Stabilization of swelling clays by Mg(OH)2. Changes in clay properties after addition of Mg-hydroxide

Stabilization of the swelling clay structure is attempted by intercalation of Mg(OH)₂ and the development of a brucite interlayer between the clay layers. The properties of the product obtained by applying the technique, formulated as described in a previous work, are considered here. The materials used were Wyoming bentonite (USA), Fuller's Earth (UK), kaolinite, illite, lignite, and silica gels. The Mg(OH)₂-clay products were examined by the methylene blue dye test, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and derivative thermogravimetry analysis (DTGA). From the results obtained it is concluded that: the Mg-hydroxide is adsorbed by swelling clays both on their external and internal surface, whereas it is adsorbed on the external surface by non-swelling clays. The internally adsorbed phase of Mg-hydroxide forms an ill-defined interlayer of brucite, retarding swelling, whereas the external phase covers the particles modifying drastically their surface properties, like the adsorption of the MB dye. The material produced after precipitation of Mg-hydroxide on swelling clays (smectites) did not re-expand on wetting or after glycolation. The adsorption of MB dye was also reduced by some 80–90%, due to coating effect, preventing the measurements of the external surface area of the clay by polar molecules. The principal forces involved in the process are believed to be physical adsorption on the external surface, along with chemisorption and some chemical bonding, mostly in the internal surface. Cementation due to crystallization and, in the long term, some pozzolanic reactions take also place. Internal adsorption of the Mg-hydroxide is postulated to be in the form of positively charged mono- and/or small polymers and it is, chiefly, diffusion controlled. Since Mg-hydroxide is internally adsorbed by swelling clays, whereas Ca-hydroxide(lime) is not, and the (Mg, Ca)-clay aggregates are more stable than the Ca-clay or the Mg-one, the combination of the two hydroxides could give better results in soil stabilization than each hydroxide alone.     

新疆巴里坤膨润土的工艺应用矿物学特性研究

从工艺矿物学角度系统研究了新疆巴里坤膨润土矿的矿石特征、化学成分、物理性质、矿物组成与结构、工艺应用属性等,认为巴里坤膨润土矿蒙脱石相对含量高,原土适用于石油钻井、铸造和冶金工业,将膨润土深加工后,可制得符合市场需求的有机膨润土、无机凝胶和高纯度蒙脱石等深加工产品.     

Compressional behavior of clayey sand and transition fines content

Clayey sand can be considered as a composite matrix of coarse and fine grains. The interaction between coarser and finer grain matrices affects the overall stress–strain behavior of these soils. Intergranular void ratio, e_s (which is the void ratio of the coarser grain matrix) can be utilized as an alternative parameter to express the compressive response of such soils. Oedometer tests conducted on reconstituted kaolinite–sand mixtures indicate that initial conditions, percentage of fines, and stress conditions influence the compression characteristics evidently. Tests showed that, up to a fraction of fines, which is named as transition fines content (FC_t), compression behavior of the mixtures is mainly controlled by the sand grains. When concentration of fines exceeds FC_t, kaolinite controls the compression. It was found that FC_t varies between 19% and 34% depending on the above mentioned factors. This range of fines content is also consistent with various values reported in literature regarding the strength alteration. Performed direct shear tests revealed that there is also a close relationship between transition fines content and shear strength, which is harmonic with the oedometer test results.     

“标贯”确定粘性土承载力标准值简易计算法

标准贯人（“标贯”）试验锤击数,要确定粘性土地基承载力标准值简易计算公式。将经杆长修正的标准贯人击数N进行统计分析,再把修正击数平均值带人相关方程,计算粘性土的承载力标准值fk,从而简化了计算过程。     

Suction-controlled experiments on Boom clay

The understanding of the thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of a clay barrier is needed for the prediction of its final in situ properties after the hydration and thermal transient in a radioactive waste repository.

As part of the CEC 1990–1994 R&D programme on radioactive waste management and storage, the CEA (Fr), CIEMAT (Sp), ENRESA (Sp), SCK · CEN (B), UPC (Sp) and UWCC (UK) have carried out a joint project on unsaturated clay behaviour (Volckaert et al., 1996). The aim of the study is to analyse and model the behaviour of a clay-based engineered barrier during its hydration phase under real repository conditions. The hydro-mechanical and thermo-hydraulic models developed in this project have been coupled to describe stress/strain behaviour, moisture migration and heat transfer. A thermo-hydraulic model has also been coupled to a geochemical code to describe the migration and formation of chemical species.

In this project, suction-controlled experiments have been performed on Boom clay (B), FoCa clay (Fr) and Almeria bentonite (Sp). The aim of these experiments is to test the validity of the interpretive model developed by Alonso and Gens (Alonso et al., 1990), and to build a database of unsaturated clay thermo-hydro-mechanical parameters. Such a database can then be used for validation exercises in which in situ experiments are simulated.

The Boom clay is a moderately swelling clay of Rupellian age. It is studied at the SCK · CEN in Belgium as a potential host rock for a radioactive waste repository. In this paper, suction-controlled experiments carried out on Boom clay by SCK · CEN are described. SCK · CEN has performed experiments to measure the relation between suction, water content and temperature and the relation between suction, stress and deformation. The applied suction-control techniques and experimental setups are detailed. The results of these experiments are discussed in the perspective of the model of Alonso and Gens. The influence of temperature on water uptake was rather small. The measured swelling-collapse behaviour can be explained by the Alonso and Gens model.     

内蒙古天和永玄武岩成因：岩相学与矿物学分析

天和永地区南北向出露的小面积单层碱性玄武岩,岩石中出现至少三种矿物共生组合关系。所有岩石均以橄榄石作为主要斑晶矿物,大颗粒环带橄榄石斑晶中心镁值为89．5,边缘镁值为70．3,小颗粒环带橄榄石镁值46．2～78．9。粒径最小的橄榄石聚集体和散布的基质橄榄石均无明显环带,前者镁值67．4～68．1,后者镁值65．5—72．1;单斜辉石由相对高钛高铝贫硅的散布柱状辉石和相对低钛低铝富硅的聚集粒状辉石组成,前者形成于低压快速淬火环境,镁值65．1—77．1,后者形成于富含挥发份的低压低过冷度环境,镁值77．7～78．0。所有单斜辉石均以次透辉石为主,个别为深绿辉石;斜长石以包含结构产出为主,为相对偏酸性的中长石An=33．7～37．4,CaO含量低与早期大量单斜辉石结晶有关。由于残余岩浆内K,0和Na20含量富集且极不均一,晚期结晶的长石同时出现了高钠长石、K-高钠长石（歪长石）和K-透长石;钛铁氧化物多数为晚期结晶的细粒基质矿物,少量以0．3ram左右的斑晶和橄榄石斑晶中的包裹体形式存在,可归属为钛铁尖晶石（Usp）-磁铁矿（Mt）固溶体系列,晚期逐渐向贫铝、铬和富钛方向演化。由于以上各种造岩矿物的晶出,导致残余岩浆形成的火山玻璃向贫镁、铁、钙和富铝、钾方向演化,火山玻璃的全碱含量变异趋势与全岩类似,均和SiO2含量无明显相关性,火山玻璃具有响岩和粗面安山岩成分特征,K2O／Na2O值变化大0．68～1．61,均为钾玄岩系列,Na2O含量依然呈现宽区间特征,是天和永玄武岩由钾质过渡到钠质的主要原因。天和永玄武质岩浆从地幔运移到地表仅需5小时-5天,大颗粒斑晶橄榄石和小颗粒基质橄榄石生长仅需几小时到几天,前者形成无须深部岩浆房停留,后者近似晚期岩浆快速淬火时间。高镁橄榄石斑晶与残余岩浆的扩散平衡时间约42天～252天。深部结晶的橄榄石在运移途中和地表流动过程中缺乏足够的时间和适宜的动力学条件而无法离开岩浆体系。全岩与火山玻璃间缺少中间过渡成分,呈两个相对集中的端元组分存在亦由晶出矿物无法离开岩浆体系所致。天和永玄武岩的成岩时间尺度远小于同化混染和岩浆分异的时间尺度,是岩浆作用过程未能明显影响其不均一原生岩浆性质的主要原因。因此,岩浆作用的某些物理过程分析是认识岩浆起源与岩浆作用过程及其对火成岩多样性的贡献的重要方面,同时对于理解和约束岩浆作用的某些化学过程也是十分有益的。     

黔北后槽下石炭统含铝岩系的粘土矿物

为揭示黔北下石炭统含铝岩系的沉积环境,本文利用贵州遵义县后槽TC718剖面系统试样的粘土矿物进行X-射线衍射测试及特征分析.含铝岩系粘土岩与下伏桐梓组粘土页岩在矿物组合和成分上均有明显的差异,水云母的结晶度指数、开形指数在剖面纵向上有三个变化拐点一是含铝岩系与下伏桐梓组粘土页岩分界处;二是含铝岩系上、下段的接触带;三是含铝岩系顶部含炭质粘土岩出现的临界面.其变化特征表明,本区下石炭统含铝岩系粘土岩段为海相或海陆过渡相,铝质岩段为残积-坡积相,顶部为大陆湖沼相;下奥陶统桐梓组页岩段为海相.     

Initiation and development of pull-apart basins with Riedel shear mechanism: insights from scaled clay experiments

Typical pull-apart structures were created in scaled clay experiments with a pure strike-slip geometry (Riedel type experiments). A clay slab represents the sedimentary cover above a strike-slip fault in the rigid basement. At an early stage of the development of the deformation zone, synthetic shear fractures (Riedel shears) within the clay slab display dilatational behaviour. With increasing basal displacement the Riedel shears rotate and open further, developing into long, narrow and deep troughs. The shear displacement and the low angle with the prescribed principal basal fault set them apart from tension gashes. At a more evolved stage, synthetic segments (Y-shears) parallel to the basal principal fault develop and accommodate progressive strike-slip deformation. The Y-shears connect the tips of adjacent troughs developed from the earlier Riedel shears, resulting in the typical rhomb-shaped structures characteristic for pull-apart basins. The Strait of Sicily rift zone, with major strike-slip systems being active from the Miocene to the Present, comprises pull-apart basins at different length scales, for which the structural record suggests development by a mechanism similar to that observed in our experiments.     

Field meeting in the Isle of Purbeck,September 2012, to examine the Upper Kimmeridge Clay and the Lulworth district

An account is given of a Geologists’ Association meeting in the Isle of Purbeck held on 28th–30th September 2012 and the stratigraphy and structures of the rocks examined during the weekend are described. Uppermost Jurassic Stage nomenclature and recent changes to stratigraphical nomenclature in the uppermost part of the Kimmeridge Clay Formation are discussed and the conclusion reached that the long-established divisions (Members) of this Formation are both readily recognisable and have nomenclatorial priority. The recent change to the position of Pallasioides-Rotunda zonal boundary ignores the ammonite fauna and is inappropriate. For the Lulworth district the stratigraphy of the uppermost Jurassic (Portlandian) through Lower and Upper Cretaceous formations are described and their associated structures discussed. The coastal evolution of the Lulworth coast is briefly discussed.     

Relict sand wedges in soliflucted London Clay at Wimbledon, London, UK

Exposures on Wimbledon Hill, SW London, in the Palaeogene London Clay Formation, are described. The 3° slopes are mantled by clayey solifluction (head) deposits, comprising two superimposed sheets, each around 1.2 m thick. The lower sheet exhibits relict sand wedges forming polygons 1.0-1.5 m across, up to 50 mm wide and 1.25 m deep. These have no surface expression. The wedges are sand-filled and modify significantly the hydrogeology and properties of the solifluction mantle. There are no sand wedges in the upper solifluction sheet.The mechanics of emplacement of the lower solifluction sheet are explored and the high initial water content estimated. Subsequent desiccation and consolidation have reduced the thickness of this sheet by at least 35%, thus distorting contained features such as the wedges. An active layer about 0.4 m thick is inferred to have formed in the top of the lower solifluction sheet. No direct dating was undertaken but, by analogy with relevant dated sites in southern Britain and the Netherlands it is inferred that the lower solifluction sheet was emplaced during the first part of the Loch Lomond Stadial and frost-cracked during a subsequent, colder and more arid part. On this basis, following filling of the cracks by sand, emplacement of the upper solifluction sheet would have occurred in the later part of the Loch Lomond Stadial.