Experimental study on the swelling behaviour of bentonite/claystone mixture

A mixture of the MX80 bentonite and the Callovo-Oxfordian (COx) claystone were investigated by carrying out a series of experiments including determination of the swelling pressure of compacted samples by constant-volume method, pre-swell method, zero-swell method and swell–consolidation method. Distilled water, synthetic water and humidity controlled vapour were employed for hydration. Results show that upon wetting the swelling pressure increases with decreasing suction; however, there are no obvious effects of synthetic water chemistry and hydration procedure on the swelling behaviour in both short and long terms. For the same initial dry density, the swelling pressure decreases with increasing pre-swell strain; whereas there is a well defined logarithmic relation between the swelling pressure and final dry density of the sample regardless of the initial dry densities and the experimental methods. It was also found that swelling pressure depends on the loading-wetting conditions as a consequence of the different microstructure changes occurred in different conditions. Furthermore, it was attempted to elaborate a general relationship between the swelling pressure and the final dry density for various reference bentonites.     

盐溶液中膨润土膨胀变形的分形模型

当压实膨润土在蒸馏水中膨胀后,施加于膨润土颗粒上的有效应力通常被认为是外部施加的荷载,而当膨润土在盐溶液中膨胀时,膨润土颗粒所承受的有效应力还包括由孔隙水渗透吸力所引起的渗透应力。而压缩膨润土的蒙脱石孔隙比e_m与膨润土颗粒承受的有效应力p之间满足分形关系,该关系可用来计算膨润土的膨胀变形。通过对压实膨润土在盐溶液中颗粒的分散情况以及颗粒表面的分形特性,推导出该渗透应力的表达式,进而得出膨润土颗粒所承受的有效应力。将所提出的有效应力代入分形模型中,计算GMZ01和MX-80膨润土在不同浓度NaCl溶液中的膨胀变形,将现有的两种膨润土膨胀试验结果与模型计算结果对比,发现具有较好的吻合度,在蒸馏水以及各浓度的盐溶液中膨润土的膨胀变形都可采用统一的e_m-p曲线表示,表明提出的有效应力符合膨润土颗粒在盐溶液中的实际受力情况。分形模型为研究膨润土在盐溶液中的膨胀性质提供了有效的计算方法。     

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...     

A finite element porothermoelastic model for dual-porosity media

An existing dual-porosity finite element model has been extended to include thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling in both media. The model relies on overlapping distinct continua for the fluid and solid domains. In addition, conductive and convective heat transfers are incorporated using a single representative thermodynamics continuum. The model is applied to the problem of an inclined borehole drilled in a fractured formation subjected to a three-dimensional state of stress and, a temperature gradient between the drilling fluid and the formation. A sensitivity analysis has been carried out to study the impact of thermal loading, effect of heat transport by pore fluid flow and, the effect of parameters of the secondary medium used to represent the fractures. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of Fe(II) competition on the sorption and migration of Ni(II) in MX-80 bentonite

The results from batch sorption experiments on montmorillonite systems have demonstrated that bivalent transition metals compete with one another for sorption sites. For safety analysis studies of high level radioactive waste repositories with compacted bentonite near fields, the importance of competitive sorption on the migration of radionuclides needs to be evaluated. Under reducing conditions, the bentonite porewater chosen has a Fe(II) concentration of ∼5.3 × 10⁻⁵ M through saturation with siderite. The purpose of this paper is to assess the influence of such high Fe(II) concentrations on the transport of Ni(II) through compacted bentonite, Ni(II) was chosen as an example of a bivalent transition metal. The one-dimensional calculations were carried out at different Ni(II) equilibrium concentrations at the boundary (Ni(II)_EQBM) with the reactive transport code MCOTAC incorporating the two site protolysis non electrostatic surface complexation/cation exchange sorption model, MCOTAC-sorb. At a Ni(II)_EQBM level of 10⁻⁷ M without Fe(II) competition, the reactive transport calculations using a constant K_d approach and the MCOTAC-sorb calculation yielded the same breakthrough curves. At higher Ni(II)_EQBM (10⁻⁵ M), the model calculations with MCOTAC-sorb indicated a breakthrough which was shifted to later times by a factor of ∼5 compared with the use of the constant K_d approach.When sorption competition was included in the calculations, the magnitude of the influence depended on the sorption characteristics of the two competing sorbates and their respective concentrations. At background Fe(II) concentrations of 5.3 × 10⁻⁵ M, and a Ni(II)_EQBM level of 10⁻⁷ M, the Ni(II) breakthrough time was ∼15 times earlier than in the absence of competition. At such Fe(II) concentrations the Ni(II) breakthrough curves at all source concentrations less than 3.5 × 10⁻⁵ M (fixed by the NiCO_3,S solubility limit) are the same i.e. Ni(II) exhibits linear (low) sorption.Competitive sorption effects can have significant influences on the transport of radionuclides through compacted bentonite i.e. reduce the migration rates. Since, for the case considered here, the Fe(II) concentration in the near field of a high-level radioactive waste repository may change in time and space, the transport of bivalent transition metal radionuclides can only be properly modelled using a multi-species reactive transport code which includes a sorption model.     

A dual-porosity model considering the displacement effect for incompressible two-phase flow

The dual-porosity model is usually employed to simulate the flow in fractured reservoirs. However, its original form for the multiphase flow does not consider the displacement effect under macropressure gradient. Especially for the incompressible multiphase flow, it predicts zero transfer term between fracture and matrix, which is unreasonable. To improve this, a modified double-porosity model is proposed for incompressible two-phase flow, in which the displacement effect is considered and the corresponding shape factor is derived. For the anisotropic case, the shape factor of displacement depends upon the velocity direction. The accuracy and the efficiency of the proposed dual-porosity model are indicated through numerical tests.     

Investigating the hydromechanical behaviour of bentonite pellets by swelling pressure tests and discrete element modelling

Acta Geotechnica - Bentonite pellet mixtures are candidate material for the sealing of galleries in radioactive waste disposals. The hydromechanical behaviour of assemblies of bentonite pellets is...     

A dual-porosity model for ionic solute transport in expansive clays

A microstructure model of dual-porosity type is proposed to describe contaminant transport in fully-saturated swelling clays. The swelling medium is characterized by three separate-length scales (nano, micro, and macro) and two levels of porosity (nano- and micropores). At the nanoscale, the medium is composed of charged clay particles saturated by a binary monovalent aqueous electrolyte solution. At the intermediate (micro) scale, the two-phase homogenized system is represented by swollen clay clusters (or aggregates) with the nanoscale electrohydrodynamics, local charge distribution, and disjoining pressure effects incorporated in the averaged constitutive laws of the electro-chemo-mechanical coefficients and the swelling pressure, which appear in Onsager’s reciprocity relations and in a modified form of Terzaghi’s effective principle, respectively. The microscopic coupling between aggregates and a bulk solution lying in the micropores is ruled by a slip boundary condition on the tangential velocity of the fluid, which captures the effects of the thin electrical double layers surrounding each clay cluster. At the macroscale, the system of clay clusters is homogenized with the bulk fluid. The resultant macroscopic picture is governed by a dual-porosity model wherein macroscopic flow and ion transport take place in the bulk solution and the clay clusters act as sources/sinks of mass of water and solutes to the bulk fluid. The homogenization procedure yields a three-scale model of the swelling medium by providing new nano and micro closure problems, which are solved numerically to construct constitutive laws for the effective electro-chemo-hydro-mechanical coefficients. Considering local instantaneous equilibrium between the clay aggregates and micropores, a quasisteady version of the dual-porosity model is proposed. When combined with the three-scale portrait of the swelling medium, the quasisteady model allows us to build-up numerically the constitutive law of the equilibrium adsorption isotherm, which governs the instantaneous immobilization of the solutes in the clay clusters. Moreover, the constitutive behavior of the retardation coefficient is also constructed by exploring its representation in terms of the local profile of the electrical double layer potential of the electrolyte solution, which satisfies the Poisson–Boltzmann problem at the nanoscale.     

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。     

碱−热环境下MX80膨润土导热性能试验研究

以美国怀俄明州钠基（MX80）膨润土为研究对象,采用热探针法测定碱−热环境下MX80膨润土的导热系数,探讨了温度、碱液强度和干密度对试样导热系数λ的影响规律,并选择部分试样进行了X射线衍射（X-ray diffraction,简称XRD）和扫描电镜（scanning electron microscope,简称SEM）试验,揭示了碱−热环境下MX80膨润土导热性能演变的微观机制。试验结果表明：MX80膨润土的导热系数λ随碱液含量和干密度的递增而增大;在不同碱液含量条件下,膨润土的导热系数均随温度升高而增大,且碱液含量越高,导热系数的温度效应越显著;干密度较小时,膨润土导热系数λ随温度升高而增大的影响越明显,主要原因是温度促进了试样内部的水汽潜热传输;同一温度和干密度条件下,热传导系数λ随着碱液pH值的升高而降低6,且pH值越高,则λ降幅越明显,主要原因是强碱溶液腐蚀了膨润土的蒙脱石成分,减少了试样内石英含量,增大了膨润土试样的孔隙率,进而降低了膨润土导热系数,这与测试试样的XRD和SEM结果相吻合。     

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。     

膨润土性能温度效应研究进展

通过文献调研、资料总结和分析,阐述了温度对膨润土诸多性状的影响。膨润土中孔隙水的化学成分因温度变化而发生改变,温度的增加使膨润土中内水、外水的含量发生改变,从而影响土的水合力大小。以OPHELIE膨润土实验为例,介绍了温度对膨润土内部孔隙大小的影响。此外,还对目前膨润土持水能力与膨胀力的温度效应进行了阐述。     

膨润土改性的研究

以吉林省净月潭膨润土、小梨河膨润土和刘房子膨润土为原料,对净月潭、小梨河钙基土进行提纯,用碱性钠盐为改性剂制成改性土,经X-射线衍射、差热、电镜、化学全分析等手段证实改性成功,并找出最佳活化条件。     

γ辐照对改性钠基膨润土影响的初步研究

为了确认γ辐照对改性钠基膨润土的影响,拓展高放地质处置缓冲材料性能评价范围,以内蒙古高庙子改性钠基膨润土为研究对象,利用红外光谱分析仪、同步热分析仪和X射线衍射仪分析了不同γ辐照剂量(1000、2000、3000、4000和5000 k Gy)对改性钠基膨润土性能和微观结构的影响。结果表明:在5000 k Gy大剂量γ辐照后,高庙子改性钠基膨润土中某些官能团发生了少量的化学转变,耐热性能有所提高,但对钠基膨润土中的层间水和吸附水影响不大;另外其微观结构变化不明显,只是晶胞尺寸有所减小;总体而言,高庙子钠基膨润土在大剂量γ辐照环境中稳定性是良好的。     

非饱和膨润土的有效热传导特性模型

膨润土缓冲材料热传导特性的研究,对于高放废物深地质处置系统的安全评价至关重要。基于串、并联原理,通过将土体孔隙划分为与固相基质并联和串联两部分,提出了考虑矿物成分、颗粒亲水性、孔隙率及饱和度等因素的非饱和膨润土有效热传导系数的4种预测形式,建立了基于4种形式线性组合的有效热传导特性预测模型。详细讨论了模型参数的确定方法,并讨论了孔隙率、饱和度和孔隙结构、颗粒亲水性等因素对土体有效热传导特性的影响。基于MX-80膨润土和高庙子膨润土热传导特性试验成果,对模型的预测性能进行了验证。结果表明,由于膨润土颗粒尺寸较小且具有亲水特性,孔隙内的空气与水宜采用并联描述。研究成果对于非饱和膨润土的导热性能以及工程屏障系统的THM耦合数值模拟研究具有一定的参考价值。     

A model for swelling rock in tunnelling

Summary In this paper, the phenomenon of swelling in tunnelling will be treated as a hydraulic-mechanical coupled process. This approach allows one to model the observed floor heaves realistically, i. e. without the prediction inevitable in the previous models of movements at the tunnel crown and walls. Furthermore, the development of heave and pressure over the course of time can be studied. The absence of deformations above the floor level is here interpreted as a consequence of the hydraulic boundary conditions. Besides the importance of seepage flow, the influence of rock strength is illustrated. Swelling rock is considered as an elastoplastic material. This allows one to predict the often large haaves of a tunnel floor as observed in situ. According to the numerical results, the area of practically relevant swelling strains extends as far as the plastic zone.     

A study of a plug-flow model for flotation froth behaviour

The importance of the cleaning action of the froth has been recognised. In order to observe the effect of various mechanisms on the gradients of mineral concentration in the froth, experiments were performed in a flotation cell using a deep froth phase where transverse motion of the froth was reduced to a minimum. The variables chosen for study include gas rate, baffling of the froth and product removal rate. The mineral studied comprised a mixed Cu, Zn and Fe sulphide with a siliceous gangue. A model based on counter-current plug-flow assumptions is advanced to describe some of the effects observed. A number of these effects are simulated using this model, leading to a better understanding of some of the processes occurring in the froth.     

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。