as the initial dry density increases.

     

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.

     

Modification of physical, mechanical and hydraulic properties of bentonite by thermo-hydraulic gradients

The conditions of the bentonite in an engineered barrier for high-level radioactive waste disposal have been simulated in a series of tests. Cylindrical cells with an inner length of 60 cm and a diameter of 7 cm have been constructed. Inside the cells, six blocks of FEBEX bentonite have been piled-up, giving rise to a total length similar to the thickness of the clay barrier in a repository according to the Spanish concept. To obtain the blocks, the clay with its hygroscopic water content has been uniaxially compacted at a dry density of 1.65 g/cm³. The bottom surface of the material was heated at 100 °C and the top surface was injected with granitic water. The duration of the tests was 6, 12 and 24 months. The temperatures inside the clay and the water intake were measured during the tests and, at the end, the cells were dismounted and the dry density, water content and some hydro-mechanical properties of the clay (permeability, swelling pressure and swelling under load) were measured at different positions. The values obtained are compared to those of the untreated FEBEX bentonite. The injection of water provokes in the vicinity of the hydration surface an increase of the water content and a decrease of the dry density due to the swelling of the clay, while heating gives rise to an increase of the dry density and a reduction of the water content in the 18 cm closest to the heater, even after 2 years of thermo-hydraulic (TH) treatment. The swelling capacity and the hydraulic conductivity after TH treatment are mainly related to the dry density and water content attained during it. No major irreversible modifications of these properties with respect to those of the untreated clay have been detected.