Lithological and hydrological influences on ground-water composition in a heterogeneous carbonate-clay aquifer system

Science.gov (United States)

Kauffman, S.J.; Herman, J.S.; Jones, B.F.

1998-01-01

The influence of clay units on ground-water composition was investigated in a heterogeneous carbonate aquifer system of Miocene age in southwest Florida, known as the Intermediate aquifer system. Regionally, the ground water is recharged inland, flows laterally and to greater depths in the aquifer systems, and is discharged vertically upward at the saltwater interface along the coast. A depth profile of water composition was obtained by sampling ground water from discrete intervals within the permeable carbonate units during coring and by squeezing pore water from a core of the less-permeable clay layers. A normative salt analysis of solute compositions in the water indicated a marine origin for both types of water and an evolutionary pathway for the clay water that involves clay diagenesis. The chemical composition of the ground water in the carbonate bedrock is significantly different from that of the pore water in the clay layers. Dissolution of clays and opaline silica results in high silica concentrations relative to water in other parts of the Intermediate aquifer system. Water enriched in chloride relative to the overlying and underlying ground water recharges the aquifer inland where the confining clay layer is absent, and it dissolves carbonate and silicate minerals and reacts with clays along its flow path, eventually reaching this coastal site and resulting in the high chloride and silica concentrations observed in the middle part of the Intermediate aquifer system. Reaction-path modeling suggests that the recharging surficial water mixes with sulfate-rich water upwelling from the Upper Floridan aquifer, and carbonate mineral dissolution and precipitation, weathering and exchange reactions, clay mineral diagenesis, clay and silica dissolution, organic carbon oxidation, and iron and sulfate reduction result in the observed water compositions.A study was conducted to clarify the influence of clay units on ground-water composition in a heterogeneous

Cordierite containing ceramic membranes from smectetic clay using natural organic wastes as pore-forming agents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Misrar

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Cordierite ceramic membranes were manufactured from natural clay, oxides and organic wastes as pore forming agents. Mixtures aforementioned materials with the pore-forming agents (up to 10 wt.% were investigated in the range 1000–1200 °C using thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, mercury porosimetry and filtration tests. Physical properties (density, water absorption and bending strength were correlated to the processing factors (pore-forming agent addition, firing temperature and soaking time. The results showed that cordierite together with spinel, diopside and clinoenstatite neoformed. SEM analysis revealed heterogeneous aspects. The results of the response surface methodology showed that the variations of physical properties versus processing parameters were well described by the used polynomial model. The addition of pore forming agent and temperature were the most influential factors. Filtration tests were performed on the best performing sample. The results allowed to testify that these membranes could be used in waste water treatment.

Electrokinetic flows in cylindrical and slit capillaries in clays: from pore scale to sample scale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Obliger, Amael; Jardat, Marie; Rotenberg, Benjamin; Duvail, Magali; Bekri, Samir; Coelho, Daniel

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: Transport on the nanometer scale of clay interlayers and on the macroscopic sample scale can be well characterized experimentally, using either X-ray or neutron diffraction and diffusion on the one hand, and solute diffusion experiments on the other hand. Current imaging techniques do not allow to provide a direct picture of the pore network on the scale of several nanometers to several micrometers. The lack of knowledge of the pore network structure on intermediate scales requires to use numerical models of analog porous media. We attempt to describe the ionic transport in meso (diam. ∼ 10-50 nm) and macro-porosity (diam. > 50 nm) (due to the organization of clays particles) with a multi-scale approach provided by the Pore Network Model (PNM) that takes into consideration the topology of the media. Such an approach requires to know the transport coefficients of solvent and solutes in a throat connecting two pores, modelled as a capillary. The challenge in the case of clays, compared to the usual PNM methods, is to capture the effect of the surface charge of clay minerals on the transport of ions and water, under the effect of macroscopic pressure, salt concentration and electric potential gradients. Solvent and ionic transports are governed by the Stokes, the Nernst-Planck and the Poisson- Boltzmann equations. This set of equations can be solved analytically using the linearized form of the latter in order to get an approximation of the electro-osmotic speed and the ionic density profile. At variant with most previous works, we consider the case of a fixed surface charge instead of fixed surface potential. In addition to the Nernst-Einstein and chemical flows of solute, we calculated analytically the Poiseuille flow of solutes and the electro-osmotic flow of solvent and solutes. When the linearization is not possible, one must use numerical results for transport coefficients

Water Retention Curves of Opalinus Clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villar, M. V.; Romero, F. J.

2012-01-01

The water retention curve of Opalinus clay samples was determined under different conditions: total and matric suction, stress or no-stress conditions, wetting and drying paths. Through the fitting of these results to the van Genuchten expression the P parameter, related to the air entry value (AEV), was obtained. The AEV is the suction value above which air is able to enter the pores of the sample, and consequently, above which 2-phase flow can take place in the soil pore structure. The samples used in this research came from two different boreholes, BHT-1 and BHG-D1, but the behaviour of them did not depend on their location, what was probably due to the fact that both were drilled in the shay facies of the Opalinus clay. There was not a distinct difference between the results obtained under total or matric suctions. In the drying paths, both the water contents and the degrees of saturation tended to be higher when total suction was applied, however the reverse trend was observed for the water contents reached in wetting paths. As well, no clear difference was observed in the water retention curves obtained in odometers under matric and total suctions, what points to the osmotic component of suction in Opalinus clay not being significant. Overall, the water contents were lower and the degrees of saturation higher when suction was applied under vertical stress, what would indicate that the water retention capacity was lower under 8 MPa vertical stress than under free volume conditions. This vertical stress value is slightly higher than the maximum in situ stress. Also, the samples showed hysteresis according to the expected behaviour, i.e. the water contents for a given suction were higher during a drying path than during a wetting path. The P values obtained were between 6 and 34 MPa, and tended to be higher for the samples tested under stress, in drying paths and when total suction was used. The air entry value calculated from the mercury intrusion porosimetry

Water Retention Curves of Opalinus Clay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Villar, M. V.; Romero, F. J.

2012-11-01

The water retention curve of Opalinus clay samples was determined under different conditions: total and matric suction, stress or no-stress conditions, wetting and drying paths. Through the fitting of these results to the van Genuchten expression the P parameter, related to the air entry value (AEV), was obtained. The AEV is the suction value above which air is able to enter the pores of the sample, and consequently, above which 2-phase flow can take place in the soil pore structure. The samples used in this research came from two different boreholes, BHT-1 and BHG-D1, but the behaviour of them did not depend on their location, what was probably due to the fact that both were drilled in the shay facies of the Opalinus clay. There was not a distinct difference between the results obtained under total or matric suctions. In the drying paths, both the water contents and the degrees of saturation tended to be higher when total suction was applied, however the reverse trend was observed for the water contents reached in wetting paths. As well, no clear difference was observed in the water retention curves obtained in odometers under matric and total suctions, what points to the osmotic component of suction in Opalinus clay not being significant. Overall, the water contents were lower and the degrees of saturation higher when suction was applied under vertical stress, what would indicate that the water retention capacity was lower under 8 MPa vertical stress than under free volume conditions. This vertical stress value is slightly higher than the maximum in situ stress. Also, the samples showed hysteresis according to the expected behaviour, i.e. the water contents for a given suction were higher during a drying path than during a wetting path. The P values obtained were between 6 and 34 MPa, and tended to be higher for the samples tested under stress, in drying paths and when total suction was used. The air entry value calculated from the mercury intrusion porosimetry

Water diffusion through compacted clays analyzed by neutron scattering and tracer experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalez Sanchez, F

2007-11-15

Clay minerals are aluminium phyllosilicates, mostly products of the chemical alteration and mechanical breakdown of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Their physical and chemical properties can be directly related to their layered, fine-grained (large surface area) structure. These properties such as large water retention, low hydraulic conductivity, heat resistance and ionic exchange capacities, make clays ideal for many different applications, e.g. as sealing material for the underground disposal of radioactive waste. The long-term disposal of radioactive waste in an underground geological repository is based on a multibarrier concept. In the barrier of highly compacted clay, water is intercalated and confined between the clay layers. The narrow pores are responsible that under natural hydraulic gradients, molecular diffusion through water is the dominant transport mechanism for released radionuclides. The properties of water at the water-clay interface differ from that of bulk water. Therefore, a good and deep understanding of the water structure and dynamics in compacted clay systems is fundamental. This knowledge is the base for the progressing research about transport of pollutants through the compacted clays and argillaceous rock of radioactive waste barriers. This study focusses on four different types of pure clays, two of them charged, namely montmorillonite and illite (both in a Na and Ca form), and two uncharged, namely kaolinite and pyrophyllite. Their structural differences result in a significantly different behaviour in contact with water. In case of montmorillonite, water is located in between particles and in the interlayer space. In illite, water is found only in between particles, because the interlayer surfaces are tightly linked by potassium cations. The layers of kaolinite and pyrophyllite are uncharged and, consequently, water is located only in between particles. The clay powders were compacted to reach a high bulk dry density of about 1.9 g

Water diffusion through compacted clays analyzed by neutron scattering and tracer experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez Sanchez, F.

2007-11-01

Clay minerals are aluminium phyllosilicates, mostly products of the chemical alteration and mechanical breakdown of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Their physical and chemical properties can be directly related to their layered, fine-grained (large surface area) structure. These properties such as large water retention, low hydraulic conductivity, heat resistance and ionic exchange capacities, make clays ideal for many different applications, e.g. as sealing material for the underground disposal of radioactive waste. The long-term disposal of radioactive waste in an underground geological repository is based on a multibarrier concept. In the barrier of highly compacted clay, water is intercalated and confined between the clay layers. The narrow pores are responsible that under natural hydraulic gradients, molecular diffusion through water is the dominant transport mechanism for released radionuclides. The properties of water at the water-clay interface differ from that of bulk water. Therefore, a good and deep understanding of the water structure and dynamics in compacted clay systems is fundamental. This knowledge is the base for the progressing research about transport of pollutants through the compacted clays and argillaceous rock of radioactive waste barriers. This study focusses on four different types of pure clays, two of them charged, namely montmorillonite and illite (both in a Na and Ca form), and two uncharged, namely kaolinite and pyrophyllite. Their structural differences result in a significantly different behaviour in contact with water. In case of montmorillonite, water is located in between particles and in the interlayer space. In illite, water is found only in between particles, because the interlayer surfaces are tightly linked by potassium cations. The layers of kaolinite and pyrophyllite are uncharged and, consequently, water is located only in between particles. The clay powders were compacted to reach a high bulk dry density of about 1.9 g

Developments in modelling of thermohydro-geomechanical behaviour of Boom clay and clay-based buffer materials (Volume 1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldi, G.; Hueckel, T.; Peano, A.; Pellegrini, R.

1991-01-01

The results of two years of research on thermomechanics of clays performed within CEC contract Fl1W/0150 are described herein. Previous studies (research contracts with CEC/WAS/380.83.7 l) performed by ISMES have evidenced the need for an improved modelling of the volumetric response of natural clays. In a coupled approach, this leads to an improved prediction of pore-pressure development and dissipation. This is crucial for assessing conditions of a possible local thermal failure as verified in laboratory tests done at ISMES. The first part of the study lays the foundations of a comprehensive theoretical treatment of the interaction between water and soil skeleton. It consists in: (a) developing a framework for inclusion of water/soil particle thermally induced interaction into a thermodynamically consistent mixture theory approach (Section 2); (b) studying possible modelling approaches of considering the effective thermal expansion coefficient of pore water dependency on pore water status (Section 2); (c) testing artificial clays to assess pore water thermal expansion dependence on temperature in the presence of different amounts of active clay minerals and also Boom clay (Section 3); (d) performing a laboratory test campaign on Boom clay with special attention to the response in the overconsolidated domain (Section 4). 89 figs., 18 tabs., 102 refs

Pore water colloid properties in argillaceous sedimentary rocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Degueldre, Claude; Cloet, Veerle

2016-11-01

The focus of this work is to evaluate the colloid nature, concentration and size distribution in the pore water of Opalinus Clay and other sedimentary host rocks identified for a potential radioactive waste repository in Switzerland. Because colloids could not be measured in representative undisturbed porewater of these host rocks, predictive modelling based on data from field and laboratory studies is applied. This approach allowed estimating the nature, concentration and size distributions of the colloids in the pore water of these host rocks. As a result of field campaigns, groundwater colloid concentrations are investigated on the basis of their size distribution quantified experimentally using single particle counting techniques. The colloid properties are estimated considering data gained from analogue hydrogeochemical systems ranging from mylonite features in crystalline fissures to sedimentary formations. The colloid concentrations were analysed as a function of the alkaline and alkaline earth element concentrations. Laboratory batch results on clay colloid generation from compacted pellets in quasi-stagnant water are also reported. Experiments with colloids in batch containers indicate that the size distribution of a colloidal suspension evolves toward a common particle size distribution independently of initial conditions. The final suspension size distribution was found to be a function of the attachment factor of the colloids. Finally, calculations were performed using a novel colloid distribution model based on colloid generation, aggregation and sedimentation rates to predict under in-situ conditions what makes colloid concentrations and size distributions batch- or fracture-size dependent. The data presented so far are compared with the field and laboratory data. The colloid occurrence, stability and mobility have been evaluated for the water of the considered potential host rocks. In the pore water of the considered sedimentary host rocks, the clay

The challenge of multi-parameter hydrochemical, gas-physical, and isotopic analyses of in-situ clay pore water and samples from in-situ clay experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eichinger, L.; Lorenz, G.D.; Eichinger, F.; Wechner, S.; Voropaev, A.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Within the research framework of natural clay rocks used as barriers for radioactive waste confinement comprehensive analyses are mandatory to determine the chemical and isotopic composition of natural pore water and therein dissolved gases as well as samples from distinct in-situ and lab experiments. Based on the natural conditions pore waters from low permeable argillaceous rocks can be sampled only in small amounts over long time periods. Often those samples are primarily influenced by processes of the exploration and exploitation such as the contamination by drilling fluid and disinfection fluid or cement-water interactions. Sophisticated equipment for circulation experiments allows the sampling of gas and water in the original state in steel and peek cells. The challenge though is to optimise the lab equipment and measurement techniques in a way that the physical-chemical conditions of the water can be analysed in the original state. The development of special micro measuring cells enables the analyses of physical parameters like redox potential under very slow through-flow conditions. Additional analyses can follow subsequently without wasting any drop of the precious pore water. The gas composition is measured in equilibrated gas phases above water phases after emptying a defined volume by inert gas or through manual pressure. The analytical challenge is to obtain an extensive set of parameters which is considered representative for the in-situ conditions using only a few millilitres of water. The parameter analysis includes the determination of the composition of the water, the isotopic compositions of the water and the dissolved constituents as well as their gas concentrations and isotopic signatures. So far the smallest sample volume needed for an analysis of a full set of parameters including the gas composition was 9 ml of water. Obviously, the analysis requires a highly sophisticated infrastructure and

Polyethersulfone/clay membranes and its water permeability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavalho, Thamyres Cardoso de; Medeiros, Vanessa da Nobrega; Araujo, Edcleide Maria de; Lira, Helio Lucena; Leite, Amanda Melissa Damiao

2017-01-01

Membranes can be considered polymeric or inorganic films that function as a semipermeable barrier to filtration on a molecular scale, separating two phases and restricting, totally or partially, the transportation of one or more chemical species (solute) present in the solution. Therefore, the aim of this work is to produce polyethersulfone membranes (PES) and polyethersulfone/clay by phase inversion technique and evaluate the presence of clay in obtaining membranes for wastewater treatment. The used solvent was dimethylformamide (DMF) and clays were Brasgel PA (MMT) and Cloisite Na (CL Na) in the proportion of 3 to 5% (wt.). By Xray diffraction (XRD), the membranes with 3% of MMT and CL Na clays apparently had partially exfoliated structures. For the composition with 5% of CL Na a small peak was observed, which indicates that this is possibly an intercalated structure or microcomposite. By scanning electron microscopy (SEM), visualizes that the pure surface of the pure PES membrane a structure apparently without pores was observed in the used magnification and without roughness surface when compared to membranes with clay. The measurements of contact angle indicated that the inclusion of clay altered the wetting ability of the membranes. The flow with distilled water for all membranes started high and over time reached a stabilization level. Thus, it can be concluded that the presence and the content of clay altered the morphology of the membrane, contributing to an increase in water flow. (author)

Raman spectroscopy of adsorbed water in clays: first attempt at band assignment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ligny, Dominique de; Guillaud, Emmanuel [Institut Lumiere Matiere, CNRS, Universite Lyon 1, 12 rue Ada Byron, 69622 Villeurbanne (France); Gailhanou, Helene; Blanc, Philippe [BRGM, Service D3E, 3 avenue Claude Guillemin, 45000 Orleans (France)

2013-07-01

Raman spectroscopy can be a useful tool to determine water content within clays, or even in highly saturated solutions. The following assignment is proposed for the OH region of SAz-2: the two large bands at 3260 and 3475 cm{sup -1} are assigned to water in pores, the first one to water molecules coordinated to the interlayer cations, and the second one to structural Al-OH groups The band at 3600 cm{sup -1} is therefore more likely related to adsorbed water on the clay surface. Simple intensity ratios of these different bands give good estimates of water content. (authors)

Development of eco-friendly porous fired clay bricks using pore-forming agents: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bories, Cecile; Borredon, Marie-Elisabeth; Vedrenne, Emeline; Vilarem, Gerard

2014-10-01

Today, clay bricks are facing technological challenges and are uncompetitive compared to materials such as concrete. Their performance must be improved if they are to stand up to the competition. Increasing environmental concerns over the accumulation of unmanaged wastes from agricultural or industrial productions have made these good candidates for incorporation into building materials to improve their performance. This process leads to the formation of pores in the bricks, producing lightweight and sustainable building materials. This paper reviews the different pore-forming agents from renewable or mineral resources as described in the literature. It also presents the impact of pore-forming agents on the physical, mechanical and thermal properties of clay bricks. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tracer sorption and macroscopic transport in clay nano-pores: a lattice-Boltzmann study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levesque, Maximilien; Rotenberg, Benjamin; Duvail, Magali; Benichou, Olivier; Voituriez, Raphael; Pagonabarraga, Ignacio; Frenkel, Daan

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The Agence Nationale pour la gestion des Dechets Radioactifs (ANDRA) has been entrusted to find a safe solution for disposing of existing and future nuclear wastes. A prototype site has been considered for the waste disposal in a deep underground sedimentary geological formation. It is composed of clay minerals chosen, among other reasons, for their remarkable ability to limit radionuclide transport. Clay minerals are complex charged porous media characterized by heterogeneities at several length scales. They naturally occur as an assembly of few nano-meter-sized particles connected to form 10 to 100 nm interparticle pores containing water and ions. This intrinsically multi-scale structure, that gives the material its remarkable properties, makes the description of sorption and transport phenomena of transported ions particularly challenging. Experimental studies of water and ion transport through clays mostly consist in evaluating macroscopic effective transport coefficients like permeability or conductivity. They showed that the main transport mechanism is an effective diffusion that not only depends on particle charge but also on its chemical nature, or specificity. The goal of assessing the performance of clays as confinement barriers, particularly in the context of the geological disposal of nuclear waste, requires not only quantitative prediction of the retention and transport of species but also an understanding of the microscopic mechanisms underlying them. A successful approach has been to use numerical simulations via the Lattice-Boltzmann method (LB). It consists in making evolve populations describing the fluid at a level which is consistent with time and length-scales involved in transport properties, while still including a microscopic description of the phenomena. The transport of charged ions at the pore scale has recently been included in LB. In this method, the evolution of a tracer population is

Modelling aqueous solubility of sodium chloride in clays at thermodynamic conditions of hydraulic fracturing by molecular simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Moučka, Filip; Svoboda, Martin; Lísal, Martin

2017-06-28

To address the high salinity of flow-back water during hydraulic fracturing, we have studied the equilibrium partitioning of NaCl and water between the bulk phase and clay pores. In shale rocks, such a partitioning can occur between fractures with a bulk-like phase and clay pores. We use an advanced Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) technique based on fractional exchanges of dissolved ions and water molecules. We consider a typical shale gas reservoir condition of a temperature of 365 K and pressure of 275 bar, and we represent clay pores by pyrophyllite and Na-montmorillonite slits of a width ranging from about 7 to 28 Å, covering clay pores from dry clay to clay pores with a bulk-like layer in the middle of the pore. We employ the Joung-Cheatham model for ions, SPC/E model for water and CLAYFF for the clay pores. We first determine the chemical potentials for NaCl and water in the bulk phase using Osmotic Ensemble Monte Carlo simulations. The chemical potentials are then used in GCMC to simulate the adsorption of ions and water molecules in the clay pores, and in turn to predict the salt solubility in confined solutions. Besides the thermodynamic properties, we evaluate the structure and in-plane diffusion of the adsorbed fluids, and ion conductivities.

Excess pore water pressure induced in the foundation of a tailings dyke at Muskeg River Mine, Fort McMurray

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eshraghian, A.; Martens, S. [Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada)

2010-07-01

This paper discussed the effect of staged construction on the generation and dissipation of excess pore water pressure within the foundation clayey units of the External Tailings Facility dyke. Data were compiled from piezometers installed within the dyke foundation and used to estimate the dissipation parameters for the clayey units for a selected area of the foundation. Spatial and temporal variations in the pore water pressure generation parameters were explained. Understanding the process by which excess pore water pressure is generated and dissipates is critical to optimizing dyke design and performance. Piezometric data was shown to be useful in improving estimates of the construction-induced pore water pressure and dissipation rates within the clay layers in the foundation during dyke construction. In staged construction, a controlled rate of load application is used to increase foundation stability. Excess pore water pressure dissipates after each application, so the most critical stability condition happens after each load. Slow loading allows dissipation, whereas previous load pressure remains during fast loading. The dyke design must account for the rate of loading and the rate of pore pressure dissipation. Controlling the rate of loading and the rate of stress-induced excess pore water pressure generation is important to dyke stability during construction. Effective stress-strength parameters for the foundation require predictions of the pore water pressure induced during staged construction. It was found that both direct and indirect loading generates excess pore water pressure in the foundation clays. 2 refs., 2 tabs., 11 figs.

Hydrogen solubility in pore water of partially saturated argillites: Application to Callovo-Oxfordian clay-rock in the context of a nuclear waste geological disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lassin, A.; Dymitrowska, M.; Azaroual, M.

2011-01-01

In nuclear waste geological disposals, large amounts of hydrogen (H 2 ) are expected to be produced by different (bio-)geochemical processes. Depending on the pressure generated by such a process, H 2 could be produced as a gas phase and displace the neighbouring pore water. As a consequence, a water-unsaturated zone could be created around the waste and possibly affect the physical and physic-chemical properties of the disposal and the excavation disturbed zone around it. The present study is the first part of an ongoing research program aimed at evaluating the possible chemical evolution of the pore water-minerals-gas system in such a context. The goal of this study was to evaluate, in terms of thermodynamic equilibrium conditions, the geochemical disturbance of the pore water due to variations in hydrogen pressure, temperature and relative humidity. No heterogeneous reactions involving mineral phases of the clay-rock or reactive surface sites were taken into account in the thermodynamic analysis. In the case sulphate reduction reaction is allowed, geochemical modelling results indicate that the main disturbance is the increase in pH (from around 7 up to more than 10) and an important decrease in the redox potential (Eh) related to hydrogen dissolution. This occurs from relatively low H 2 partial pressures (∼1 bar and above). Then, temperature and relative humidity (expressed in terms of capillary pressure) further displace the thermodynamic equilibrium conditions, namely the pH and the aqueous speciation as well as saturation indices of mineral phases. Finally, the results suggest that the generation of hydrogen, combined with an increase in temperature (between 30 deg. C and 80 deg. C) and a decrease in relative humidity (from 100% to 30%), should increase the chemical reactivity of the pore water-rock-gas system. (authors)

Non disturbing characterization and quantification of natural organic matter (NOM) contained in clay rock pore water by mass spectrometry using electro-spray and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huclier-Markai, S.; Landesman, C.; Grambow, B.; Rogniaux, H.; Monteau, F.; Vinsot, A.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The Callovo-Oxfordian formation (COx) rock may contain up to 1% w/w of organic Carbon. Most of the Organic Matter (OM) is attached to the mineral particles whereas a small portion is present as Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) in the pore water. In environmental studies, Natural Organic Matter (NOM) plays a key role on the bioavailability and the toxicity of metallic compounds. It is necessary to know the structure of any organic substance in order to assess which chemical and biological reactions occur under environmentally relevant conditions. The 150 Myears solid-bound organic matter of the COx (kerogen) has been already investigated in several studies and originates from a mixture of marine and terrestrial sources. In addition to this, the CCl 4 soluble organic fraction (bitumen) has been already characterized by liquid and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. It allows proportion and distribution of biological markers to be determined as polar compounds with aromatic and saturated hydrocarbons. DOM was extracted from a crushed clay rock of the COx formation with a high rock/water ratio of about 1500 g/L. Part of the OM from the COx is known to be sensitive to air oxidation which can significantly modify the nature of the bitumen by an overall shift towards lower molecular weight compounds. Therefore, the characteristics of the DOM must be determined in in-situ like conditions if one wants to assess the mobility of DOM in the clay pore space and to evaluate the mobility of heavy metals/ radionuclides. Due to their high binding capacity with metal ions and their colloidal sizes in natural waters, these macromolecules, through complexation reactions, might either enhance the mobility of trace elements, or reduce their migration rates by sorption processes in relation with their size and that of the porous medium. Consequently, the characterization of DOM in anoxic pore water samples from the COx

Homogeneity vs. Heterogeneity of Porosity in Boom Clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hemes, Susanne; Desbois, Guillaume; Urai, Janos L.; De Craen, Mieke; Honty, Miroslav

2013-01-01

Microstructural investigations on Boom Clay at nano- to micrometer scale, using BIB-SEM methods, result in porosity characterization for different mineral phases from direct observations on high resolution SE2-images of representative elementary areas (REAs). High quality, polished surfaces of cross-sections of ∼ 1 mm 2 size were produced on three different samples from the Mol-Dessel research site (Belgium). More than 33,000 pores were detected, manually segmented and analyzed with regard to their size, shape and orientation. Two main pore classes were defined: Small pores (< 500 nm (ED)) within the clay matrices of samples and =big' pores (> 500 nm (ED)) at the interfaces between clay and non-clay mineral (NCM) grains. Samples investigated show similar porosities regarding the first pore-class, but differences occur at the interfaces between clay matrix and NCM grains. These differences were interpreted to be due to differences in quantitative mineralogy (amount of non-clay mineral grains) and grain-size distributions between samples investigated. Visible porosities were measured as 15 to 17 % for samples investigated. Pore-size distributions of pores in clay are similar for all samples, showing log-normal distributions with peaks around 60 nm (ED) and more than 95 % of the pores being smaller than 500 nm (ED). Fitting pore-size distributions using power-laws with exponents between 1.56 and 1.7, assuming self-similarity of the pore space, thus pores smaller than the pore detection resolution following the same power-laws and using these power-laws for extrapolation of pore-size distributions below the limit of pore detection resolution, results in total estimated porosities between 20 and 30 %. These results are in good agreement with data known from Mercury Porosimetry investigations (35-40 % porosity) and water content porosity measurements (∼ 36 %) performed on Boom Clay. (authors)

Diffusion in the pore water of compacted crushed salt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fluegge, Judith; Herr, Sebastian; Lauke, Thomas; Meleshyn, Artur; Miehe, Ruediger; Ruebel, Andre

2016-07-15

Diffusion of dissolved radionuclides in the pore water of compacted crushed salt in the long-term is the most relevant process for the release of radionuclides from a dedicated repository for high-level waste in a salt formation as has been shown in latest safety assessments and research projects /BUH 16/. So far, diffusion coefficients for free water have been applied for the diffusion in pore water in models for long-term safety assessments. This conservative assumption was used, because data on the diffusion coefficient of dissolved substances in crushed salt have been missing. Furthermore, the diffusion coefficient in the pore water was assumed to be constant and independent from the degree of compaction of the crushed salt. The work presented in this report was intended to contribute to fill this gap of knowledge about how the diffusion of radionuclides takes place in the compacted backfill of a repository in salt. For the first time, the pore diffusion coefficient as well as its dependence on the porosity of the crushed salt was determined experimentally by means of through-diffusion experiments using caesium as tracer. The results achieved in this project suggest that the diffusion in compacted crushed salt is not fully comparable to that in a homogeneous, temporally stable porous medium like sand or clay. The results obtained from four diffusion experiments show a remarkably different behaviour and all yield unique concentration versus time plots which includes highly temporal variable tracer fluxes with even full interruptions of the flux for longer periods of time. This effect cannot be explained by assuming a tracer transport by diffusion in a temporarily invariant pore space and / or under temporally invariant experimental conditions. From our point of view, a restructuring of the pore space seems to lead to closed areas of pore water in the sample which may open up again after some time, leading to a variable pore space and hence variable diffusive

Seasonal Effects on the Relationships Between Soil Water Content, Pore Water Pressure and Shear Strength and Their Implications for Slope Stability

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, P. N.

2015-12-01

A soil's shear resistance is mainly dependent upon the magnitude of effective stress. For small to medium height slopes (up to 10m) in clay soils the total stress acting along potential failure planes will be low, therefore the magnitude of effective stress (and hence soil shear strength) will be dominated by the pore-water pressure. The stability of slopes on this scale through periods of increased precipitation is improved by the generation of negative pore pressures (soil suctions) during preceding, warmer, drier periods. These negative pore water pressures increase the effective stress within the soil and cause a corresponding increase in shearing resistance. The relationships between soil water content and pore water pressure (soil water retention curves) are known to be hysteretic, but for the purposes of the majority of slope stability assessments in partially saturated clay soils, these are assumed to be consistent with time. Similarly, the relationship between shear strength and water content is assumed to be consistent over time. This research presents a laboratory study in which specimens of compacted Glacial Till (typical of engineered slopes within the UK) were subjected to repeated cycles of wetting and drying to simulate seasonal cycles. At predetermined water contents, measurements of soil suction were made using tensiometer and dewpoint potentiometer methods. The undrained shear strength of the specimens was then measured using triaxial strength testing equipment. Results indicate that repeated wetting and drying cycles caused a change in the soil water retention behaviour. A reduction in undrained shear strength at corresponding water contents along the wetting and drying paths was also observed. The mechanism for the change in the relationship is believed to be a deterioration in the soil physical structure due to shrink/swell induced micro-cracking. The non-stationarity of these relationships has implications for slope stability assessment.

Organically modified clay removes oil from water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alther, G.R.

1995-01-01

When bentonite or other clays and zeolite are modified with quaternary amines, they become organophilic. Such modified bentonites are used to remove mechanically emulsified oil and grease, and other sparingly soluble organics. Types of oil found in water can include fats, lubricants, cutting fluids, heavy hydrocarbons such as tars, grease, crude oil, diesel oils; and light hydrocarbons such as kerosene, jet fuel, and gasoline. If the organoclay is granulated, it is placed into a liquid phase carbon filter vessel to remove FOGs (Free Oil and Grease) and chlorinated hydrocarbons. In this application the clay is mixed with anthrazite to prevent early plugging of the filter by oil or grease droplets. In batch systems a powdered organoclay is employed. Organoclay removes mechanically emulsified oil and grease at 5--7 times the rate of activated carbon, or 50% of its dry weight. Oil and grease and other large sparingly soluble chlorinated hydrocarbons and NOMs (Natural Organic Matter) blind the pores of activated carbon (and ion-exchange resins), reducing its effectiveness significantly. It is therefore economically advantageous for the end user to prepolish the water before it enters carbon vessels. Operating costs can often be reduced by 50% or more

Experimental study of water sorption and clays swelling by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) and digital image analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montes-Hernandez, G.

2002-10-01

This work deals with the study of water sorption and clays swelling (MX80 bentonite and Paris basin argilites). A new approach by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) coupled to digital image analysis is proposed to estimate the swelling with time and the relative humidity. The ESEM is a new generation tool, not much used in the clays domain, which allows to study hydrated materials in different conditions of relative humidity. In this work, it is shown that qualitative and quantitative information about clays swelling at the aggregate scale can be obtained. The study of the kinetics allows to identify three swelling steps which are described by a first order kinetic model. The study of water sorption by raw bentonite and the exchange of different cation (Na + , Li + , K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ ) has permitted to analyze the cation influence on the swelling potential. The adsorption kinetics, described by a second order model, depends directly on the relative humidity, on the mass of the sample and on the compensating cation. The study of the texture of the compacted MX80 bentonite in dry and humid conditions has permitted to observe the morphological evolution of the porous network (macro-porosity) during the hydration/dehydration. From different analytical approaches, a diminution of the macro-pores and/or meso-pores size and the opening of inter-aggregate pores is observed when the apparent density increases. The study of the influence of the instantaneous water condensation/evaporation on the argilites shows that the sensitiveness to water increases when the proportion of clay increases. In particular, it is characterized by a cracking partially reversible or irreversible after several condensation/evaporation cycles. (J.S.)

Microbial analyses of clay and water from different samples from the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory (RL), Switzerland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sergeant, C.; Vesvres, M.H.; Barsotti, V.; Stroes-Gascoyne, S.; Hamon, C.J.; Neble, S.; Shippers, A.; Le Marrec, C.; Vinsot, A.; Schwyn, B.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Exploration of deep subsurface microbial life has increased for very diverse motives. One of them is that these environments are potential host rocks for radioactive waste repositories and that microorganisms may influence geochemical conditions around such sites and migration properties of radionuclides. The pore water Chemistry experiment (PC) was conducted at the Mont Terri-RL to measure in situ the pH, Eh, and other geochemical parameters within the pore water of the Opalinus Clay formation. The borehole for PC was drilled with N 2 under clean but not aseptic conditions, filled immediately with synthetic pore water, which was circulated and monitored for five years. Soon after initiation of PC it was evident that microbial activity affected the borehole water geochemistry. Microbial analyses, including molecular biology and culturing methods, were performed repeatedly during PC (2003-2006), with detailed analysis of water and over-core clay upon termination in 2007. Results indicated the presence of heterotrophic aerobes and anaerobes, nitrate-reducers, iron-reducers, sulphate-reducers and Archaea, which together with geochemical data suggested a reducing environment with sulphate reduction in the water and adjacent clay. A black precipitate containing pyrite and a strong H 2 S smell confirmed the occurrence of sulphate reduction. Specific species identified (> 98% similarity) in PC water included Pseudomonas stutzeri, Bacillus licheniformis, and Desulfosporosinus sp., with similar and additional species (e.g., Trichococcus sp.; Koccuria sp.) in the clay. The origin of these (mostly anaerobic) species cannot be determined with certainty. Some species likely resulted from contamination, but others could be revived species indigenous in the Opalinus Clay. The microbial processes that occurred in PC are not representative of the processes in the undisturbed formation but illustrate the potential for microbial

Proceedings of the NEA Clay Club Workshop on Clay characterisation from nanoscopic to microscopic resolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

A wide spectrum of argillaceous media are being considered in Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) member countries as potential host rocks for the final, safe disposal of radioactive waste, and/or as major constituent of repository systems in which wastes will be emplaced. In this context, the NEA established the Working Group on the 'Characterisation, the Understanding and the Performance of Argillaceous Rocks as Repository Host Formations' in 1990, informally known as the 'Clay Club'. The Clay Club examines various argillaceous rocks that are being considered for the underground disposal of radioactive waste, ranging from soft clays to indurated shales. Very generally speaking, these clay rocks are composed of fine-grained minerals showing pore sizes from < 2 nm (micropores) up to > 50 nm (macro-pores). The water flow, solute transport and mechanical properties are largely determined by this microstructure, the spatial arrangement of the minerals and the chemical pore water composition. Examples include anion accessible ('geochemical') porosity and macroscopic membrane effects (chemical osmosis, hyper-filtration), geomechanical properties and the characteristics of two-phase flow properties (relevant for gas transport). At the current level of knowledge, there is a strong need to improve the nanoscale description of the phenomena observed at a more macroscopic scale. However, based on the scale of individual clay-minerals and pore sizes, for most of the imaging techniques this resolution is a clear challenge. The workshop, hosted by the Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (INE), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in the Akademiehotel Karlsruhe (Germany) from 6 to 8 September 2011, was intended to give, inter alia, a discussion platform on: - The current state-of-the-art of different spectro-microscopic methods - New developments addressing the above mentioned knowledge gaps in clays. - The perception of the interplay between geometry

Gas transport and subsoil pore characteristics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berisso, Feto Esimo; Schjønning, Per; Keller, Thomas

2013-01-01

Arrangements of elementary soil particles during soil deposition and subsequent biological and physical processes in long-term pedogenesis are expected to lead to anisotropy of the non-tilled subsoil pore system. Soil compaction by agricultural machinery is known to affect soil pore characteristics...... were sampled in vertical and horizontal directions from 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 m depth (the two lower depths only in Sweden). In the laboratory, water retention, air permeability (ka) and gas diffusivity (Ds/D0) were determined. For the sandy clay loam, morphological characteristics of pores (effective......). In the sandy clay loam soil, dB and nB displayed significant anisotropy (FAcharacteristics because of its origin...

Applying squeezing technique to clay-rocks: lessons learned from ten years experiments at Mont Terri

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, A. M.; Melon, A.; Sanchez-Ledesma, D.M.; Tournassat, C.; Gaucher, E.; Astudillo, J.; Vinsot, A.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Argillaceous formations of low permeability are considered in several countries as potential host rocks for the disposal of high level radioactive wastes (HLRW). In order to determine their suitability for waste disposal, evaluations of the hydro-geochemistry and transport mechanisms from such geologic formations to the biosphere must be undertaken. The migration of radionuclides through the geosphere will occur predominantly in the aqueous phase, and hence the pore water chemistry plays an important role in determining ion diffusion characteristics in argillaceous formations. Consequently, a great effort has been made to characterise the pore water chemistry in clay-rocks formations. In the last 10 years various techniques were developed for determining pore water composition of clay-rocks including both direct and indirect methods: 1) In situ pore water sampling (water and gas) from sealed boreholes (Pearson et al., 2003; Vinsot et al. 2008); 2) Laboratory pore water sampling from unaltered core samples by the squeezing technique at high pressures (Fernandez et al., 2009); and 3) Characterization of the water chemistry by geochemical modelling (Gaucher et al. 2009). Pore water chemistry in clay-rocks and extraction techniques were documented and reviewed in different studies (Sacchi et al., 2001). Recovering pristine pore water from low permeable and low water content systems is very difficult and sometimes impossible. Besides, uncertainties are associated to each method used for the pore water characterization. In this paper, a review about the high pressure squeezing technique applied to indurate clay-rocks was performed. For this purpose, the experimental work on Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri Research Laboratory during the last ten years was evaluated. A complete discussion was made about different issues such as: a) why is necessary to obtain the pore water by squeezing in the context of radioactive waste

Geochemical porosity values obtained in core samples from different clay-rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, A.M.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Argillaceous formations of low permeability are considered in many countries as potential host rocks for the disposal of high level radioactive wastes (HLRW). In order to determine their suitability for waste disposal, evaluations of the hydro-geochemistry and transport mechanisms from such geologic formations to the biosphere must be undertaken. One of the key questions about radionuclide diffusion and retention is to know the chemistry and chemical reactions and sorption processes that will occur in the rock and their effects on radionuclide mobility. In this context, the knowledge of the pore water chemistry is essential for performance assessment purposes. This information allows to establish a reliable model for the main water-rock interactions, which control the physico-chemical parameters and the chemistry of the major elements of the system. An important issue in order to model the pore water chemistry in clayey media is to determine the respective volume accessible to cations and anions, i.e, the amount of water actually available for chemical reactions/solute transport. This amount is usually referred as accessible porosity or geochemical porosity. By using the anion inventories, i.e. the anion content obtained from aqueous leaching, and assuming that all Cl - , Br - and SO4 2- leached in the aqueous extracts originates from pore water, the concentration of a conservative ion can be converted into the real pore water concentration if the accessible porosity is known. In this work, the accessible porosity or geochemical porosity has been determined in core samples belonging to four different formations: Boom Clay from Hades URL (Belgium, BE), Opalinus Clay from Mont Terri (Switzerland, CH), and Callovo-Oxfordian argillite from Bure URL (France, FR). The geochemical or chloride porosity was defined as the ratio between the pore water volume containing Cl-bearing pore water and the total volume of a sample

Se of polymers to control clay swelling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Slobod, R L; Beiswanger, J P.G.

1968-01-01

The injection of water to displace oil is one of the main methods used to increase oil recovery. High injection rates are generally desired, and in some cases the flood will not be economic unless high rates are maintained. The presence of clays which swell in the presence of water offers a complication to the problem of maintaining adequate injectivity. In the course of this study it was observed that certain polymers, when present in dilute concentrations in the water, had the ability to reduce the response of these clays to fresh water. Two polymers, one an anionic and the other nonionic, were found to be very effective in controlling the clays present in Berea cores. Successful control of clay swelling was obtained by use of solutions containing as little as 1.0 ppM of polymer, but at this low concentration appreciable volumes of treating solution were required. These results suggest that some minimum amount of polymer must be adsorbed to prevent clay swelling. In Berea sandstone this minimum amount appeared to be of the order of 0.03 mg per cc of pore space. A series of tests made using 10.0 ppM polymer showed that the polymer could be made through the porous system in which 0.066 per mg of polymer was adsorbed per cc of pore space.

Predicting Soil-Water Characteristics from Volumetric Contents of Pore-Size Analogue Particle Fractions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Naveed, Muhammad; Møldrup, Per; Tuller, Markus

*-model) for the SWC, derived from readily available soil properties such as texture and bulk density. A total of 46 soils from different horizons at 15 locations across Denmark were used for models evaluation. The Xw-model predicts the volumetric water content as a function of volumetric fines content (organic matter...... and clay). It performed reasonably well for the dry-end (above a pF value of 2.0; pF = log(|Ψ|), where Ψ is the matric potential in cm), but did not do as well closer to saturated conditions. The Xw*-model gives the volumetric water content as a function of volumetric content of particle size fractions...... (organic matter, clay, silt, fine and coarse sand), variably included in the model depending on the pF value. The volumetric content of a particular soil particle size fraction was included in the model if it was assumed to contribute to the pore size fraction still occupied with water at the given p...

Water retention properties of Callovo-Oxfordian clay-stone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan, Min; Delage, Pierre; Tang, Anh Minh; GATMIRI, Behrouz

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Many investigations were carried out on the Callovo-Oxfordian (COx) clay-stone that has been selected by the French radioactive waste management agency (ANDRA) as a potential host rock for high level radioactive waste disposal at great depth. Various authors demonstrated the significant water sensitivity of clay-stones. Some cracks generated by desaturation have been observed in the Tournemire URL (France) excavated in clay-stone. By carrying out some ESEM (environmental scanning electron microscope) observations on COx clay-stone samples submitted to cyclic changes in relative humidity, Montes et al. (2004) evidenced the water sensitivity of the clay fraction, with significant successive openings and closures of cracks and pores. Hysteresis effects have been observed in the water retention curve, in the ultrasonic velocity evolution and in the strain changes induced by hydration cycles on COx samples submitted to controlled relative humidities by Pham et al., (2007). Better knowledge of the mechanism of desaturation of the clay-stone is necessary to further understand the changes in hydro-mechanical properties of the excavation damaged zone (EDZ) that becomes significantly de-saturated all around the galleries because of ventilation. In this framework, a detailed study of the water retention properties of the COx clay-stone was carried out i) to complete existing observations with respect to volume changes under suction cycles and ii) to determine the main drying and wetting curves so as to better investigate hysteresis effects in the water retention curve.. Particular attention was paid to the characterization of the initial state in the laboratory (where samples are provided unsaturated due to the combined effect of coring, storage and transportation) and to the volume changes and changes in degree of saturation along the main wetting and drying paths. The determination of the water retention properties was

Stochastic modeling of filtrate alkalinity in water filtration devices: Transport through micro/nano porous clay based ceramic materials

Science.gov (United States)

Clay and plant materials such as wood are the raw materials used in manufacture of ceramic water filtration devices around the world. A step by step manufacturing procedure which includes initial mixing, molding and sintering is used. The manufactured ceramic filters have numerous pores which help i...

A pore water conductivity sensor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hilhorst, M.A.

2001-01-01

The electrical permittivity and conductivity of the bulk soil are a function of the permittivity and conductivity of the pore water. For soil water contents higher than 0.10 both functions are equal, facilitating in situ conductivity measurements of the pore water. A novel method is described, based

Towards an assessment of colloid transport in undisturbed clay stone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durce, D.; Landesman, C.; Grambow, B.; Giffaut, E.

2010-01-01

Document available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: Colloids are known as a potentially important transport vector for sparingly soluble radionuclides in natural water environments. For assessing the mass transfer resistance of the Callovo-Oxfordian clay rock formation for colloid transport, a series of percolation experiments have been performed, using high pressure stainless steel advection cells of different diameters containing clay cores machined to about 50 μm of accuracy to the inner diameter of the cells. Synthetic clay pore water was pushed by a high pressure syringe pump across the clay core. In order to assess the cut-off size for colloid transport, molecules of different molecular weight were injected. C 14 labeled polymaleic acid (PMA) of sizes of 2 and 50 kDa were used. The effect of clay permeability, of water flow rate (injection pressure) and of ionic strength was studied. Low ionic strength experiments (I = 0.001) were realized by replacing the pore water by advective displacement with the required composition. Clay rock permeabilities were between 10 -12 and 10 -14 m/s. Hydrodynamic parameters were determined by HTO and 36 Cl injection. The results show already at 2 kDa and a permeability of 10 -12 m/s strong retention by partial filtration. The experimental results were modeled using simple chromatographic theory. (authors)

Clay with Desiccation Cracks is an Advection Dominated Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Baram, S.; Kurtzman, D.; Sher, Y.; Ronen, Z.; Dahan, O.

2012-04-01

Heavy clay sediments are regarded "safe" from the hydrological point of view due to their low hydraulic conductivities. However, the formation of desiccation cracks in dispersive clays may dramatically change their bulk hydraulic properties. The impact of desiccation cracks on water percolation, dissolved salts and contaminants transport and redox related reactions (microbial ammonium oxidation and denitrification) were investigated in 6 -12 m clay layer near a diary farm waste lagoon. The study implemented unique vadose-zone monitoring systems that enable in-situ measurements of the temporal variation of the sediment's water content along with frequent sampling of the sediment's pore water along the entire vadose zone (> 30 m). Results from four years of continuous measurements showed quick rises in sediment water content following rain events and temporal wastewater overflows. The percolation pattern indicated dominance of preferential flow through a desiccation-cracks network crossing the entire clay sediment layer. High water-propagation velocities (0.4 - 23.6 m h-1) were observed, indicating that the desiccation-crack network remains open and serves as a preferential flow pathway year-round, even at high sediment water content (~0.50 m3 m-3). The rapid percolation bypassed the most bio-geo-active parts of the soil, transporting even highly sorptive contaminants (testosterone and estrogen) in to the deep sections of the vadose zone, accelerating the underlying groundwater contamination. The ammonium and nitrate concentrations in the vadose zone and the high number of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria (~108 gene copies gdry-sediemt-1, each) found in the sediment indicated that the entire vadose zone is aerated even at high water content conditions (~0.55 m3 m-3). The dissolved salts concentration in the pore-water and the δ2H-H2O and δ18O-H2O values of the pore-water substantially increased with depth (becoming less depleted) in the clay sediment

Uncertainties in pore water chemistry of compacted bentonite from Rokle deposit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cervinka, R.; Vejsadu, J.; Vokal, A.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The composition of compacted bentonite pore water influences a number of important processes occurring in a deep geological repository (DGR), e.g. corrosion of waste package materials, solubility of radionuclides, or diffusion and sorption of radionuclides. Its determination is not straightforward, because it is difficult to obtain (e.g. squeeze) the pore water from compacted bentonite without changing its properties. It is therefore necessary to combine experimentally obtained parameters and geochemical modelling to approach it compositions. This article describes the results achieved in investigation the composition of pore water of compacted Ca-Mg bentonite from Czech deposits, proposed in Czech DGR concept. Ca-Mg bentonite from the largest operating deposit Rokle (Tertiary neo-volcanic area, NW Bohemia) represents complex mixture of (Ca,Mg)-Fe-rich montmorillonite, micas, kaolinite and other mineral admixtures (mainly Ca, Mg, Fe carbonates, feldspars and iron oxides). For experimental investigations the homogenized and grind raw bentonite material obtained directly from the deposit and commercial product (partly Na-activated) from supplier were used. Geochemical characterization of Rokle bentonite included mineralogical composition analyzed by Xray diffraction, cation exchange capacity determined using Cu-trien method, surface complexation parameters determined by acid-base titrations and 'geochemical' porosity derived from diffusion experiments with tracers ( 3 H and 36 Cl). Soluble salts inventory was calculated on the base of results from aqueous extracts of bentonite in deionized water at different solid to liquid ratios (from 18.6 to 125 g/l) and high pressure squeezing of water saturated bentonite at different solid to liquid ratios (from 1:1 to 4:1 w/w). The geochemical model contained cation exchange in the interlayer space and protonization and de-protonization of surface hydroxyl groups on clay

Impact of pore-pressure cycling on bentonite in constant volume experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graham, C.C.; Harrington, J.F.; Cuss, R.J.; Sellin, P.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The SKB safety case for a KBS-3 repository highlights the potential importance of future successive glaciation events on repository functions. One particular uncertainty is the likely affect of elevated pore-water pressures on barrier safety functions. Over the repository lifetime such changes in pore-water pressure are likely to be cyclic in nature, as successive glacial episodes lead to loading and unloading of the engineered barrier. For a clay-water system with the pore-water in thermodynamic equilibrium with an external reservoir of water at pressure, p w , the total stress acting on the surrounding vessel can be expressed as: (1) σ = Π + αp w where Π is the swelling pressure and α is a proportionality constant. We present results from a series of laboratory experiments designed to investigate this relationship, in the context of glacial loading. Blocks of pre-compacted Mx80 bentonite were manufactured by Clay Technology AB (Lund, Sweden), by rapidly compacting bentonite granules in a mould under a one dimensionally applied stress (Johannesson et al., 1995). The blocks were then sub-sampled and cylindrical specimens prepared for testing (120 mm in length and 60 mm in diameter). The experiments were conducted using a specially designed constant volume cell, which allows the evolution of the total stresses acting on the surrounding vessel to be monitored during clay swelling (at three radial and two axial locations). A high precision syringe pump was used to maintain a constant applied pore pressure within the bentonite, while the rate of hydraulic inflow, and consequent stress development, were monitored to determine the point at which hydraulic equilibrium was reached. During the tests each sample was subjected to an incremental series of constant pore-pressure steps, with all samples experiencing at least one loading and unloading cycle. The resulting average total stress data yield alpha values in the

Clays in natural and engineered barriers for radioactive waste confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

The meeting covers all topics concerning natural argillaceous geological barriers and the clay material based engineered barrier systems, investigated by means of: laboratory experiments on clay samples (new analytical developments), in situ experiments in underground research laboratories, mock-up demonstrations, natural analogues, as well as numerical modelling and global integration approaches (including up-scaling processes and treatment of uncertainties). The works presented deal with: examples of broad research programs (national or international) on the role of natural and artificial clay barriers for radionuclide confinement; clay-based repository concepts: repository designs, including technological and safety issues related to the use of clay for nuclear waste confinement; geology and clay characterisation: mineralogy, sedimentology, paleo-environment, diagenesis, dating techniques, discontinuities in rock clay, fracturing, self sealing processes, role of organic matter and microbiological processes; geochemistry: pore water geochemistry, clay thermodynamics, chemical retention, geochemical modelling, advanced isotopic geochemistry; mass transfer: water status and hydraulic properties in low permeability media, pore space geometry, water, solute and gas transfer processes, colloid mediated transport, large scale movements, long-term diffusion; alteration processes: oxidation effects, hydration-dehydration processes, response to thermal stress, iron-clay interactions, alkaline perturbation; geomechanics: thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of clay, rheological models, EDZ characterisation and evolution, coupled behaviour and models (HM, THM, THMC). A particular interest is given to potential contributions coming from fields of activities other than radioactive waste management, which take advantage of the confinement properties of the clay barrier (oil and gas industries, gas geological storage, CO 2 geological sequestration, chemical waste isolation

Clays in natural and engineered barriers for radioactive waste confinement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2007-07-01

The meeting covers all topics concerning natural argillaceous geological barriers and the clay material based engineered barrier systems, investigated by means of: laboratory experiments on clay samples (new analytical developments), in situ experiments in underground research laboratories, mock-up demonstrations, natural analogues, as well as numerical modelling and global integration approaches (including up-scaling processes and treatment of uncertainties). The works presented deal with: examples of broad research programs (national or international) on the role of natural and artificial clay barriers for radionuclide confinement; clay-based repository concepts: repository designs, including technological and safety issues related to the use of clay for nuclear waste confinement; geology and clay characterisation: mineralogy, sedimentology, paleo-environment, diagenesis, dating techniques, discontinuities in rock clay, fracturing, self sealing processes, role of organic matter and microbiological processes; geochemistry: pore water geochemistry, clay thermodynamics, chemical retention, geochemical modelling, advanced isotopic geochemistry; mass transfer: water status and hydraulic properties in low permeability media, pore space geometry, water, solute and gas transfer processes, colloid mediated transport, large scale movements, long-term diffusion; alteration processes: oxidation effects, hydration-dehydration processes, response to thermal stress, iron-clay interactions, alkaline perturbation; geomechanics: thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of clay, rheological models, EDZ characterisation and evolution, coupled behaviour and models (HM, THM, THMC). A particular interest is given to potential contributions coming from fields of activities other than radioactive waste management, which take advantage of the confinement properties of the clay barrier (oil and gas industries, gas geological storage, CO{sub 2} geological sequestration, chemical waste isolation

Thermal volume changes in clays and clay-stones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delage, P.; Sulem, J.; Mohajerani, M.; Tang, A.M.; Monfared, M.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The disposal of high activity exothermic radioactive waste at great depth in clay host rocks will induce a temperature elevation that has been investigated in various underground research laboratories in Belgium, France and Switzerland through in-situ tests. Thermal effects are better known in clays (in particular Boom clay) than in clay-stone (e.g. Opalinus clay and Callovo-Oxfordian clay-stone). In terms of volume changes, Figure 1 confirms the findings of Hueckel and Baldi (1990) that volume changes depend on the over-consolidation ratio (OCR) of the clay. In drained conditions, normally consolidated clays exhibit plastic contraction when heated, whereas over-consolidated clay exhibit elastic dilation. The nature of thermal volume changes in heated clays obviously has a significant effect on thermally induced pore pressures, when drainage is not instantaneous like what occurs in-situ. Compared to clays, the thermal volume change behaviour of clay-stones is less well known than that of clays. clay-stone are a priori suspected to behave like over-consolidated clays. In this paper, a comparison of recent results obtained in the laboratory on the drained thermal volume changes of clay-stones is presented and discussed. It is difficult to run drained mechanical tests in clay-stones like the Opalinus clay and the Callovo-Oxfordian clay-stone because of their quite low permeability (10 -12 - 10 -13 m/s). This also holds true for thermal tests. Due to the significant difference in thermal expansion coefficient between minerals and water, it is necessary to adopt very slow heating rate (0.5 - 1 C/h) to avoid any thermal pressurization. To do so, a new hollow cylinder apparatus (100 mm external diameter, 60 mm internal diameter) with lateral drainages reducing the drainage length to half the sample thickness (10 mm) has been developed (Monfared et al. 2011). The results of a drained cyclic thermal test carried out on

The one-dimensional compression method for extraction of pore water from unsaturated tuff and effects on pore-water chemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Higgins, J.D.; Burger, P.A. [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Yang, L.C. [Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)

1997-12-31

Study of the hydrologic system at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, requires extraction of pore-water samples from unsaturated tuff bedrock. Two generations of compression cells have been designed and tested for extracting representative, unaltered pore-water samples from unsaturated tuff cores. The one-dimensional compression cell has a maximum compressive stress rating of 552 MPa. Results from 86 tests show that the minimum degree of saturation for successful extraction of pore water was about 14% for non welded tuff and about 61% for densely welded tuff. The high-pressure, one-dimensional compression cell has a maximum compressive stress rating of 827 MPa. Results from 109 tests show that the minimum degree of saturation for successful extraction of pore water was about 7.5% for non welded tuff and about 34% for densely welded tuff. Geochemical analyses show that, in general, there is a decrease in ion concentration of pore waters as extraction pressures increase. Only small changes in pore-water composition occur during the one-dimensional extraction test.

Quantitative mineralogy and preliminary pore-water chemistry of candidate buffer and backfill materials for a nuclear fuel waste disposal vault

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quigley, R.M.

1984-07-01

The quantitative mineralogy of seven candidate buffer and backfill materials for a nuclear fuel waste disposal vault is presented. Two of the materials were coarse grained: one a blended very pure silica sand, and the other a crushed plagioclase-rich granite or granodiorite. Five materials were fine-grained soils containing abundant clay minerals. Of these, three were fairly pure, Cretaceous, ash-derived bentonites that contained up to 3 percent of soluble sulphates; one was a freshwater glacial clay containing 59 percent interlayered smectite-illite; and one was a crushed Paleozoic shale containing abundant illite and chlorite. The adsorbed cation regimes and the pore-water chemistry of the clays are discussed

Evaluation of the permeability of microporous membranes polyamide 6 / clay bentonite for water-oil separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medeiros, P.S.S.; Medeiros, K.M.; Araujo, E.M.; Lira, H.L.

2014-01-01

The petroleum refining industries have faced major problems in relation to the treatment of their effluents before disposal into the environment. Among the conventional technologies treatment of these effluents, the process of oil-water separation by means of membranes has been extensively used, for having enormous potentiality. Therefore, in this study, hybrid membranes of polyamide 6/ bentonite clay were produced by the technique of phase inversion and by precipitation of the solution from the nanocomposites obtained by melt intercalation. The clay was organically modified with the quaternary ammonium salt (Cetremide®). The nanocomposites were obtained from (PA6) with untreated (AST) and treated clay (ACT), which were subsequently characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Already membranes were characterized by XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and flow measurements. From the XRD results, it was observed an exfoliated and/or partially exfoliated structure for the nanocomposites and for the membranes. From SEM images it was observed that the presence of AST and ACT clays in the polymeric matrix caused changes in membrane morphology and pore formation. The flow with distilled water in the membranes showed a decrease initially and then followed by stability. All membranes tested in the process of separating emulsions of oil in water, particularly those of nanocomposites obtained a significant reduction of oil concentration in the permeate, thus showing that these membranes have a great potential to be applied to the water-oil separation. (author)

Ventilation test at Mont Terri. Geoelectric monitoring of the opalinus clay desaturation. Phase 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wieczorek, Klaus; Zhang, Chun-Liang; Rothfuchs, Tilmann

2008-04-01

Between December 2001 and May 2004, a ventilation experiment (VE) was performed in the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory (URL) and co-financed by the Commission of the European Communities. The objective was to investigate the desaturation of consolidated clay formations in consequence of the ventilation of underground openings of a repository in such a formation. The results of the geoelectric measurements performed in the second phase of the Mont Terri ventilation test can be summarized as follows: Geoelectric tomography has been found suitable for monitoring ventilation-induced saturation changes in the Opalinus clay. During ventilation with dry air a desaturation down to below 50% could be detected in both desaturation cycles. The desaturated zone extends less than 0.5 m into the rock around the microtunnel. During the second resaturation phase, ventilation with humid air led to quick resaturation at the tunnel surface, while resaturation of the rock mass took months. The still ongoing third resaturation phase seems to imply that resaturation of the rock mass may take years with no air circulation in the tunnel. The laboratory investigations on the Opalinus clay included the determination of water retention capacity, swelling pressure, free swelling/shrinking strains induced by moisture changes, and response of normal and large hollow clay samples to the ventilation of the central boreholes at different air humidity values. The Opalinus clay has a high water absorption capacity. The amount of water uptake in unconstraint conditions is much higher than the water content in the naturally confined state, indicating that the pore water in the natural clay rock is predominantly bound on clay minerals. The swelling pressure induced by wetting with vapour is very close to the major lithostatic stress at the sampling location. Water uptake from vapour causes a large free expansion of up to 12% over 8 months and even a breakdown along bedding planes. Release of

Polyethersulfone/clay membranes and its water permeability; Membranas de polietersulfona/argila e sua permeabilidade a agua

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cavalho, Thamyres Cardoso de; Medeiros, Vanessa da Nobrega; Araujo, Edcleide Maria de; Lira, Helio Lucena, E-mail: thamyrescc@gmail.com, E-mail: vanismedeiros@gmail.com, E-mail: edcleide.araujo@ufcg.edu.br, E-mail: helio.lira@ufcg.edu.br [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UAEMa/CCT/UFCG), PB (Brazil). Unidade Academica de Engenharia de Materiais; Leite, Amanda Melissa Damiao, E-mail: amanda.leite@ect.ufrn.br [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (ECT/UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil). Escola de Ciencia e Tecnologia

2017-04-15

Membranes can be considered polymeric or inorganic films that function as a semipermeable barrier to filtration on a molecular scale, separating two phases and restricting, totally or partially, the transportation of one or more chemical species (solute) present in the solution. Therefore, the aim of this work is to produce polyethersulfone membranes (PES) and polyethersulfone/clay by phase inversion technique and evaluate the presence of clay in obtaining membranes for wastewater treatment. The used solvent was dimethylformamide (DMF) and clays were Brasgel PA (MMT) and Cloisite Na (CL Na) in the proportion of 3 to 5% (wt.). By Xray diffraction (XRD), the membranes with 3% of MMT and CL Na clays apparently had partially exfoliated structures. For the composition with 5% of CL Na a small peak was observed, which indicates that this is possibly an intercalated structure or microcomposite. By scanning electron microscopy (SEM), visualizes that the pure surface of the pure PES membrane a structure apparently without pores was observed in the used magnification and without roughness surface when compared to membranes with clay. The measurements of contact angle indicated that the inclusion of clay altered the wetting ability of the membranes. The flow with distilled water for all membranes started high and over time reached a stabilization level. Thus, it can be concluded that the presence and the content of clay altered the morphology of the membrane, contributing to an increase in water flow. (author)

X-ray Tomography and Impregnation Methods to Analyze Pore Space Hetrerogeneities at the Hydrated State

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pret, D.; Ferrage, E.; Tertre, E.; Robinet, J.C.; Faurel, M.; Hubert, F.; Pelletier, M.; Bihannic, I.

2013-01-01

For clay based materials, the investigation of both mineral skeleton and pore space organization as well as water distribution remains a key and challenging task. Such information is however required in order to fully understand and model their macroscopic hydro-mechanical or transport properties. In particular, as far as swelling clay minerals are involved, even pure clay materials are well known to represent spatially heterogeneous, anisotropic and deformable media from the nanometre to the centimetre scale. Probing their organization over such extremely large scale range requires the combination of different techniques providing quantitative results that can be used to feed global balances of water and pore distributions. Bulk physical measurements have been used for decades for analyzing clay systems at the dry state or for hydrated states under free macroscopic swelling conditions of samples. These approaches need to be associated to reveal the complexity of the pore space network. Indeed, all probes exhibit contrasted accessibilities and provide data on the basis of simple geometrical models either about pore or neck/throat size for a given size range. The main interest of imaging techniques is their ability to reveal the spatial heterogeneities of organization as well as the real morphology of pores. Still, they are poorly documented in literature as preparation procedures and extraction of quantitative data are not straightforward for clay materials. Clay organization is highly reactive and is, for example, a function of the resin/water removal technique used during embedding process, the content/composition of pore water or the pressure applied. Imaging techniques based on electron beam generally requires vacuum conditions around the sample and imply its impregnation by a resin. It is then generally difficult to assess the hydration state corresponding to the organization observed. Coupling different techniques is thus only possible when similar

Chemo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of unsaturated clays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mokni, N.; Olivella, S.; Alonso, E.E.; Romero, E.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Understanding of the chemical effects on clays is essential for many problems ranging from pollution studies and waste-containment. Several studies examined the effect of changes in pore fluid composition on the mechanical and hydraulic properties. Volume changes (contraction/ expansion) have been measured on clay specimens upon exposure to salt solutions or permeation with organic liquids. Moreover, it was shown that permeation of clay with brine induces an increase of the shear strength. In addition, several models have been proposed to describe the chemo-mechanical behaviour of saturated clays under saturated conditions. A new chemo-hydro-mechanical model for unsaturated clays is under development. The chemo-mechanical effects are described within an elasto-plastic framework using the concept that chemical effects act on the plastic properties by increasing or decreasing the pre-consolidation stress. The model is based on the distinction within the material of a microstructural and a macro-structural levels. Chemical loading has a significant effect on the microstructure. The negative pressure associated with the capillary water plays its role in the interconnected macro pores. By adopting simple assumptions concerning the coupling between the two levels it is intended to reproduce the features of the behaviour of unsaturated clays when there is a change in pore fluid composition (increase or decrease of concentration). A yield surface which defines the set of yield pre-consolidation stress values, for each associated capillary suction and concentration of pore fluid should be defined. In addition, the behaviour of clays under unsaturated condition and the behaviour at full saturation under chemical loading represent two limiting cases of the framework. Studies on the compatibility of Boom Clay with large amounts of nitrate- bearing bituminized radioactive waste have recently raised a particular interest on the

Pore water pressure response to small and large openings in argillaceous rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garitte, B.; Gens, A.; Vaunat, J.; Armand, G.; Conil, N.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. In the last decade an important amount of piezometers have been installed in the Bure Underground Rock Laboratory (URL) in the vicinity of ongoing works involving gallery excavations and drilling of boreholes and alveoles both in the major and minor stress directions. Relatively far field piezometers (placed one to four diameters from the excavation wall) showed a qualitatively consistent response at different scales. Here, we investigate whether the pore water pressure response around openings of different scales may be up-scaled. An attempt is made to find a common set of parameters that explains quantitatively the rock response at the different scales. The mechanisms underlying the pore water pressure response around an underground opening are twofold. The first class of mechanisms is usually associated with nearly undrained behaviour and the related pore water pressure changes are induced by the stress redistribution triggered by the creation of the tunnel opening causing a reorientation of the principal stresses and influenced by the initial stress anisotropy. These pore water pressure changes are closely linked to the mechanical constitutive law of the rock and to the damage zone around the opening. The second class of mechanisms is related to the drainage of excess pore water pressure relative to a state governed by the atmospheric water pressure condition prescribed at gallery wall and the water flow law, usually Darcy's. Strong anisotropy effects on the hydraulic response of Callovo-Oxfordian Clay can be observed with reference to Figure 1 that shows the pore pressure response to the drilling of a 150 mm-diameter borehole performed to install a heater for the TER thermal experiment. The borehole is aligned with the major horizontal principal stress. Therefore, in principle, the stress state should be approximately isotropic in a cross section of the borehole. As a matter of fact, however, a degree of

Pore water pressures and slope stability: a joint geophysical and geotechnical analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perrone, Angela; Lapenna, Vincenzo; Vassallo, Roberto; Maio, Caterina Di

2008-01-01

Slope stability is influenced by many factors, among which are subsoil structure and pore water pressure distribution. This paper presents a multi-disciplinary approach for the determination of these two factors and for the construction of a reliable model of the subsoil for the slope stability analysis. The case of a clay slope located in the Southern Apennines (Italy) is presented and discussed. Geophysical imaging (2D electrical resistivity tomography—ERT), in situ geotechnical monitoring (measurements of pore pressures and horizontal displacements) and laboratory geotechnical tests (for the determination of index, hydraulic and mechanical properties of soils) have been carried out. The comparison and the integration between ERT images and direct observations of the material extracted from boreholes have allowed us to reconstruct the subsoil stratigraphy with continuity. Thus, a reliable 2D model of the subsoil has been obtained, with well-defined boundaries on which it has been possible to apply appropriate hydraulic conditions. This geotechnical model has been used for studying the pore water pressure distribution and for analysing how the hydraulic boundary conditions—among which rain events—influence the slope stability. Our findings demonstrate the powerful skill of the ERT, if integrated with borehole data, to generate an accurate subsoil model. It is also evident that geophysical imaging can be a source of ambiguity and misjudgement if interpreted without a comparison with geotechnical data

CATSIUS CLAY PROJECT: Calculation and testing of behaviour of unsaturated clay as barrier in radioactive waste repositories: stage 3: validation exercises at a large in situ scale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, E. E.; Alcoverro, J.

1999-01-01

Stage 3 of CATSIUS CLAY Project: Validation Exercises at a Large in situ Scale includes two Benchmarks: Benchmark 3.1: In situ Hydration of Boom Clay Pellets (BACCHUS 2) and Benchmark 3.2: FEBEX Mock-up Test. The BACCHUS 2 in situ test was performed in the HADES underground laboratory (Mol, Belgium) to demonstrate and optimize an installation procedure for a clay based material and to study its hydration process. After drilling a vertical shaft (540 mm in diameter, 3.0 m in length) in the host Boom clay, a central filter (90 mm in diameter) was placed, the remaining space was filled with a mixture of clay pellets and clay powder and the assembly was sealed at the upper end by a resin plug (0.20 m in thickness) over which concrete was poured. The test was instrumented so that it could be used as a validation experiment. Total stress, pore water pressure and water content measurements were performed both in the backfill material and in the surrounding clay massif. Once the installation was complete, the natural hydration of the backfill material began (day 0). To accelerate the hydration process, on day 516 water was injected through the central filter. On day 624, after the saturation of the backfill was reached, the hydraulic circuit was closed and the undrained response of the system backfill-host clay was monitored until an overall steady state was reached. Partners were asked to provide predictions for the evolution of the pore water pressure and total pressure of various points where appropriate sensors are installed. This benchmark addresses the Hydro-Mechanical response of an unsaturated low density clay barrier under natural and artificial hydration. (Author)

CATSIUS CLAY PROJECT: Calculation and testing of behaviour of unsaturated clay as barrier in radioactive waste repositories: stage 3: validation exercises at a large in situ scale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alonso, E E; Alcoverro, J

1999-07-01

Stage 3 of CATSIUS CLAY Project: Validation Exercises at a Large in situ Scale includes two Benchmarks: Benchmark 3.1: In situ Hydration of Boom Clay Pellets (BACCHUS 2) and Benchmark 3.2: FEBEX Mock-up Test. The BACCHUS 2 in situ test was performed in the HADES underground laboratory (Mol, Belgium) to demonstrate and optimize an installation procedure for a clay based material and to study its hydration process. After drilling a vertical shaft (540 mm in diameter, 3.0 m in length) in the host Boom clay, a central filter (90 mm in diameter) was placed, the remaining space was filled with a mixture of clay pellets and clay powder and the assembly was sealed at the upper end by a resin plug (0.20 m in thickness) over which concrete was poured. The test was instrumented so that it could be used as a validation experiment. Total stress, pore water pressure and water content measurements were performed both in the backfill material and in the surrounding clay massif. Once the installation was complete, the natural hydration of the backfill material began (day 0). To accelerate the hydration process, on day 516 water was injected through the central filter. On day 624, after the saturation of the backfill was reached, the hydraulic circuit was closed and the undrained response of the system backfill-host clay was monitored until an overall steady state was reached. Partners were asked to provide predictions for the evolution of the pore water pressure and total pressure of various points where appropriate sensors are installed. This benchmark addresses the Hydro-Mechanical response of an unsaturated low density clay barrier under natural and artificial hydration. (Author)

Preferred Orientation and Anisotropy of Clay minerals and Pores in Posidonia Shales

Science.gov (United States)

Kanitpanyacharoen, W.; Chen, K.; Wenk, H.

2010-12-01

Shales compose a large part of sedimentary basins and form the seal and source rocks for hydrocarbon reservoirs. They are also of great interest in context of repositories for nuclear waste and carbon sequestration. A comprehensive study of shale properties is thus crucial for seismic prospecting, particularly due to high elastic anisotropy that is contributed by the alignment of constituent clay minerals during compaction and diagenesis. In this study, we quantitatively analyze composition, crystal preferred orientation (or texture), and the 3D porosity structure in four Posidonia shales from Germany using high energy synchrotron x-rays. We can infer texture information from x-ray diffraction images relying on the Rietveld method, as well as determine the 3D porosity structure from tomography images. We observed that quartz and calcite are dominating phases while illite-smectite, illite-mica and kaolinite are the major clay minerals. The texture strength of clays range from 4.22 to 6.12 m.r.d. A comparison of shallow Posidonia shales with deep shales from the North Sea, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf of Mexico documents that P-wave anisotropy increases with increasing phyllosilicate content (mainly illite-smectite and kaolinite) and increasing burial. Low absorption features in microtomography images indicate porosity (including kerogen and fractures), which is estimated at 1 vol% and observed to be anisotropic, mainly organized parallel to bedding with little connectivity of flat pores in direction perpendicular to the bedding plane.

Coupled transport and chemistry in clay stone studied by advective displacement: experiments and model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landesman, C.; Grambow, B.; Bailly, C.; Ribet, S.; Perrigaud, K.; Baty, V.; Giffaut, E.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Full text of publication entered in this record. For assessing the mass transfer resistance of the Callovo-Oxfordian clay rock formation in case of implementing a nuclear waste repository, various strongly coupled processes need to be understood and quantified both in near and far field: multi-species diffusion/advection, mineral/pore water interaction, interaction with the waste matrix and engineered barrier material, radionuclide retention, colloid transport, pore water chemistry evolution etc. To study many of these processes in their interrelationship simultaneously, a series of high pressure stainless steel advection cell was designed and clay cores from different locations of different calcite and clay contents were machined to fit the inner diameter of the cells with a precision of 50 μm. After assembling, simulated oxygen free clay pore water with bromine tracer was pushed by a High Pressure pump through the reactor by a pressure of up 100 bars at temperatures between 20 and 90 deg. C and the out-flowing water was collected, protected from air and analyzed by ICP-MS, COT meter and ion chromatography in regular time intervals. The water flow rate was between 0.02 and 1.2 mL/ d, corresponding to a clay rock permeabilities between 10 -12 and 10 -14 m/s at 25 deg. C. Permeabilities increase with temperature as expected due to reduction of viscosity of water. The experiments last up to 2 years. The first drops of out flowing allow estimating the initial pore water composition. This is particular useful to assess mobile natural organic matter contents, Se concentrations and temperature effect on clay water composition. Results show that only very small organic molecules are mobile. Temperature had only little effect on water composition. After few months both tritiated (HTO) water and 36 Cl were added and from the evolution of the activities in the out flowing water dispersion coefficients and accessible

Xenon-129 NMR study of the microporous structure of clays and pillared clays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsiao, C.; Carrado, K.A.

1990-01-01

129 Xe NMR studies have been carried out using xenon gas adsorbed in clays and pillared clays. Data from the measurements provide information on the pore structure of clays before and after pillaring. The results indicate that the effective pore diameter of montmorillonite increases, for example, from 5.4 Angstrom to 8.0 Angstrom after pillaring cheto-montmorillonite with aluminum polyoxohydroxy Keggin cations. The data are consistent with X-ray powder diffraction results, which show a corresponding increase in the interlamellar gallery height from 5.6 Angstrom to 8.4 Angstrom

Effects of leachate concentration on the integrity of solidified clay liners.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Qiang; Zhang, Qian

2014-03-01

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of landfill leachate concentration on the degradation behaviour of solidified clay liners and to propose a viable mechanism for the observed degradation. The results indicated that the unconfined compressive strength of the solidified clay decreased significantly, while the hydraulic conductivity increased with the leachate concentration. The large pore proportion in the solidified clay increased and the sum of medium and micro pore proportions decreased, demonstrating that the effect on the solidified clay was evident after the degradation caused by exposure to landfill leachate. The unconfined compressive strength of the solidified clay decreased with increasing leachate concentration as the leachate changed the compact structure of the solidified clay, which are prone to deformation and fracture. The hydraulic conductivity and the large pore proportion of the solidified clay increased with the increase in leachate concentration. In contrast, the sum of medium and micro pore proportions showed an opposite trend in relation to leachate concentration, because the leachate gradually caused the medium and micro pores to form larger pores. Notably, higher leachate concentrations resulted in a much more distinctive variation in pore proportions. The hydraulic conductivity of the solidified clay was closely related to the size, distribution, and connection of pores. The proportion of the large pores showed a positive correlation with the increase of hydraulic conductivity, while the sum of the proportions of medium and micro pores showed a negative correlation.

Pulse heating tests on two reference Belgian clay formations. Laboratory experiments and numerical study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima, A.; Romero, E.; Vaunat, J.; Gens, A.; Li, X.L.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Two deep clay formations are being investigated in Belgium in connection with the design of a repository for 'High-Level Radioactive Waste': Boom clay at Mol (located between 160 and 270 m depths), considered the reference host formation, and Ypresian clay at Kallo (located between 300 and 450 m depths) as an alternative one. Thermal impact may play an important role on the behaviour of these low-permeability clayey formations. In this context, heating pulse tests on intact borehole samples retrieved in vertical and horizontal directions were carried out on both clays using an axisymmetric heating cell. Heating tests under nearly constant volume conditions and different target temperatures (maximum 85 C) were performed under controlled hydraulic boundary conditions. Attention is focused on the time evolution of temperature and pore water pressure changes during heating and cooling paths -i.e., pore pressure build-up during quasi-undrained heating and later dissipation to the applied hydraulic boundary conditions-. The finite element program CODE-BRIGHT was used to determine thermal parameters by back-analysis and to simulate the experimental results. Table 1 summarises the main properties of these clays. The experimental programme was carried out on a fully-instrumented cell (sample 75 mm diameter and 100 mm high) with a controlled-power heater housed inside the cell. Two miniature pore water pressure transducers located at different heights of the lateral wall of the cell and three thermocouples were used to monitor the sample response. The cell has top and bottom valves to control hydraulic conditions. The protocol of the tests included three main phases: hydration, heating and cooling. Throughout the heating and cooling phases, the bottom drainage was maintained open at a constant water pressure using an automatic pressure/volume controller, while the upper valve was kept closed. Figures 1a and 1c show the time

Analytical Expressions for Thermo-Osmotic Permeability of Clays

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalvès, J.; Ji Yu, C.; Matray, J.-M.; Tremosa, J.

2018-01-01

In this study, a new formulation for the thermo-osmotic permeability of natural pore solutions containing monovalent and divalent cations is proposed. The mathematical formulation proposed here is based on the theoretical framework supporting thermo-osmosis which relies on water structure alteration in the pore space of surface-charged materials caused by solid-fluid electrochemical interactions. The ionic content balancing the surface charge of clay minerals causes a disruption in the hydrogen bond network when more structured water is present at the clay surface. Analytical expressions based on our heuristic model are proposed and compared to the available data for NaCl solutions. It is shown that the introduction of divalent cations reduces the thermo-osmotic permeability by one third compared to the monovalent case. The analytical expressions provided here can be used to advantage for safety calculations in deep underground nuclear waste repositories.

Preparation of nanocomposites polyurethane water bone with clay montmorillonite sodica and organophilic clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, Claudia P.; Delpech, Marcia C.; Coutinho, Fernanda M.B.; Mello, Ivana L.

2009-01-01

Nanocomposites based on water bone polyurethane (NWPU's) were synthesized based on poli(propylene glycol), dimethylolpropionic acid (DMPA), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and hydrazine (HYD), as chain extender. Two kinds of clays were employed: hydrophilic and organophilic. The nanocomposites were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and the mechanical properties were evaluated. The FTIR results showed the presence of specific groups of clay and the XRD suggested that occurred their intercalation/exfoliation through polyurethane matrix. The mechanical resistance of the systems showed significant increase when compared to water dispersions synthesized without clay. (author)

Rheological properties of purified illite clays in glycerol/water suspensions

Science.gov (United States)

Dusenkova, I.; Malers, J.; Berzina-Cimdina, L.

2015-04-01

There are many studies about rheological properties of clay-water suspensions, but no published investigations about clay-glycerol suspensions. In this work apparent viscosity of previously purified illite containing clay fraction clay minerals were almost totally removed by centrifugation. All obtained suspensions behaved as shear-thinning fluids with multiple times higher viscosity than pure glycerol/water solutions. Reduction of clay fraction concentration by 5% decreased the apparent viscosity of 50% glycerol/water suspensions approximately 5 times. There was basically no difference in apparent viscosity between all four 50% glycerol/water suspensions, but in 90% glycerol/water suspensions samples from Iecava deposit showed slightly higher apparent viscosity, which could be affected by the particle size distribution.

Stable silicon isotope signatures of marine pore waters - Biogenic opal dissolution versus authigenic clay mineral formation

Science.gov (United States)

Ehlert, Claudia; Doering, Kristin; Wallmann, Klaus; Scholz, Florian; Sommer, Stefan; Grasse, Patricia; Geilert, Sonja; Frank, Martin

2016-10-01

Dissolved silicon isotope compositions have been analysed for the first time in pore waters (δ30SiPW) of three short sediment cores from the Peruvian margin upwelling region with distinctly different biogenic opal content in order to investigate silicon isotope fractionation behaviour during early diagenetic turnover of biogenic opal in marine sediments. The δ30SiPW varies between +1.1‰ and +1.9‰ with the highest values occurring in the uppermost part close to the sediment-water interface. These values are of the same order or higher than the δ30Si of the biogenic opal extracted from the same sediments (+0.3‰ to +1.2‰) and of the overlying bottom waters (+1.1‰ to +1.5‰). Together with dissolved silicic acid concentrations well below biogenic opal saturation, our collective observations are consistent with the formation of authigenic alumino-silicates from the dissolving biogenic opal. Using a numerical transport-reaction model we find that approximately 24% of the dissolving biogenic opal is re-precipitated in the sediments in the form of these authigenic phases at a relatively low precipitation rate of 56 μmol Si cm-2 yr-1. The fractionation factor between the precipitates and the pore waters is estimated at -2.0‰. Dissolved and solid cation concentrations further indicate that off Peru, where biogenic opal concentrations in the sediments are high, the availability of reactive terrigenous material is the limiting factor for the formation of authigenic alumino-silicate phases.

Polyamide 6/clay membranes: effect of precipitation bath in morphology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferreira, Rodholfo da S.B.; Pereira, Caio H. do O; Leite, Amanda M.D.; Araujo, Edcleide M.; Lira, Helio L.

2015-01-01

Polyamide 6 membranes and their nanocomposites with 5% clay were obtained by the phase inversion method and the precipitation was made in distilled water bath and also in the mixture of solvent and distilled water. The nanocomposites were characterized by XRD and membranes by SEM. By XRD analysis, it was found that the obtained nanocomposite presents a structure probably exfoliated and / or partially exfoliated, it was also possible to observe the presence of two characteristic peaks (α and γ) of the polyamide 6 phases. In the SEM micrographs it was seen that the presence of clay promote alterations in morphology, size and distribution of pores. The presence of acid in the precipitation bath leads to a significant decrease in the filter layer, but also an increase in the quantity of pore size. (author)

Influence of clay content on wave-induced liquefaction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirca, V.S. Ozgur; Sumer, B. Mutlu; Fredsøe, Jørgen

2014-01-01

of measurements were carried out: (1) pore-water pressure measurements across the soil depth and (2) water-surface elevation measurements. These measurements were synchronized with video recordings of the liquefaction process from the side. The ranges of the various quantities in the experiments were wave height...... of silt and clay was not liquefied. Sand may become prone to liquefaction with the introduction of clay, contrary to the general perception that this type of sediment is normally liquefaction-resistant under waves. For instance, sand with d50 50:4 mmwas liquefied with CC510:8%, whereas sand with d50 50...

On the thermal behaviour of Boom clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delage, P.; Cui Yu Jun; Sultan, N.

2004-01-01

When temperature is increased, the various phenomena that occur in a saturated natural potential host clay for nuclear waste disposal (Boom clay from SCK-CEN in Mol, Belgium) were experimentally investigated in a temperature controlled high stress triaxial cell. Firstly, the pore pressure build-up due to the difference in thermal dilation of both water and minerals was investigated through thermal consolidation tests. Interesting information was obtained about the dissipation of thermally induced pore pressure in Boom clay, based on the standard Terzaghi consolidation theory. Secondly, the volume change behaviour in drained conditions (i.e. under a very slow temperature increase) confirmed that the clay overconsolidation ratio (OCR) controlled the nature of the volume changes. Whereas overconsolidated soils use to dilate as any material when temperature is elevated, normally consolidated soils present a decrease in volume, which is less common. The principles of a coupled thermo-elasto-plastic model that was specifically developed to model this particular behaviour are finally presented. Obviously, it appears necessary to account in detail for these thermal phenomena in order to properly understand the response of the geological barrier in the near field once nuclear waste has been stored. (orig.)

Water states and types of water in materials from different argillaceous formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, A.M.; Melon, A.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Depending of their structure and degree of compaction, clays can be hydrated by a variable amount of water molecules in the inter-lamellar space and on external surfaces. Due to the fact that the structure and nature of water molecules (properties of liquid water) is influenced by the clay surfaces; different types of waters are involved in clayey systems (internal/external water, adsorbed/free water) giving a double porosity structure. The water volume accessible to ions is a key parameter in order to determine the pore water chemistry affecting the radionuclide transport in clay-rocks. In the case of argillaceous formations, natural consolidation induces significant physical and structural changes to clays as a function of time, leading to a progressive compaction and agglomeration of particles, reduction of crystallinity and an increase of micro-strain, which affects both the tetrahedral and octahedral layers. Structure and dynamics of water are modified when water molecules are close to interfaces or confined in porous spaces. At high degrees of compaction, the diffusive transport of the solvated ions and the solvent molecules in clays is substantially retarded compared with the free electrolyte solution because of the surface complexation of ions and the strong ordering of solvent molecules at the solid-liquid interface. Besides, mud-rocks contain a variable amount of different types of clays, such as illite, kaolinite, chlorites, smectite and illite/smectite mixed layers; as well as other main and accessory minerals which influence also the amount of water adsorbed and types of waters in these systems. Structural and dynamic properties of water confined among basal planes of clays have been extensively studied by means of water adsorption isotherms, neutron scattering, molecular dynamics (MD) and Monte- Carlo simulations. However, most of the works are related to purified clays and dispersed systems. In real

Thermal Transmittance of Porous Hollow Clay Brick by Guarded Hot Box Method

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Joonsoo

2018-03-01

The thermal property of a porous hollow clay brick was determined by measuring the thermal transmittance of the wall made of porous hollow clay bricks. Prior to the production of porous hollow clay bricks, nonporous and porous tiny clay bricks were prepared to determine the physico-mechanical properties by modifying the amount of wood flour and firing temperature. The bricks were produced by uniaxial pressing and then fired in an electric furnace. Their physico-mechanical properties were measured by water absorption, apparent porosity, bulk density, and compressive strength. The porous tiny clay bricks were produced with three types of wood flour: coarse wood flour (1-0.36 mm), medium-sized wood flour (0.36-0.15 mm), and fine wood flour (cement bricks. The two walls had a thermal transmittance of 1.42 and 2.72 W\\cdot m^{-2}\\cdot K^{-1}, respectively. The difference in thermal transmittance was due to the pores created with fine wood flour (< 0.08 mm) as a pore-forming agent.

In situ analysis of microbial reduction of a nitrate plume in Opalinus clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bleyen, N.; Smets, S.; Valcke, E.; Albrecht, A.; De Canniere, P.; Schwyn, B.; Wittebroodt, C.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. In several countries, such as Belgium, France and Switzerland, clay formations are foreseen as the host rock for geological disposal of bituminized low-level and intermediate-level long-lived radioactive waste. Suitable clay formations exhibit favorable hydro-mechanical and geochemical characteristics, which are expected to retard the migration of leached radionuclides. Along with radionuclides, certain classes of bituminized radioactive waste may also contain high concentrations of NaNO 3 , dispersed into the hydrophobic bitumen matrix used to stabilize the waste. During and after saturation of the disposal gallery, this bituminized waste will start to take up water due to osmosis, resulting in the leaching of significant amounts of NaNO 3 and soluble organic bitumen degradation products (BDP) into the clay pore water. This nitrate plume could cause several geochemical and biochemical processes in the clay surrounding the waste disposal gallery, potentially affecting the barrier function of the host rock. To study these processes, an in situ experiment in the Opalinus Clay, named the Bitumen-Nitrate-Clay interaction (BN) experiment, is being performed at the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory (CH). The experiment consists of a vertical borehole rigged with a downhole equipment containing three packed-off intervals, each lined with a cylindrical sintered stainless steel filter screen to allow contact with the surrounding clay. Prior to the start of the tests, the intervals were injected with an artificial Opalinus Clay pore water, containing all major ions at pore water concentrations at Mont Terri, but no organic matter, and were equilibrated with the surrounding clay for ∼8 months. To ensure a continuous water flow during the tests, each interval is connected to a stainless steel water circulation unit, equipped with water sampling containers, circulation pumps and flow meters. In addition, to continuously monitor the

Unstable Pore-Water Flow in Intertidal Wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Barry, D. A.; Shen, C.; Li, L.

2014-12-01

Salt marshes are important intertidal wetlands strongly influenced by interactions between surface water and groundwater. Bordered by coastal water, the marsh system undergoes cycles of inundation and exposure driven by the tide. This leads to dynamic, complex pore-water flow and solute transport in the marsh soil. Pore-water circulations occur over vastly different spatial and temporal scales with strong link to the marsh topography. These circulations control solute transport between the marsh soil and the tidal creek, and ultimately affect the overall nutrient exchange between the marsh and coastal water. The pore-water flows also dictate the soil condition, particularly aeration, which influences the marsh plant growth. Numerous studies have been carried out to examine the pore-water flow process in the marsh soil driven by tides, focusing on stable flow with the assumption of homogeneity in soil and fluid properties. This assumption, however, is questionable given the actual inhomogeneous conditions in the field. For example, the salinity of surface water in the tidal creek varies temporally and spatially due to the influence of rainfall and evapotranspiration as well as the freshwater input from upland areas to the estuary, creating density gradients across the marsh surface and within the marsh soil. Many marshes possess soil stratigraphy with low-permeability mud typically overlying high-permeability sandy deposits. Macropores such as crab burrows are commonly distributed in salt marsh sediments. All these conditions are prone to the development of non-uniform, unstable preferential pore-water flow in the marsh soil, for example, funnelling and fingering. Here we present results from laboratory experiments and numerical simulations to explore such unstable flow. In particular, the analysis aims to address how the unstable flow modifies patterns of local pore-water movement and solute transport, as well as the overall exchange between the marsh soil and

Effects of biochar on hydraulic conductivity of compacted kaolin clay.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, James Tsz Fung; Chen, Zhongkui; Wong, Annie Yan Yan; Ng, Charles Wang Wai; Wong, Ming Hung

2018-03-01

Compacted clay is widely used as capillary barriers in landfill final cover system. Recently, biochar amended clay (BAC) has been proposed as a sustainable alternative cover material. However, the effects of biochar on saturated hydraulic conductivity (k sat ) of clay with high degree of compaction is not yet understood. The present study aims to investigate the effects of biochar on k sat of compacted kaolin clay. Soil specimens were prepared by amending kaolin clay with biochar derived from peanut-shell at 0, 5 and 20% (w/w). The k sat of soil specimens was measured using a flexible water permeameter. The effects of biochar on the microstructure of the compacted clay was also investigated using MIP. Adding 5% and 20% of biochar increased the k sat of compacted kaolin clay from 1.2 × 10 -9 to 2.1 × 10 -9 and 1.3 × 10 -8 ms -1 , respectively. The increase in k sat of clay was due to the shift in pore size distribution of compacted biochar-amended clay (BAC). MIP results revealed that adding 20% of biochar shifted the dominant pore diameter of clay from 0.01-0.1 μm (meso- and macropores) to 0.1-4 μm (macropores). Results reported in this communication revealed that biochar application increased the k sat of compacted clay, and the increment was positively correlated to the biochar percentage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydro-mechanical behaviour of two reference Belgian clay formations under non-isothermal conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima, A.; Romero, E.; Gens, A.; Li, X.L.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Two deep clay formations are being investigated in Belgium in connection with the design of a repository for 'High-Level Radioactive Waste': Boom clay BC at Mol (located between 160 and 270 m depths), considered the reference host formation, and Ypresian clay YC at Kallo (located between 300 and 450 m depths) as an alternative one. A comprehensive experimental programme has been carried out on these materials to explore water permeability at different temperatures and sample orientations, as well as to analyse volume change behaviour on loading/unloading at different temperatures and sample orientations (including pre and post-yield compressibility, yield properties and volume changes on drained thermal loading). Table 1 summarises some properties of BC and YC. Figure 1 presents the pore size distribution PSD curves of both clays obtained by mercury intrusion porosimetry. They display contrasting features (bi-modal pore network in YP with larger dominant pore sizes). Larger water permeability values are expected on YC as indicated in Table 1 and Figure 2, not only as a consequence of its higher void ratio but also due to these double porosity features. Water retention properties, of particular concern on sample retrieval from large depths, are also affected due to desaturation processes that are associated with the double porosity network of YP and its effects on air-entry value (a lower initial suction is measured on YP, despite being retrieved from larger depths). Figure 2 shows vertical and horizontal water permeability results under constant volume conditions and different temperatures. BC and YC display small anisotropy at sample scale - permeability is slightly larger on horizontal direction-. With regard to temperature effects, the figure shows that water permeability dependency on temperature in YC is slightly higher than the water viscosity prediction for both orientations. Instead BC displayed a thermal

Influence of temperature, exchangeable cation composition, salinity and density in the adsorption of water by a bentonite: implications to the pore water composition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, A.M.; Melon, A.M.

2010-01-01

temperature. The amount of free water in compacted material is a key parameter for modelling the pore water composition. As results, the behaviour in the adsorption of water at 20 deg. C and 30 deg. C is not different, but there are differences in the adsorption of water at 60 deg. C. The amount of external water, as well as the amount of water in the one-layer hydrate and in the two-layer hydrate are more of less the same at temperatures between 20 and 60 deg. C. However, the amount of water at the three-layer hydrate, as well as the total amount of water adsorbed is lower at 60 deg. C than at lower temperatures. It seems that the volume occupied by water at high temperatures is higher than at lower ones, and less amount of water is needed to fill the interlayer spaces. The changes in free energy, enthalpy and entropy of water in FEBEX bentonite as a function of the degree of adsorption were calculated from water adsorption isotherms measured at the same temperature T and enthalpies of immersion obtained for different degrees of pre-adsorption. The hydration of inter-lamellar space proceeds in steps corresponding to the adsorption in external surfaces, and the intercalation of one, two and three water monolayers. The amount of water adsorbed depends on the type of interlayer cation and its hydration energy. The clay-water system is sensitive to electrolyte concentration changes. It was confirmed that hydration of the cations and of the exposed clay surfaces occurs at low water contents, whereas the osmotic phenomenon is more effective at high water contents. Higher amounts of water are adsorbed at high relative pressures when salinity increases. Water vapours isotherms with compacted material at 1.75, 1.65, and 1.50 g/cm 3 were performed at two temperatures (20 deg. C and 60 deg. C). The temperature affects the amount of water adsorbed not only in powdered material, free for swelling, but also for compacted bentonite, being lower when temperature increases. The effect of

The effect of firing temperature on the irreversible expansion, water absorption and pore structure of a brick body during freeze-thaw cycles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mikuláš ŠVEDA

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the monitoring of brick body in the process of volumetric freezing and thawing. The samples were fired at temperatures of 900, 1000 and 1060 °C. Attention is focused on monitoring of the irreversible expansion, water absorption and pore structure of a brick body. We found that in all cases the endpoints take place continuously, where the amount firing temperature plays a crucial role. The greatest influence of freeze/thaw cycles on the change of the pore structure was also observed at the lowest temperature. The change of the pore system during the freeze-thaw cycles occurs in such a way, that the pore volume of small pores further decreases and conversely, the pore volume of large pores increases. The knowledge gained can be used not only in the production of new but also in predicting the remaining durability of older clay roofing tiles. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.19.4.2741

Origin of preferential clay particle orientation in faults, and relationships with pore-water flow and water-sediment interactions. Two natural examples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labaume, P.

1998-01-01

Two natural examples are presented of shear deformation associated with thrust faulting in clayey sediments. The first example is the basal decollement fault of the Barbados accretionary prism (Lesser Antilles), drilled during ODP Leg 156. This decollement is an active fault where the relationships between pore-water and deformation can be studied in situ. The second example is the Eocene south-Pyrenean basin (northern Spain), studied by the European Community EBRO Network Working Group. In this case, fluid activity in fossil thrust-faults was studied indirectly through the products of water-sediment interactions. (author)

Clay, Water, and Salt: Controls on the Permeability of Fine-Grained Sedimentary Rocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourg, Ian C; Ajo-Franklin, Jonathan B

2017-09-19

theory of colloidal interactions that accurately predicts clay swelling in a narrow range of conditions (low salinity, low compaction, Na + counterion). An important feature of clay swelling that is not predicted by these models is the coexistence, in most conditions of aqueous chemistry and dry bulk density, of two types of pores between parallel smectite particles: mesopores with a pore width of >3 nm that are controlled by long-range interactions (the osmotic swelling regime) and nanopores with a pore width <1 nm that are controlled by short-range interactions (the crystalline swelling regime). Nanogeochemical characterization and simulation techniques, including coarse-grained and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, hold significant promise for the development of advanced constitutive relations that predict this coexistence and its dependence on aqueous chemistry.

Water-clay interactions. Experimental study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaucher, Eric

1998-01-01

Clay minerals contribute to the chemical composition of soil and sediment groundwaters via surface and dissolution/precipitation reactions. The understanding of those processes is still today fragmentary. In this context, our experimental purpose is to identify the contribution of each reaction in the chemical composition of water in a water/clay System. Kaolinite, illite, montmorillonite are the reference clays. After a fine mineralogical study, the exchange equilibria between K + and H + are characterised. Different exchange sites are identified and the exchange capacities and selectivity coefficients are quantified. Then, mixtures of the three clays are equilibrated with acidic and basic (I≤10 -2 M) solutions at 25 deg. C, 60 deg. C, 80 deg. C, during 320 days. The System evolution is observed by chemical analysis of the solutions and mineralogical analysis by TEM. We show that montmorillonite is unstable compared to the kaolinite/amorphous silica assemblage for solutions of pH<7. Aqueous silica is probably controlled by the kinetics of dissolution of the montmorillonite in moderate pH media. In more acidic solutions, amorphous silica precipitates. Al is under control of 'kaolinite' neo-formations. The use of the selectivity coefficients in a numerical simulation shows that K + concentration depends on exchange reactions. The pH has a more complicated evolution, which is not completely understood. This evolution depends on both exchange equilibria and organic acid occurrence. In this type of experiments, we have demonstrated that the equilibrium equations between smectite and kaolinite are inexact. The problem of the thermodynamic nature of clays remains and is not resolved by these solubility experiments. (author) [fr

Effect of the pore water composition on the diffusive anion transport in argillaceous, low permeability sedimentary rocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Wigger, Cornelia; Van Loon, Luc R

2018-06-01

The effect of the pore water composition on the diffusive anion transport was studied for two different argillaceous, low permeability sedimentary rocks, Opalinus Clay (OPA) and Helvetic Marl (HM). The samples were saturated with different solutions with varying molar concentration and different main cations in the solution: NaCl based pore solutions and CaCl 2 based pore solutions. The total porosity was measured by through-diffusion experiments with the neutral tracer HTO. Experiments performed in NaCl solutions resulted in a porosity of 0.12 for OPA and 0.03 for HM, and are consistent with results of the experiments in CaCl 2 solutions. The total porosity was independent of the molar concentration, in contrast to the measured anion porosity, which increased with increasing molar concentration. It could further be observed that the pore solution based on the bivalent cation calcium shielded the negative surface charge stronger than the monovalent cation sodium, resulting in a larger measureable anion-accessible porosity in the case of CaCl 2 solutions. The data was modelled based on an adapted Donnan approach of Birgersson and Karnland (2009). The model had to be adjusted with a permanent free, uncharged porosity, as well as with structural information on the permanent anion exclusion because of so-called bottleneck pores. Both parameters can only be evaluated from experiments. Nevertheless, taking these two adaptions into account, the effect of varying pore water compositions on the anion-accessible porosity of the investigated argillaceous rocks could be satisfactorily described. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of the pore water composition on the diffusive anion transport in argillaceous, low permeability sedimentary rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Wigger, Cornelia; Van Loon, Luc R.

2018-06-01

The effect of the pore water composition on the diffusive anion transport was studied for two different argillaceous, low permeability sedimentary rocks, Opalinus Clay (OPA) and Helvetic Marl (HM). The samples were saturated with different solutions with varying molar concentration and different main cations in the solution: NaCl based pore solutions and CaCl2 based pore solutions. The total porosity was measured by through-diffusion experiments with the neutral tracer HTO. Experiments performed in NaCl solutions resulted in a porosity of 0.12 for OPA and 0.03 for HM, and are consistent with results of the experiments in CaCl2 solutions. The total porosity was independent of the molar concentration, in contrast to the measured anion porosity, which increased with increasing molar concentration. It could further be observed that the pore solution based on the bivalent cation calcium shielded the negative surface charge stronger than the monovalent cation sodium, resulting in a larger measureable anion-accessible porosity in the case of CaCl2 solutions. The data was modelled based on an adapted Donnan approach of Birgersson and Karnland (2009). The model had to be adjusted with a permanent free, uncharged porosity, as well as with structural information on the permanent anion exclusion because of so-called bottleneck pores. Both parameters can only be evaluated from experiments. Nevertheless, taking these two adaptions into account, the effect of varying pore water compositions on the anion-accessible porosity of the investigated argillaceous rocks could be satisfactorily described.

Linking the Diffusion of Water in Compacted Clays at Two Different Time Scales: Tracer Through-Diffusion and QENS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juranyi, Fanni; Gonzalez Sanchez, Fatima; Gimmi, Thomas; Bestel, Martina; Van Loon, Luc; Diamond, Larryn W.

2013-01-01

Observable water diffusion processes in clays and their parameters depend on the spatial- and time-scale of the measurement. Comparing the diffusion coefficients of quasielastic neutron scattering and tracer through-diffusion, 'chemical' and 'geometrical' effects can be distinguished and quantified. Results for montmorillonite and illite in the Na- and Ca- form illustrate this very well. Swelling clays such as montmorillonite are especially interesting because of the interlayer water. This water is confined in form of few layers such that the diffusion occurs essentially in 2D. Furthermore the ratio of interlayer- and external- (macro-pore) water changes as a function of bulk dry density and degree of water saturation. Therefore it is of interest to describe the diffusion process using these parameters. Finally, the activation energy of the diffusion should be equal for both methods assuming that the geometrical factor does not depend on temperature. For the montmorillonites this was not the case, which might also indicate that the main processes on the two scales are different. We conclude that the geometrical factor and the electrostatic constraint can be determined from a comparison of the diffusion coefficients measured by the two different techniques: quasielastic neutron scattering and tracer through diffusion. Furthermore, activation energies obtained at the two scales are similar for clays having no interlayer water. For montmorillonite the activation energy values are different. Further investigations are required to clarify the reason. (authors)

Modelling of tracer profiles in pore water of argillaceous rocks in the Benken borehole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gimmi, T.; Waber, H. N.

2004-12-01

Isotope tracers offer unique possibilities for analysing flow and transport processes over large scales of time and space. This is especially relevant for low-permeability media like clay stones, where transport is typically very slow and, consequently, difficult to investigate. Such lithologies are currently being investigated in several countries as potential host rocks for the disposal of radioactive or other hazardous waste. In the deep borehole at Benken (north-eastern Switzerland), a sequence of aquifers and argillaceous aquitards was investigated. Water samples were obtained from four formations (Malm, Keuper, Muschelkalk, and Buntsandstein). The Malm and the Keuper aquifer delimit a sequence of clay stones and marls at depth from about 400 to 700 m with hydraulic conductivities generally below 10 -13 m s -1 . Profiles of δ 18 O, δ 2 H, chloride, and δ 37 Cl in pore fluids of these formations were obtained. The chemical, isotopic, and noble gas composition of the ground water samples indicated that no cross-formation flow occurred, but that - with the exception of the Malm - the waters evolved geochemically within the formation from which they were sampled. Infiltration conditions could also be inferred from the data. The pore water profiles in the low-permeability zone show clear trends that hint at diffusion-dominated transport processes. To evaluate possible mechanisms and time scales of evolution of the profiles, a series of advective-dispersive model calculations was performed. Varying initial conditions as well as the type and concentration values of boundary conditions revealed the following: (i), molecular diffusion to the underlying aquifer can explain the general features of the isotope profiles, (ii), no signatures of advective flow could be detected, (iii), the evolution time is in the order of 0.5 to 1 Ma (relying on laboratory diffusion coefficients) with a possible range of about 0.2 to 2 Ma, which is geologically plausible, and, (iv

Aluminium - Cobalt-Pillared Clay for Dye Filtration Membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Darmawan, A.; Widiarsih

2018-04-01

The manufacture of membrane support from cobalt aluminium pillared clay has been conducted. This research was conducted by mixing a clay suspension with pillared solution prepared from the mixture of Co(NO3)2.6H2O and AlCl3.6H2O. The molar ratio between Al and Co was 75:25 and the ratio of [OH-]/[metal] was 2. The clay suspension was stirred for 24 hours at room temperature, filtered and dried. The dried clay was then calcined at 200°C, 300°C and 400°C with a ramp rate of 2°C/min. Aluminium-cobalt-pillared clay was then characterized by XRD and GSA and moulded become a membrane support for subsequent tests on dye filtration. The XRD analysis showed that basal spacing (d 001) value of aluminium cobalt was 19.49 Å, which was higher than the natural clay of 15.08Å however, the basal spacing decreased with increasing calcination temperature. The result of the GSA analysis showed that the pore diameter of the aluminium cobalt pillared clay membrane was almost the same as that of natural clay that were 34.5Å and 34.2Å, respectively. Nevertheless, the pillared clay has a more uniform pore size distribution. The results of methylene blue filtration measurements demonstrated that the membrane filter support could well which shown by a clear filtrate at all concentrations tested. The value of rejection and flux decreased with the increasing concentration of methylene blue. The values of dye rejection and water flux reached 99.89% and 5. 80 x 10-6 kg min-1, respectively but they decreased with increasing concentration of methylene blue. The results of this study indicates that the aluminium-pillared clay cobalt could be used as membrane materials especially for ultrafiltration.

Dynamics of confined reactive water in smectite clay-zeolite composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitman, Michael C; van Duin, Adri C T

2012-02-15

The dynamics of water confined to mesoporous regions in minerals such as swelling clays and zeolites is fundamental to a wide range of resource management issues impacting many processes on a global scale, including radioactive waste containment, desalination, and enhanced oil recovery. Large-scale atomic models of freely diffusing multilayer smectite particles at low hydration confined in a silicalite cage are used to investigate water dynamics in the composite environment with the ReaxFF reactive force field over a temperature range of 300-647 K. The reactive capability of the force field enabled a range of relevant surface chemistry to emerge, including acid/base equilibria in the interlayer calcium hydrates and silanol formation on the edges of the clay and inner surface of the zeolite housing. After annealing, the resulting clay models exhibit both mono- and bilayer hydration structures. Clay surface hydration redistributed markedly and yielded to silicalite water loading. We find that the absolute rates and temperature dependence of water dynamics compare well to neutron scattering data and pulse field gradient measures from relevant samples of Ca-montmorillonite and silicalite, respectively. Within an atomistic, reactive context, our results distinguish water dynamics in the interlayer Ca(OH)(2)·nH(2)O environment from water flowing over the clay surface, and from water diffusing within silicalite. We find that the diffusion of water when complexed to Ca hydrates is considerably slower than freely diffusing water over the clay surface, and the reduced mobility is well described by a difference in the Arrhenius pre-exponential factor rather than a change in activation energy.

On-Going Bentonite Pore Water Studies by NMR and SAXS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlsson, Torbjoern; Muurinen, Arto; Root, Andrew

2013-01-01

Compacted water-saturated MX-80 bentonite is presently being studied by SAXS and NMR in order to quantify the major pore water phases in the bentonite. The SAXS and NMR measurements gave very similar results indicating that the pore water is mainly distributed between two major phases (interlayer and non-interlayer water) and also indicate how these phases depend on the bentonite dry density. The results from the SAXS and NMR studies at VTT indicate the same thing: - The pore water in water-saturated compacted (?dry = 0.7-1.6 g/cm 3 ) bentonite is divided into two main phases: interlayer water and non-interlayer water. - The amounts of these pore water phases can be determined quantitatively with the above methods. (authors)

Clay nanoparticles effects on performance and morphology of poly(vinylidene fluoride membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. C. D. Morihama

2014-03-01

Full Text Available In this study, a comparison between neat poly(vinylidene fluoride (PVDF membrane and composite (PVDF-Nanoclay and PVDF-PVP-Nanoclay membranes is presented. All membranes were synthesized by the phase inversion process, using 18% PVDF, n-methylpyrrolidone as solvent and water as the non-solvent. Demineralized water cross-flow permeation tests were conducted to evaluate the membranes performance. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM images of the membranes surface and cross-section and water contact angle measurements were used to estimate additives effects on membranes morphology. The results indicate that dopant addition affected membrane permeate flux and morphology. The 4% nanoclay composite membrane resulted in the highest ultrapure water permeability (0.9130 m³.m-2.h-1.MPa-1, lower hydraulic resistance (3.27´10+12.m-1, lower contact angle (87.1º and highest surface porosity (0.95%. Furthermore, it was verified that the membrane surface porosity increased with increasing clay nanoparticles concentrations. It was observed that the morphology of the membranes with clay nanoparticle addition is characterized by a thin surface layer, with macro-pores, a thin bottom layer, which has a sponge-like structure with micro-pores and a thick intermediate layer, with finger-like pores and macro-pores. It was also verified that the introduction of PVP promotes a denser morphology compared with membranes without it. Based on the SEM surface and cross-sectional images and permeability tests, it became evident that the internal pore morphology plays an important role in membrane performance, because the higher the frequency and extent of the finger-like pores in the intermediate layer the higher is the membrane permeability. These preliminary results indicated that the use of nanoclay as an additive for membrane casting is a promising procedure for improving membrane performance for water and wastewater treatment.

METHODS FOR PORE WATER EXTRACTION FROM UNSATURATED ZONE TUFF, YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

K.M. SCOFIELD

2006-01-01

Assessing the performance of the proposed high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, requires an understanding of the chemistry of the water that moves through the host rock. The uniaxial compression method used to extract pore water from samples of tuffaceous borehole core was successful only for nonwelded tuff. An ultracentrifugation method was adopted to extract pore water from samples of the densely welded tuff of the proposed repository horizon. Tests were performed using both methods to determine the efficiency of pore water extraction and the potential effects on pore water chemistry. Test results indicate that uniaxial compression is most efficient for extracting pore water from nonwelded tuff, while ultracentrifugation is more successful in extracting pore water from densely welded tuff. Pore water splits taken from a single nonwelded tuff core during uniaxial compression tests have shown changes in pore water chemistry with increasing pressure for calcium, chloride, sulfate, and nitrate, while the chemistry of pore water splits from welded and nonwelded tuffs using ultracentrifugation indicates that there is no significant fractionation of solutes

Processes of cation migration in clay-rocks: Final Scientific Report of the CatClay European Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altmann, S.; Aertsens, M.; Appelo, T.; Bruggeman, C.; Gaboreau, S.; Glaus, M.; Jacquier, P.; Kupcik, T.; Maes, N.; Montoya, V.; Rabung, T.; Robinet, J.-C.; Savoye, S.; Schaefer, T.; Tournassat, C.; Van Laer, L.; Van Loon, L.

2015-07-01

illite and clay rocks, even though some assumptions made have to be verified. In parallel, actual 3D geometrical pore size distributions of compacted illite, and in less extent, clay rock samples, were successfully determined by combining TEM and FIB-nt analyses on materials maintained in a water-like saturation state by means of an extensive impregnation step. Based on this spatial distribution of pores, first numerical diffusion experiments were carried at the pore scale through virtual illite, enabling a better understanding of how transfer pathways are organized in the porous media. Finally, the EC CatClay project allowed a better understanding of the migration of strongly sorbing tracers through low permeability 'clay rock' formations, increasing confidence in our capacity to demonstrate that the models used to predict radionuclide migration through these rocks are scientifically sound. (authors)

Pore water chemistry of Rokle Bentonite (Czech Republic)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cervinka, R.; Vejsada, J.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. With inflowing the groundwater to Deep Geological Repository (DGR), the interaction of this water with engineering barrier materials will alter both, barrier materials and also the groundwater. One of the most important alterations represents the formation of bentonite pore water that will affect a number of important processes, e.g. corrosion of waste package materials, solubility of radionuclides, diffusion and sorption of radionuclides. The composition of bentonite pore water is influenced primarily by the composition of solid phase (bentonite), liquid phase (inflowing groundwater), the gaseous phase (partial pressure of CO 2 ), bentonite compaction and the rate of groundwater species diffusion through bentonite. Also following processes have to be taken into account: dissolution of admixtures present in the bentonite (particularly well soluble salts, e.g. KCl, NaCl, gypsum), ion exchange process and protonation and deprotonation of surface hydroxyl groups on clay minerals. Long-term stability of mineral phases and possible mineral transformation should not be neglected as well. In the Czech Republic, DGR concept takes local bentonite into account as material for both buffer and backfill. The candidate bentonite comes from the Rokle deposit (NW Bohemia) and represents complex mixture of (Ca,Mg)-Fe-rich montmorillonite, micas, kaolinite and other mineral admixtures (mainly Ca, Mg, Fe carbonates, feldspars and iron oxides). The mineralogical and chemical characteristics were published previously. This bentonite is different in composition and properties from worldwide studied Na-bentonite (e.g. MX-80, Volclay) or Na-Ca bentonite (e.g. Febex). This fact leads to the need of investigation of Rokle bentonite in greater detail to verify its suitability as a buffer and backfill in DGR. Presented task is focused on the study of pore water evolution. Our approach for this study consists in modeling the pore water using

Pore-water chemistry explains zinc phytotoxicity in soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Kader, Mohammed; Lamb, Dane T; Correll, Ray; Megharaj, Mallavarapu; Naidu, Ravi

2015-12-01

Zinc (Zn) is a widespread soil contaminant arising from a numerous anthropogenic sources. However, adequately predicting toxicity of Zn to ecological receptors remains difficult due to the complexity of soil characteristics. In this study, we examined solid-solution partitioning using pore-water data and toxicity of Zn to cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in spiked soils. Pore-water effective concentration (ECx, x=10%, 20% and 50% reduction) values were negatively related to pH, indicating lower Zn pore water concentration were needed to cause phytotoxicity at high pH soils. Total dissolved zinc (Znpw) and free zinc (Zn(2+)) in soil-pore water successfully described 78% and 80.3% of the variation in relative growth (%) in the full dataset. When the complete data set was used (10 soils), the estimated EC50pw was 450 and 79.2 µM for Znpw and Zn(2+), respectively. Total added Zn, soil pore water pH (pHpw) and dissolve organic carbon (DOC) were the best predictors of Znpw and Zn(2+) in pore-water. The EC10 (total loading) values ranged from 179 to 5214 mg/kg, depending on soil type. Only pH measurements in soil were related to ECx total Zn data. The strongest relationship to ECx overall was pHca, although pHw and pHpw were in general related to Zn ECx. Similarly, when a solution-only model was used to predict Zn in shoot, DOC was negatively related to Zn in shoot, indicating a reduction in uptake/ translocation of Zn from solution with increasing DOC. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clay-Alcohol-Water Dispersions: Anomalous Viscosity Changes Due to Network Formation of Clay Nanosheets Induced by Alcohol Clustering.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Yuji; Haraguchi, Kazutoshi

2017-05-16

Clay-alcohol-water ternary dispersions were compared with alcohol-water binary mixtures in terms of viscosity and optical absorbance. Aqueous clay dispersions to which lower alcohols (ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, and tert-butanol) were added exhibited significant viscosity anomalies (maxima) when the alcohol content was 30-55 wt %, as well as optical absorbance anomalies (maxima). The maximum viscosity (η max ) depended strongly on the clay content and varied between 300 and 8000 mPa·s, making it remarkably high compared with the viscosity anomalies (2 mPa·s) observed in alcohol-water binary mixtures. The alcohol content at η max decreased as the hydrophobicity of the alcohol increased. The ternary dispersions with viscosity anomalies exhibited thixotropic behaviors. The effects of other hydrophilic solvents (glycols) and other kinds of clays were also clarified. Based on these findings and the average particle size changes, the viscosity anomalies in the ternary dispersions were explained by alcohol-clustering-induced network formation of the clay nanosheets. It was estimated that 0.9, 1.7, and 2.5 H 2 O molecules per alcohol molecule were required to stabilize the ethanol, 2-propanol, and tert-butanol, respectively, in the clay-alcohol-water dispersions.

Point-of-use water purification using clay pot water filters and copper ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2011-11-24

Nov 24, 2011 ... clay pot water filters (CPWFs) were fabricated using terracotta clay and sawdust. The sawdust was .... developed by educational initiatives and non-governmental .... est filtration rate, it had the disadvantage of not being able to.

Thermal Behaviour of clay formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tassoni, E.

1985-01-01

The programme carried out by ENEA to model the thermal-hydraulic-mechanical behaviour of the clay formations and to measure, in situ and in laboratory, the thermal properties of these rocks, is presented. An in situ heating experiment has been carried out in an open clay quarry in the area of Monterotondo, near Rome. The main goal of the experiment was to know the temperature field and the thermal effects caused by the high level radioactive waste disposed of in a clayey geological formation. The conclusions are as follows: - the thermal conduction codes are sufficiently accurate to forecast the temperature increases caused in the clay by the dissipation of the heat generated by high level radioactive waste; - the thermal conductivity deduced by means of the ''curve fitting'' method ranges from 0.015 to 0.017 W.cm -1 . 0 C -1 - the temperature variation associated with the transport of clay interstitial water caused by temperature gradient is negligible. A laboratory automated method has been designed to measure the thermal conductivity and diffusivity in clay samples. A review of experimental data concerning thermomechanical effects in rocks as well as results of thermal experiments performed at ISMES on clays are presented. Negative thermal dilation has been found both in the elastic and plastic range under constant stress. Thermoplastic deformation appears ten times greater than the thermoelastic one. A mathematical model is proposed in order to simulate the above and other effects that encompass thermal-elastic-plastic-pore water pressure response of clays at high temperature and effective pressure with undrained and transient drainage conditions. Implementation of the two versions into a finite element computer code is described

Evaluation of the Efficiency of Clay Pots in Removal of Water Impurities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K Naddafi , AH Mahvi, S Nasseri, M Mokhtari, H Zeraati

2005-04-01

Full Text Available Recently, inexpensive technologies for drinking water supply in small communities are highly considered in developing countries. One of these technologies is the application of ceramic filters that are usually made of diatomaceous earth or clay soil. This research was carried out to determine the efficiency of clay pots (as a filter in removing water impurities. Pilot and the related clay parts were manufactured and its efficiency in removing TDS, hardness, NO3-, color and turbidity was measured by passing water through the clay pipes. The results showed that the clay filters had not the potential to remove hardness, EC, TDS and nitrate of water. However, they showed excellent efficiency in turbidity removal (≥ 90% and could significantly decrease the color of the water (≥ 60%.

A physico-chemical characterisation technique for determining the pore-water chemistry in argillaceous rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baeyens, B.; Bradbury, M.H.

1991-09-01

A prerequisite for carrying out credible sorption studies is the definition of an aqueous phase composition which is in equilibrium with the solid phase. Experimental methods and data analysis procedures are described which enable an equilibrium water composition to be produced for argillaceous rocks which is not dependent on liquid to solid (L:S) ratios. Since a Valanginian marl formation is under consideration by Nagra as a potential rock for the disposal of low and short-lived medium level radioactive waste in Switzerland, samples of this material were chosen for this investigation. Aqueous phase and nickel ethylenediamine extraction experiments were carried out at different L:S ratios under controlled atmosphere conditions (P CO 2 =10 -2 bar, O 2 ≤ 5 ppm ). The results from these tests and petrographical examinations were combined to define the system in terms of the physico-chemical characteristics of the clay mineral component (CEC and cation occupancies) and the identities of highly soluble and solubility limited phases in the marl. The geochemical code PHREEQE was used in conjunction with the Gapon equations to calculate the pore water composition. This work clearly showed that pore water chemistries obtained from aqueous extracts alone may lead to an arbitrary water chemistry in argillaceous rock systems, particularly with respect to ionic composition and ionic strength, which may have important consequences for radionuclide speciation and sorption studies. (author) 11 figs., 12 tabs., 25 refs

Validation of water sorption-based clay prediction models for calcareous soils

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arthur, Emmanuel; Razzaghi, Fatemeh; Moosavi, Ali

2017-01-01

on prediction accuracy. The soils had clay content ranging from 9 to 61% and CaCO3 from 24 to 97%. The three water sorption models considered showed a reasonably fair prediction of the clay content from water sorption at 28% relative humidity (RMSE and ME values ranging from 10.6 to 12.1 and −8.1 to −4......Soil particle size distribution (PSD), particularly the active clay fraction, mediates soil engineering, agronomic and environmental functions. The tedious and costly nature of traditional methods of determining PSD prompted the development of water sorption-based models for determining the clay...... fraction. The applicability of such models to semi-arid soils with significant amounts of calcium carbonate and/or gypsum is unknown. The objective of this study was to validate three water sorption-based clay prediction models for 30 calcareous soils from Iran and identify the effect of CaCO3...

Soil-Water Characteristic Curves of Red Clay treated by Ionic Soil Stabilizer

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, D.; Xiang, W.

2009-12-01

The relationship of red clay particle with water is an important factor to produce geological disaster and environmental damage. In order to reduce the role of adsorbed water of red clay in WuHan, Ionic Soil Stabilizer (ISS) was used to treat the red clay. Soil Moisture Equipment made in U.S.A was used to measure soil-water characteristic curve of red clay both in natural and stabilized conditions in the suction range of 0-500kPa. The SWCC results were used to interpret the red clay behavior due to stabilizer treatment. In addition, relationship were compared between the basic soil and stabilizer properties such as water content, dry density, liquid limit, plastic limit, moisture absorption rate and stabilizer dosages. The analysis showed that the particle density and specific surface area increase, the dehydration rate slows and the thickness of water film thins after treatment with Ionic Soil Stabilizer. After treatment with the ISS, the geological disasters caused by the adsorbed water of red clay can be effectively inhibited.

Investigations of excavated clay-stone as backfill/seal material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Chun-Liang

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Crushed clay-stone produced by excavation activities of repository drifts has been investigated as backfill/seal material at the GRS laboratory. The raw aggregate with coarse grains is considered to be used for backfilling the repository openings and, in mixture with bentonite, for sealing the boreholes, drifts and shafts. The GRS research programme focused on characterizing the thermo-hydro-mechanical properties of the excavated Callovo-Oxfordian clay-stone (COX) and the clay-stone-bentonite mixtures, including mechanical compaction, gas and water permeability as function of porosity, water retention and saturation, swelling capacity, and thermal properties of the materials. The most important results are presented in this paper. Figure 1 shows the compaction and permeability behaviour of the excavated clay-stone with grains up to a size of 32 mm. The results were obtained on large samples of 280 mm diameter and 680 mm height under quasi-hydrostatic compression. The porosity and permeability decrease with increasing load. The porosity-mean stress relation is non-linear and may be expressed by an exponential function. The backfill becomes stiffer at low porosities and can sustain certain deviatoric loads. At porosity of ∼21 %, the strength is characterized by an inherent cohesion of 3.7 MPa and an internal friction angle of 12 deg.. Additionally, the compaction is also dependent on time or loading rate, water content, and temperature. The compaction of the porous backfill material leads to a reduction in permeability. The measured gas permeability decreases much faster at low porosities below ∼25 %. The gas permeability at porosity of ∼20 % becomes as low as that of 10 -20 - 10 -21 m 2 for the intact clay rock. This is probably due to disconnection of the pore network during the compaction. As sealing material, powdered COX clay-stone was mixed with MX80 bentonite powder in different ratios and compacted to

Characterization of bentonite pore structure by combining chloride porosity and SAXS measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muurinen, A.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The total water porosity, chloride porosity and the microstructure were studied in compacted samples prepared from MX-80 and Deponit bentonites equilibrated through filter plates with 0.1 M NaCl solution for 12.5 months. The dry densities of the samples varied approximately from 0.7 to 1.55 g/cm 3 . XRD and SAXS (Small Angle X-ray Scattering) were used to study the microstructure of the bentonites. It was obvious that the chloride porosity was lower than the water porosity in both clays, which indicates the exclusion caused by the negatively charged montmorillonite surfaces. In the XRD and SAXS measurements the measured basal spaces represented by the diffraction peaks were smaller than the theoretical ones assuming a homogenous microstructure. This indicates that there was a substantial amount of water also in the pores, which were not represented by the peaks. This could explain the difference between the measured chloride porosity and the modelling curve obtained with the Donnan model. By combining the information from the SAXS measurements and the chloride exclusion measurements, it was possible to evaluate the volumes of the soft and dense fractions and the pore sizes in each fraction for MX-80. The chloride porosity was mostly caused by the pores in the soft clay where the pore size is larger. The volume of the soft fraction decreased and its density increased with increasing density of the sample. (authors)

Syncrude`s highway berm: part 3 of 5 - Soil parameters (pore pressure parameters and settlement from inundation)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cameron, R.; Fong, V.; Ashton, C.; Strueby, B. [Syncrude Canada Ltd., Edmonton, AB (Canada)

1995-12-31

Difficulties in predicting pore fluid pressures in the fills composing the highway berm were discussed. The pore water pressures in the in-situ clay foundation units were expected to be very sensitive to water content. Over 200 piezometer tips were installed into fill and in situ soil units, and results of the measurements were reported. The in situ basal foundation clays and sands were found to have a similar pore pressure ratio of typically less than 0.25. Fill pore fluid pressure ratios determined in the field varied according to density when loose fills were compared to very dense fills. To illustrate, when the fill was 86% to 91% of maximum Standard Proctor Density, the pore pressure ratio value was not dependent on fluid content. When the fill was densely compacted to 98% Standard Proctor Density, the pore pressure ratio was largely dependent on the fluid content as it related to the optimum fluid content determined from Standard Proctor testing. Significant first-time wetting settlement was observed to occur with fills at initial densities of around 90% of maximum Standard Proctor dry density. Settlements for fills placed initially above 97% Standard Proctor Density generally had inundation settlements of less than 0.3% of fill thickness predicted from laboratory testing. 4 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.

Influence of Clay Content, Mineralogy and Fabric On Radar Frequency Response of Aquifer Materials

Science.gov (United States)

West, L. J.; Handley, K.

High frequency electromagnetic methods such as ground penetrating radar (GPR) and time domain reflectometry (TDR) are widely employed to measure water saturation in the vadose zone and water filled porosity in the saturated zone. However, previous work has shown that radar frequency dielectric properties are strongly influenced by clay as well as by water content. They have also shown that that the dielectric response of clay minerals is strongly frequency dependent, and that even a small proportion of clay such as that present in many sandstone aquifers can have a large effect at typi- cal GPR frequencies (around 100MHz). Hence accurate water content/porosity deter- mination requires clay type and content to be taken into account. Reported here are dielectric measurements on clay-sand mixtures, aimed at investigating the influence of clay mineralogy, particle shape, and the geometrical arrangement of the mixture constituents on GPR and TDR response. Dielectric permittivity (at 50-1000MHz) was measured for mixtures of Ottawa Sand and various clay minerals or clay size quartz rock flour, using a specially constructed dielectric cell. Both homogeneous and layered mixtures were tested. The influence of pore water salinity, clay type, and particle arrangement on the dielectric response is interpreted in terms of dielectric dispersion mechanisms. The appropriateness of var- ious dielectric mixing rules such as the Complex Refractive Index Method (CRIM) for determination of water content or porosity from field GPR and TDR data are dis- cussed.

Microbiological analysis of the in situ bitumen-nitrate-Opalinus clay interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moors, Hugo; Boven, Patrick; Leys, Natalie; Geissler, Andrea; Selenska-Pobell, Sonja

2012-01-01

Microscopy, molecular biology methods, ATP-measurements, and cultivation based techniques of the initial pore water samples, proved the presence and activity of bacteria. Analysis of the 16 S rDNA sequences obtained from the initial interval solutions, i.e. artificial pore water used to fill the intervals and which have been in contact with the surrounding clay for more than six months, indicates similar bacterial communities in all three solutions of the test intervals with the dominant population being Proteobacteria (81.5 - 94.9 %) and Firmicutes (3.4 - 11.1%). Actinobacteria (1.7 and 7.4%) have only been detected in the initial pore water of two intervals. The first results of the Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Amplification (RISA) analysis, using universal bacterial primers for 16 S rDNA968-983 and 23 S rDNA115-130, demonstrate that in both injection tests, i.e. nitrate (interval 1) or nitrate and acetate (interval 2), a strong shift in bacterial communities was induced. Just before the start of these injection tests the pore waters of the two intervals were strongly predominated by different Clostridial species most of them related to Desulfosporosinus species. In addition, smaller populations of Bacteroidetes and Beta- proteobacteria were found as well. Twenty-four hours later, a rapid and strong proliferation of Bacteroidetes, in interval 1, and of Alphaproteobacteria, in intervals 1 and 2, occurred. Specific for interval 1, a stimulation of Beta- and Deltaproteobacteria and a complete masking of the Clostridial groups had occurred. In contrast, in interval 2, Gammaproteobacteria were stimulated and some Clostridia continued to persist. This shift may be due to bacterial contamination of the exchanged interval solutions and/or the drastic change of carbon- and/or electron acceptor source

Microbiological analysis of the in situ bitumen-nitrate-Opalinus clay interaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moors, Hugo; Boven, Patrick; Leys, Natalie [SCK.CEN, Institute for Environment, Health and Safety, Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Boeretang 200, B-2400 MOL (Belgium); Geissler, Andrea; Selenska-Pobell, Sonja [Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, Institute of Radiochemistry, Biogeochemistry, Bautzner Landstr. 400, D-01328 Dresden (Germany)

2012-10-15

Microscopy, molecular biology methods, ATP-measurements, and cultivation based techniques of the initial pore water samples, proved the presence and activity of bacteria. Analysis of the {sup 16}S rDNA sequences obtained from the initial interval solutions, i.e. artificial pore water used to fill the intervals and which have been in contact with the surrounding clay for more than six months, indicates similar bacterial communities in all three solutions of the test intervals with the dominant population being Proteobacteria (81.5 - 94.9 %) and Firmicutes (3.4 - 11.1%). Actinobacteria (1.7 and 7.4%) have only been detected in the initial pore water of two intervals. The first results of the Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Amplification (RISA) analysis, using universal bacterial primers for {sup 16}S rDNA968-983 and {sup 23}S rDNA115-130, demonstrate that in both injection tests, i.e. nitrate (interval 1) or nitrate and acetate (interval 2), a strong shift in bacterial communities was induced. Just before the start of these injection tests the pore waters of the two intervals were strongly predominated by different Clostridial species most of them related to Desulfosporosinus species. In addition, smaller populations of Bacteroidetes and Beta- proteobacteria were found as well. Twenty-four hours later, a rapid and strong proliferation of Bacteroidetes, in interval 1, and of Alphaproteobacteria, in intervals 1 and 2, occurred. Specific for interval 1, a stimulation of Beta- and Deltaproteobacteria and a complete masking of the Clostridial groups had occurred. In contrast, in interval 2, Gammaproteobacteria were stimulated and some Clostridia continued to persist. This shift may be due to bacterial contamination of the exchanged interval solutions and/or the drastic change of carbon- and/or electron acceptor source.

Studies on Tagged Clay Migration Due to Water Movement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scharpenseel, H.W.; Kerpen, W.

1967-01-01

55 Fe-tagged clay minerals, produced by hydrothermal synthesis, serve to clarify the question whether clay migration or clay formation in situ is the predominating mechanism in the B t -development of Parabraunerde (sol brun lessive, grey brown podsolic, hapludalf, dernopodsol). They further indicate the possibilities of clay transportation caused by water percolation. Suitable experimental approaches, such as thin-layer chromatography and autoradiography, translocation tests in columns filled with monotypical textural fractions or with undisturbed soil profiles, and synchronous hydrothermal treatment of 55 Fe-con raining material from different horizons of Parabraunerde, to reveal the specific readiness of the different profile zones for 55 Fe-clay production, are described. The possibilities of clay percolation are discussed. (author)

Law of nonlinear flow in saturated clays and radial consolidation

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2007-01-01

It was derived that micro-scale amount level of average pore radius of clay changed from 0.01 to 0.1 micron by an equivalent concept of flow in porous media. There is good agreement between the derived results and test ones. Results of experiments show that flow in micro-scale pore of saturated clays follows law of nonlinear flow. Theoretical analyses demonstrate that an interaction of solid-liquid interfaces varies inversely with permeability or porous radius. The interaction is an important reason why nonlinear flow in saturated clays occurs. An exact mathematical model was presented for nonlinear flow in micro-scale pore of saturated clays. Dimension and physical meanings of parameters of it are definite. A new law of nonlinear flow in saturated clays was established. It can describe characteristics of flow curve of the whole process of the nonlinear flow from low hydraulic gradient to high one. Darcy law is a special case of the new law. A mathematical model was presented for consolidation of nonlinear flow in radius direction in saturated clays with constant rate based on the new law of nonlinear flow. Equations of average mass conservation and moving boundary, and formula of excess pore pressure distribution and average degree of consolidation for nonlinear flow in saturated clay were derived by using an idea of viscous boundary layer, a method of steady state in stead of transient state and a method of integral of an equation. Laws of excess pore pressure distribution and changes of average degree of consolidation with time were obtained. Results show that velocity of moving boundary decreases because of the nonlinear flow in saturated clay. The results can provide geology engineering and geotechnical engineering of saturated clay with new scientific bases. Calculations of average degree of consolidation of the Darcy flow are a special case of that of the nonlinear flow.

HYDROXYETHYL METHACRYLATE BASED NANOCOMPOSITE HYDROGELS WITH TUNABLE PORE ARCHITECTURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erhan Bat

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA based hydrogels have found increasing number of applications in areas such as chromatographic separations, controlled drug release, biosensing, and membrane separations. In all these applications, the pore size and pore interconnectivity are crucial for successful application of these materials as they determine the rate of diffusion through the matrix. 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate is a water soluble monomer but its polymer, polyHEMA, is not soluble in water. Therefore, during polymerization of HEMA in aqueous media, a porous structure is obtained as a result of phase separation. Pore size and interconnectivity in these hydrogels is a function of several variables such as monomer concentration, cross-linker concentration, temperature etc. In this study, we investigated the effect of monomer concentration, graphene oxide addition or clay addition on hydrogel pore size, pore interconnectivity, water uptake, and thermal properties. PolyHEMA hydrogels have been prepared by redox initiated free radical polymerization of the monomer using ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross-linker. As a nanofiller, a synthetic hectorite Laponite® XLG and graphene oxide were used. Graphene oxide was prepared by the Tour Method. Pore morphology of the pristine HEMA based hydrogels and nanocomposite hydrogels were studied by scanning electron microscopy. The formed hydrogels were found to be highly elastic and flexible. A dramatic change in the pore structure and size was observed in the range between 22 to 24 wt/vol monomer at 0.5 % of cross-linker. In this range, the hydrogel morphology changes from typical cauliflower architecture to continuous hydrogel with dispersed water droplets forming the pores where the pores are submicron in size and show an interconnected structure. Such controlled pore structure is highly important when these hydrogels are used for solute diffusion or when there’s flow through monolithic hydrogels

Studies on Tagged Clay Migration Due to Water Movement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scharpenseel, H. W. [Institut fuer Bodenkunde der Universitaet Bonn, Federal Republic of Germany (Germany); Kerpen, W. [Arbeitsgruppe, Institut fuer Landwirtschaft der KFA Juelich, Bonn, Federal Republic of Germany (Germany)

1967-11-15

{sup 55}Fe-tagged clay minerals, produced by hydrothermal synthesis, serve to clarify the question whether clay migration or clay formation in situ is the predominating mechanism in the B{sub t}-development of Parabraunerde (sol brun lessive, grey brown podsolic, hapludalf, dernopodsol). They further indicate the possibilities of clay transportation caused by water percolation. Suitable experimental approaches, such as thin-layer chromatography and autoradiography, translocation tests in columns filled with monotypical textural fractions or with undisturbed soil profiles, and synchronous hydrothermal treatment of {sup 55}Fe-con raining material from different horizons of Parabraunerde, to reveal the specific readiness of the different profile zones for {sup 55}Fe-clay production, are described. The possibilities of clay percolation are discussed. (author)

ATLAS IV in situ heating test in Boom Clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Guangjing; Li, Xiangling; Verstricht, Jan; Sillen, Xavier

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The small scale in-situ ATLAS (Admissible Thermal Loading for Argillaceous Storage) tests are performed to assess the hydro-mechanical effects of a thermal transient on the host Boom clay at the HADES underground research facility in Mol, Belgium. The initial test set-up, consisting of a heater borehole and two observation boreholes, was installed in 1991-1992. The first test (later named 'ATLAS I') was then performed from July 1993 to June 1996; during this time, the heater dissipated a constant power of 900 W. During the second phase ('ATLAS II'), the heating power was doubled (1800 W) and maintained constant from June 1996 to May 1997. This was followed by shutdown and natural cooling starting from June 1997 on. To broaden the THM characterization of the Boom clay at a larger scale and at different temperature levels, the test set-up was extended in 2006 by drilling two additional instrumented boreholes (AT97E and AT98E). The heater was switched on again from April 2007 to April 2008 with a stepwise power increase, followed by an instantaneous shutdown. This phase is called 'ATLAS III'. The above tests have provided a large set of good quality and well documented data on temperature, pore water pressure and total stress; these data allowed to make several interesting observations regarding the thermal anisotropy and THM coupling in the Boom clay. The straightforward geometry and well defined boundary conditions of the tests facilitate the comparison between measurement and numerical modeling studies. Based on the three dimensional coupled THM modeling of the ATLAS III test, the good agreement between measurement and numerical modeling of temperature and pore water pressure yields a set of THM parameters and confirms the thermo-mechanical anisotropy of the Boom clay. To get a better insight in the anisotropic THM behavior of the Boom clay, a new upward instrumented borehole was drilled above the ATLAS heater at

A pore water study of plutonium in a seasonally anoxic lake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buesseler, K.O.; Benoit, G.; Sholkovitz, E.R.

1985-01-01

Data are presented on the distribution of sup(239,240)Pu in the pore waters of two cores taken from a seasonally anoxic lake. The pore water sup(239,240)Pu profile exhibits a subsurface activity maximum of 230 +- 30 μBq kg -1 in the 3-6 cm interval in June, as compared to an activity of 5 +- 3 μBq kg -1 in the overlying water. The pore water sup(239,240)Pu profile in June follows the solid phase distribution pattern of sup(239,240)Pu and also the pore water distributions of Fe and Mn. Under more reducing conditions in August, pore water sup(239,240)Pu activities drop off to undetectable levels at all depths. This rapid change in the pore water sup(239,240)Pu activity reflects the dynamic nature of Pu diagenesis in these sediments. Potential diffusional fluxes of sup(239,240)Pu into the lake's hypolimnion in June are calculated to be on the order of 2.5 μBq cm -2 y -1 . This flux would not be significant in altering the solid phase sup(239,240)Pu inventory (2.8 x 10 4 μBq cm -2 ). (author)

Hydro-mechanical aspects: glacial loading/erosion - the opalinus clay study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marschall, P.; Kupfer, T.; Kuhlmann, U.

2004-01-01

In Nagra's high level waste programme the future geological evolution of the investigation area in the Zurcher Weinland (NE Switzerland) is considered over a time period of around 1 Ma. Uplift, erosion and climatic changes were identified as processes that may affect the long-term performance of a repository for spent fuel (SF), vitrified high-level waste (HLW) and long-lived intermediate-level waste (ILW). The possible impact of those long-term processes on the barrier function of the host rock formation (Opalinus Clay) comprises: (i) the change of the vertical hydraulic gradient caused by changing recharge/discharge conditions in the regional aquifer systems; (ii) permeability enhancement of the host rock formation due to the uplift process; and (iii) expulsion of contaminated pore water from the disposal area as a result of repeated glacial loading. Due to the fact that the discharge level of the regional aquifer systems is defined by the Rhine valley and the regional recharge areas are characterised by moderate elevations (typically 2 are not expected within the next several million years. Hence, the topography of NE Switzerland together with the favourable hydraulic properties of the host rock formation prevent efficiently the vertical exchange of groundwater between the regional aquifer systems. Even on geological time scales of millions of years the expected vertical pore water flow through the host rock formation is in the order of 10 -14 m/s and lower. At present, the Opalinus Clay forms a perfect hydraulic barrier. The process of ongoing uplift, however, may give rise to embrittlement of the rock, entailed by permeability enhancement. Evidence for permeability enhancement of Opalinus Clay in shallow depth was observed by Hekel (1994). On the other hand, regional studies confirmed the low permeability of the Opalinus Clay formation in greater depth even when fractured (Gautschi, 2001; Marschall et al., 2003). Such evidence, together with conceptual

Linking particle and pore-size distribution parameters to soil gas transport properties

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arthur, Emmanuel; Møldrup, Per; Schjønning, Per

2012-01-01

, respectively) and the Campbell water retention parameter b were used to characterize particle and pore size distributions, respectively. Campbell b yielded a wide interval (4.6–26.2) and was highly correlated with α, β, and volumetric clay content. Both Dp/Do and ka followed simple power-law functions (PLFs......) of air-filled porosity (εa). The PLF tortuosity–connectivity factors (X*) for Dp/Do and ka were both highly correlated with all basic soil characteristics, in the order of volumetric clay content = Campbell b > gravimetric clay content > α > β. The PLF water blockage factors (H) for Dp/Do and ka were...... also well (but relatively more weakly) correlated with the basic soil characteristics, again with the best correlations to volumetric clay content and b. As a first attempt at developing a simple Dp/Do model useful at the field scale, we extended the classical Buckingham Dp/Do model (εa2) by a scaling...

The effect of clay amendment on substrate properties and growth of woody plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomáš Meisl

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This work deals with the effect of two clay products differing in particle size distribution on properties of growing substrate and on growth of containerized woody plants in substrates amended with these clay products. Fine and coarse clay were added to a peat substrate, each at two rates. The peat substrate without clay was used as a control. The substrates were tested in experiments with two woody ornamentals (Thuja occidentalis ’Smaragd’ and Prunus cistena. Chemical and physical properties of the substrates were measured according to European Standards before planting. Proportion of water categories differing in availability to the plants were calculated from retention curves measured on the sand box. Properties of substrates in containers with and without plants were evaluated in the same way at the end of the culture. Clay addition changed chemical and physical properties of the tested substrates in terms: available nutrients content, particle density, bulk density, total pore volume, easy available water, water buffering capacity, air capacity, and shrinkage. The effect of fine clay was much stronger. In comparison with the clear effect of clay addition on the substrate chemical and physical properties, the effect on the growth and quality of model woody plants was not so explicit.

Transport of water molecules through noncylindrical pores in multilayer nanoporous graphene.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahbabaei, Majid; Kim, Daejoong

2017-08-09

In this study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to examine the water transport properties through asymmetric hourglass-shaped pores in multilayer nanoporous graphene with a constant interlayer separation of 6 Å. The properties of the tested asymmetric hourglass-shaped pores [with the models having long cone (l 1 , -P) and short cone (l 2 , +P) entrances] are compared to a symmetric pore model. The study findings indicate that the water occupancy increases across the asymmetric pore (l 1 , -P) compared to (l 2 , +P), because of the length effect. The asymmetric pore, (l 1 , -P), yields higher flux compared to (l 2 , +P) and even the symmetric model, which can be attributed to the increase in the hydrogen bonds. In addition, the single-file water molecules across the narrowest pore diameter inside the (l 2 , +P) pore exhibit higher viscosity compared to those in the (l 1 , -P) pore because of the increase in the water layering effect. Moreover, it is found that the permeability inside the multilayer hourglass-shaped pore depends on the length of the flow path of the water molecules before approaching the layer with the smallest pore diameter. The probability of dipole orientation exhibits wider distribution inside the (l 1 , -P) system compared to (l 2 , +P), implying an enhanced formation of hydrogen bonding of water molecules. This results in the fast flow of water molecules. The MD trajectory shows that the dipole orientation across the single-layer graphene has frequently flipped compared to the dipole orientation across the pores in multilayer graphene, which is maintained during the whole simulation time (although the dipole orientation has flipped for a few picoseconds at the beginning of the simulation). This can be attributed to the energy barrier induced by the individual layer. The diffusion coefficient of water molecules inside the (l 2 , +P) system increases with pressure difference, however, it decreases inside the (l 1 , -P) system because

Variation of Pore Water Pressure in Tailing Sand under Dynamic Loading

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jia-xu Jin

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Intense vibration affects the pore water pressure in a tailing dam, with the tendency to induce dam liquefaction. In this study, experiments were performed wherein model tailing dams were completely liquefied by sustained horizontal dynamic loading to determine the effects of the vibration frequency, vibration amplitude, and tailing density on the pore water pressure. The results revealed four stages in the increase of the tailing pore water pressure under dynamic loading, namely, a slow increase, a rapid increase, inducement of structural failure, and inducement of complete liquefaction. A lower frequency and smaller amplitude of the vibration were found to increase the time required to achieve a given pore water pressure in dense tailings. Under the effect of these three factors—vibration frequency and amplitude and tailing density—the tailing liquefaction time varied nonlinearly with the height from the base of the tailing dam, with an initial decrease followed by an increase. The pore pressure that induced structural failure also gradually decreased with increasing height. The increase in the tailing pore pressure could be described by an S-shaped model. A complementary multivariate nonlinear equation was also derived for predicting the tailing pore water pressure under dynamic loading.

Invariance of single-file water mobility in gramicidin-like peptidic pores as function of pore length.

Science.gov (United States)

Portella, Guillem; Pohl, Peter; de Groot, Bert L

2007-06-01

We investigated the structural and energetic determinants underlying water permeation through peptidic nanopores, motivated by recent experimental findings that indicate that water mobility in single-file water channels displays nonlinear length dependence. To address the molecular mechanism determining the observed length dependence, we studied water permeability in a series of designed gramicidin-like channels of different length using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. We found that within the studied range of length the osmotic water permeability is independent of pore length. This result is at variance with textbook models, where the relationship is assumed to be linear. Energetic analysis shows that loss of solvation rather than specific water binding sites in the pore form the main energetic barrier for water permeation, consistent with our dynamics results. For this situation, we propose a modified expression for osmotic permeability that fully takes into account water motion collectivity and does not depend on the pore length. Different schematic barrier profiles are discussed that explain both experimental and computational interpretations, and we propose a set of experiments aimed at validation of the presented results. Implications of the results for the design of peptidic channels with desired permeation characteristics are discussed.

Clays causing adhesion with tool surfaces during mechanical tunnel driving

Science.gov (United States)

Spagnoli, G.; Fernández-Steeger, T.; Stanjek, H.; Feinendegen, M.; Post, C.; Azzam, R.

2009-04-01

During mechanical excavation with a tunnel boring machine (TBM) it is possible that clays stick to the cutting wheel and to other metal parts. The resulting delays in the progress of construction work, cause great economic damage and often disputes between the public awarding authorities and executing companies. One of the most important factors to reduce successfully the clay adhesion is the use of special polymers and foams. But why does the clay stick to the metal parts? A first step is to recognize which kind of clay mineralogy shows serious adhesion problems. The mechanical properties of clay and clay suspensions are primarily determined by surface chemistry and charge distribution at the interfaces, which in turn affect the arrangement of the clay structure. As we know, clay is a multi-phase material and its behaviour depends on numerous parameters such as: clay mineralogy, clay fraction, silt fraction, sand fraction, water content, water saturation, Atterberg limits, sticky limit, activity, cation exchange capacity, degree of consolidation and stress state. It is therefore likely that adhesion of clay on steel is also affected by these clay parameters. Samples of clay formations, which caused problems during tunnel driving, will be analyzed in laboratory. Mineralogical analyses (diffractometry, etc.) will be carried out to observe which minerals are responsible for adherence problems. To manipulate the physical properties, batch tests will be carried out in order to eliminate or reduce the adhesion on tool surfaces through variation of the zeta potential. Second step is the performance of vane shear tests on clay samples. Different pore fluid (distilled water, pure NaCl solution, ethanol and methanol) will be used to study the variation of the mechanical behaviour of clay depending on the dielectric constant of the fluids. This project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the DFG (German Research Foundation) in the

Quantifying the effect of squirt flow dispersion from compliant clay porosity in clay bearing sandstones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Morten Kanne; Fabricius, Ida Lykke

2013-01-01

Compliant porosity in the form of cracks is known to cause significant attenuation and velocity dispersion through pore pressure gradients and consequent relaxation, dubbed squirt flow. Squirt flow from cracks vanish at high confining stress due to crack closing. Studies on clay bearing sandstones......-squirt flow on the bulk modulus of a clay bearing sandstone. The predicted magnitude of the clay-squirt effect on the bulk modulus is compared with experimental data. The clay-squirt effect is found to possibly account for a significant portion of the deviances from Gassmann fluid substitution in claybearing...... sandstones....

Origin and Evolution of Reactive and Noble Gases Dissolved in Matrix Pore Water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eichinger, F. [Hydroisotop GmbH, Schweitenkirchen (Germany); Rock-Water Interaction, Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Bern (Switzerland); Waber, H. N. [Rock-Water Interaction, Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Bern (Switzerland); Smellie, J. A.T. [Conterra AB, Stockholm (Sweden)

2013-07-15

Reactive and noble gases dissolved in matrix pore water of low permeable crystalline bedrock were successfully extracted and characterized for the first time based on drillcore samples from the Olkiluoto investigation site (SW Finland). Interaction between matrix pore water and fracture groundwater occurs predominately by diffusion. Changes in the chemical and isotopic composition of gases dissolved in fracture groundwater are transmitted and preserved in the pore water. Absolute concentrations, their ratios and the stable carbon isotope signature of hydrocarbon gases dissolved in pore water give valuable indications about the evolution of these gases in the nearby flowing fracture groundwaters. Inert noble gases dissolved in matrix pore water and their isotopes combined with their in situ production and accumulation rates deliver information about the residence time of pore water. (author)

Magnetic orientation of nontronite clay in aqueous dispersions and its effect on water diffusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Abrahamsson, Christoffer; Nordstierna, Lars; Nordin, Matias; Dvinskikh, Sergey V; Nydén, Magnus

2015-01-01

The diffusion rate of water in dilute clay dispersions depends on particle concentration, size, shape, aggregation and water-particle interactions. As nontronite clay particles magnetically align parallel to the magnetic field, directional self-diffusion anisotropy can be created within such dispersion. Here we study water diffusion in exfoliated nontronite clay dispersions by diffusion NMR and time-dependant 1H-NMR-imaging profiles. The dispersion clay concentration was varied between 0.3 and 0.7 vol%. After magnetic alignment of the clay particles in these dispersions a maximum difference of 20% was measured between the parallel and perpendicular self-diffusion coefficients in the dispersion with 0.7 vol% clay. A method was developed to measure water diffusion within the dispersion in the absence of a magnetic field (random clay orientation) as this is not possible with standard diffusion NMR. However, no significant difference in self-diffusion coefficient between random and aligned dispersions could be observed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Triaxial-compression extraction of pore water from unsaturated tuff, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, I.C.; Turner, A.K.; Sayre, T.M.; Montazer, P.

1988-01-01

The purpose of this experiment was to design and validate methods for extracting uncontaminated pore water from nonwelded parts of this tuff. Pore water is needed for chemical analysis to help characterize the local hydrologic system. A standard Hoek-Franklin triaxial cell was modified to create a chemically inert pore-water-extraction system. Experimentation was designed to determine the optimum stress and duration of triaxial compression for efficient extraction of uncontaminated pore water. Experimental stress paths consisted of a series of increasing stress levels. Trial axial stress levels ranged from 41 to 190 megapascals with lateral confining stresses of 34 to 69 megapascals. The duration of compression at any given stress level lasted from 10 minutes to 15 hours. A total of 40 experimental extraction trials were made. Tuff samples used in these tests were collected from drill-hole core from the Paintbrush nonwelded unit at Yucca Mountain. Pore water was extracted from tuff samples that had a water content greater than 13 percent by weight. Two stress paths have been determined to be applicable for future pore-water extraction from nonwelded tuff at Yucca Mountain. The initial water content of a sample affects the selection of an appropriate period of compression. 39 refs., 55 figs

Geotechnical aspects of tunnel construction in deep clay formations for radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Moor, E.K.

1987-01-01

The significant factors affecting the construction of tunnels in deep clay formations for radioactive waste disposal were outlined. Two aspects of tunneling were discussed; the feasibility of tunnel construction and changes in pore water pressure that might occur with time. Some results of model tunnel tests and analyses were presented. (U.K.)

LINEAR KERNEL SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINES FOR MODELING PORE-WATER PRESSURE RESPONSES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

KHAMARUZAMAN W. YUSOF

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Pore-water pressure responses are vital in many aspects of slope management, design and monitoring. Its measurement however, is difficult, expensive and time consuming. Studies on its predictions are lacking. Support vector machines with linear kernel was used here to predict the responses of pore-water pressure to rainfall. Pore-water pressure response data was collected from slope instrumentation program. Support vector machine meta-parameter calibration and model development was carried out using grid search and k-fold cross validation. The mean square error for the model on scaled test data is 0.0015 and the coefficient of determination is 0.9321. Although pore-water pressure response to rainfall is a complex nonlinear process, the use of linear kernel support vector machine can be employed where high accuracy can be sacrificed for computational ease and time.

Study of the chemo-hydro-mechanical behavior of stiff clays in the context of radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, Xuan Phu

2013-01-01

The present research aims to understand the chemo-hydro-mechanical behavior of stiff clays through two geological formations, the Boom Clay and the Ypresian clays which are considered as possible host formations for the radioactive wastes disposal in Belgium. The volume change behavior was studied in both intact and reconstituted states, and under different conditions: under K0 and isotropic loading, under loading/unloading loops. The results show that the volume change behavior is governed by the competition between the physico-chemical effect and the mechanical effect, characterized by a threshold stress which corresponds to the swelling stress in terms of structure changes. A constitutive law was developed to capture this aspect. The permeability was determined, compared with the results in literature and correlated with the parameters as void ratio. The permeability variation with depth shows the important role of macro-pores in fluids' transfer. The volume change behavior and permeability of intact Boom Clay and Ypresian clays are also influenced by pore water chemical composition changes which modify the diffuse double layer and give rise to the aggregation of clay particles. The elastic parameters, yield curve and failure envelope of Boom Clay and Ypresian clays were identified. A conceptual elasto-plastic model was developed, accounting for the swelling effects and the competition between the physico-chemical effect and the mechanical effect. (author)

Pore-scale modeling of capillary trapping in water-wet porous media: A new cooperative pore-body filling model

Science.gov (United States)

Ruspini, L. C.; Farokhpoor, R.; Øren, P. E.

2017-10-01

We present a pore-network model study of capillary trapping in water-wet porous media. The amount and distribution of trapped non-wetting phase is determined by the competition between two trapping mechanisms - snap-off and cooperative pore-body filling. We develop a new model to describe the pore-body filling mechanism in geologically realistic pore-networks. The model accounts for the geometrical characteristics of the pore, the spatial location of the connecting throats and the local fluid topology at the time of the displacement. We validate the model by comparing computed capillary trapping curves with published data for four different water-wet rocks. Computations are performed on pore-networks extracted from micro-CT images and process-based reconstructions of the actual rocks used in the experiments. Compared with commonly used stochastic models, the new model describes more accurately the experimental measurements, especially for well connected porous systems where trapping is controlled by subtleties of the pore structure. The new model successfully predicts relative permeabilities and residual saturation for Bentheimer sandstone using in-situ measured contact angles as input to the simulations. The simulated trapped cluster size distributions are compared with predictions from percolation theory.

Study of shale reservoir nanometer-sized pores in Member 1 of Shahejie Formation in JX area, Liaozhong sag

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yong; Zhang, Yu; Wen, Yiming

2018-02-01

The microscopic pore structure is the key of the shale reservoir study; however, traditional Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) methods cannot identify the irregular morphology caused by mechanical polishing. In this work, Scanning Electron Microscopy combined argon ion polishing technology was taken to study the characteristics of shale reservoir pores of Member 1 of Shahejie Formation (E3s1) located in JX1-1 area of Liaozhong Sag. The results show that pores between clay platelets, intraplatelet pores within clay aggregates and organic-matter pores are very rich in the area and with good pore connectivity, so these types of pores are of great significance for oil-gas exporation. Pores between clay platelets are formed by directional or semi-directional contact between edge and surface, edge and edge or surface and surface of laminated clay minerals, whose shapes are linear, mesh, and irregular with the size of 500 nm to 5 μm. The intraplatelet pores within clay aggregates are formed in the process of the transformation and compaction of clay minerals, whose shapes are usually linear with the width of 30 to 500 nm and the length of 2 to 50 μm. The organic-matter pores are from the process of the conversion from organic matters to the hydrocarbon under thermal evolution, whose shapes are gneissic, irregular, pitted and elliptical with the size of 100 nm to 2 μm. This study is of certain guiding significance to selecting target zones, evaluating resource potential and exploring & developing of shale gas in this region.

Microbiologically mediated processes in a repository sited in a clay host rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwyn, B.; Leupin, O. X.; Bagnoud, A.; Bernier-Latmani, R.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Because of their favourable retention properties for radionuclides, clay-rich sediments are being considered in Switzerland as host rocks for the geological disposal of high, intermediate- and low-level radioactive waste. Compacted bentonite is foreseen as backfill material in the high level waste repository whereas for intermediate- and low-level waste the near field will mainly consist of cementitious material. The evolution of both types of repositories, which includes re-saturation, heat generation (only high level waste), near field degradation, gas production and radionuclide release may be impacted by microbial activity and vice versa. In this respect questions arise such as: - Are microorganisms present in a repository and its host rock? - Under which condition are microorganisms active in and around a repository? - In which processes are microorganisms involved? Various in situ experiments in a wide range of geological environments have evidenced the presence of microorganisms. Whether the microorganisms found in these in situ experiments are indigenous or introduced by drilling or/and excavation activities is still controversial. However, recent findings suggest the presence of indigenous microorganisms in Opalinus Clay. To conclusively answer the question about the origin of microorganisms, an international investigation programme has been launched to probe rock samples from the Underground Rock Laboratory at Mont Terri. So far, no metabolic activity has been observed in undisturbed clay rocks. Such activity may have ceased during diagenetic compaction of the sediment as suggested by the pore water composition measured in the Callovian-Oxfordian clayey formation of Bure (France). For the safety case of a repository the origin of microorganisms is of minor importance compared to the understanding of the conditions under which they might be metabolically active. Pore size distribution and connectivity can

Pore-Water Extraction Scale-Up Study for the SX Tank Farm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Truex, Michael J.; Oostrom, Martinus; Wietsma, Thomas W.; Last, George V.; Lanigan, David C.

2013-01-15

The phenomena related to pore-water extraction from unsaturated sediments have been previously examined with limited laboratory experiments and numerical modeling. However, key scale-up issues have not yet been addressed. Laboratory experiments and numerical modeling were conducted to specifically examine pore-water extraction for sediment conditions relevant to the vadose zone beneath the SX Tank Farm at Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. Available SX Tank Farm data were evaluated to generate a conceptual model of the subsurface for a targeted pore-water extraction application in areas with elevated moisture and Tc-99 concentration. The hydraulic properties of the types of porous media representative of the SX Tank Farm target application were determined using sediment mixtures prepared in the laboratory based on available borehole sediment particle size data. Numerical modeling was used as an evaluation tool for scale-up of pore-water extraction for targeted field applications.

Clay Ceramic Filter for Water Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zereffa Enyew Amare

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Ceramic water filters were prepared from different proportions of kaolin and soft wood and sintered at 900 °C, 950 °C, and 1000 °C. The flow rate, conductivity, pH of filtered water and removal efficiency (microbial, water hardness agent’s, nitrite and turbidity were analysed. The ceramic filter with 15 % saw dust, 80 % clay and 5 % grog that was fired at temperature of 950 °C or 1000 °C showed the best removal efficiency. Statistical ANOVA tests showed a significant difference between ceramic filters with various compositions in their removal efficiencies.

Water balance of an earth fill built of organic clay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Birle Emanuel

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents investigations on the water balance of an earth fill built of organic clay in humid climate. As the organic soil used for the fill contains geogenetically elevated concentrations of arsenic, particular attention is paid on the seepage flow through the fill. The test fill is 5 m high, 30 m long and 25 m wide. The fill consists of the organic clay compacted at water contents wet and dry of Proctor Optimum covered by a drainage mat and a 60 cm thick top layer. For the determination of the water balance extensive measuring systems were installed. The seepage at the bottom measured so far was less than 2 % of the precipitation. The interflow in the drainage mat above the compacted organic clay was of similar magnitude. The estimated evapotranspiration reached approx. 84 % of the precipitation. According to these measurements the percolation is much lower than the percolation of many landfill covers in humid climates.

The application of small-angle neutron scattering to the study of mass transfer in clays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, A.J.; Baston, A.H.; Bourke, P.J.; Jefferies, N.L.

1990-01-01

An extensive study using small angle neutron scattering (SANS) has been made of the pore structures in London Clay and in Ca-montmorillonite. Using SANS contrast variation techniques, the accessibilities of the pores to D 2 O by diffusion and permeation have been studied. Characterisation of the accessibility to different parts of the pore structure is intended to provide input data for models of radionuclide transport through clay geological barriers, and to improve interpretation of laboratory experiments that measure sorption of radionuclides on clays. (author)

Impact of pore-water freshening on clays and the compressibility of hydrate-bearing reservoirs during production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jang, Junbong [U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, MA; Cao, Shuang [Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA; Waite, William [U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, MA; Jung, Jongwon [Chungbuk National University, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk, South Korea

2017-06-25

Gas production efficiency from natural hydrate-bearing sediments depends in part on geotechnical properties of fine-grained materials, which are ubiquitous even in sandy hydrate-bearing sediments. The responses of fine-grained material to pore fluid chemistry changes due to freshening during hydrate dissociation could alter critical sediment characteristics during gas production activities. We investigate the electrical sensitivity of fine grains to pore fluid freshening and the implications of freshening on sediment compression and recompression parameters.

Investigation of isothermal water infiltration into fired clay brick by scattered neutrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Abd, A.; Abdel-Monem, A.M.; Kansouh, W.A.

2012-01-01

A method based on neutron scattering was proposed to investigate isothermal water infiltration in porous media. Two different kinds of fired clay bricks were investigated. While the sample absorb water, scattered neutrons from the different wetted regions, along the flow direction were continuously recorded. The results were discussed in terms of the theory of water infiltration in unsaturated porous media as well as by an anomalous diffusion approach. It was shown that the infiltration process in the Canadian clay brick (CCB) is Fickian and the water diffusivity was analytically determined, while it is non-Fickian in the Egyptian clay brick (ECB). The infiltration process in ECB can be modeled as a two stage Fickian process, at the low and high absorption times. The anomalous diffusion approach failed to describe the diffusion process in the ECB at all water contents. (author)

Water retention, gas transport, and pore network complexity during short-term regeneration of soil structure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arthur, Emmanuel; Møldrup, Per; Schjønning, Per

2013-01-01

mm sieved) samples of varying clay mineralogy (illite, kaolinite, and smectite) amended with organic material (7.5 t ha–1). Also, the newly-formed structure was compared with that of sieved repacked (SR) and natural intact samples. Assessment and comparison of structure complexity and organization....... The proportion of pores > 100 1m increased in order: smectite

Rock Physics of Reservoir Rocks with Varying Pore Water Saturation and Pore Water Salinity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Katika, Konstantina

experiments, the rock is subjected to high external stresses that resemble the reservoir stresses; 2) the fluid distribution within the pore space changes during the flow through experiments and wettability alterations may occur; 3) different ions, present in the salt water injected in the core, interact......Advanced waterflooding (injection of water with selective ions in reservoirs) is a method of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) that has attracted the interest of oil and gas companies that exploit the Danish oil and gas reservoirs. This method has been applied successfully in oil reservoirs...... and in the Smart Water project performed in a laboratory scale in order to evaluate the EOR processes in selected core plugs. A major step towards this evaluation is to identify the composition of the injected water that leads to increased oil recovery in reservoirs and to define changes in the petrophysical...

Molecular Dynamic Simulation of Water Vapor and Determination of Diffusion Characteristics in the Pore

Science.gov (United States)

Nikonov, Eduard G.; Pavluš, Miron; Popovičová, Mária

2018-02-01

One of the varieties of pores, often found in natural or artificial building materials, are the so-called blind pores of dead-end or saccate type. Three-dimensional model of such kind of pore has been developed in this work. This model has been used for simulation of water vapor interaction with individual pore by molecular dynamics in combination with the diffusion equation method. Special investigations have been done to find dependencies between thermostats implementations and conservation of thermodynamic and statistical values of water vapor - pore system. The two types of evolution of water - pore system have been investigated: drying and wetting of the pore. Full research of diffusion coefficient, diffusion velocity and other diffusion parameters has been made.

Revealing Soil Structure and Functional Macroporosity along a Clay Gradient Using X-ray Computed Tomography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Naveed, Muhammad; Møldrup, Per; Arthur, Emmanuel

2013-01-01

clay content, respectively) at a field site in Lerbjerg, Denmark. The water-holding capacity of soils markedly increased with increasing soil clay content, while significantly higher air permeability was observed for the L1 to L3 soils than for the L4 to L6 soils. Higher air permeability values......The influence of clay content in soil-pore structure development and the relative importance of macroporosity in governing convective fluid flow are two key challenges toward better understanding and quantifying soil ecosystem functions. In this study, soil physical measurements (soil-water...... retention and air permeability) and x-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning were combined and used from two scales on intact soil columns (100 and 580 cm3). The columns were sampled along a natural clay gradient at six locations (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5 and L6 with 0.11, 0.16, 0.21, 0.32, 0.38 and 0.46 kg kg−1...

Pore system characteristics of the Permian transitional shale reservoir in the Lower Yangtze Region, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taotao Cao

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The Permian shale, a set of transitional shale reservoir, is considered to be an important shale gas exploration target in the Lower Yangtze region. Due to little research conducted on the pore system characteristic and its controlling factors of the shale gas reservoir, SEM, FE-SEM, low-pressure N2 adsorption, and mercury intrusion tests were carried out on the Permian shales from the outcrop and HC well in the southern Anhui. The results show that the Permian shales mainly consist of organic matter, quartz, illite, calcite, and pyrite, of which pyrite occurs as framboids coexisting with organic matter and the organic matter is distributed in shales in stripped, interstitial, thin film and shell shapes. The basic pore types are inorganic mineral pore (intercrystalline pore, intergranular edge pore, intergranular pore, and interlayer pore in clay minerals and the organic pore and microfracture, of which organic pore and microfracture are the dominating pore types. In shale, organic pores are not developed at all in some organic grains but are well developed in others, which may be related to the types of and maceral compositions of kerogen. Under tectonic stress, shale rocks could develop mylonitization phenomenon exhibiting organic grains well blend with clay minerals, and produce a mass of microfractures and nanopores between organic matter grains and clay minerals. Mercury intrusion tests show that the shale is mainly composed of micropore and transition pore with high porosity, good pore connectivity and high efficiency of mercury withdraw, while the shale that mainly dominated by mesopore and macropore has a low porosity, poor pore connectivity, and low efficiency of the mercury withdraw. The volume percentage of mesopore and marcopore is increasing with the increase of quartz, and that of micropore and transition pore has a decreased tendency along with the increase of soluble organic matter (S1. Organic matter is the main contributor to

Physico-chemical characterisation and sorption measurements of Cs, Sr, Ni, Eu, Th, Sn and Se on Opalinus clay from Mont Terri

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lauber, Matthias; Baeyens, Bart; Bradbury, Michael H.

2000-12-01

Opalinus Clay is currently under investigation as a potential host rock for the disposal of high level and long-lived intermediate radioactive waste. A throughout physico-chemical characterisation was carried out on a bore core sample from the underground rock laboratory Mont Terri (Canton Jura). The results of these investigations indicate that the major characteristics (mineralogy, cation exchange capacity, cation occupancies, selectivity coefficients, chloride and sulphate inventories) were very similar to a different core sample, previously used for pore water modelling studies. It was concluded that the pore water compositions derived in the earlier studies were reliable and could be used in this work. The organic matter which dissolved from the Opalinus Clay rock was not humic or fulvic acids and the concentration remaining in the liquid phase in the sorption experiments was < 0.5 ppm C. The organic matter is therefore considered to have little or no influence on the sorption behaviour of the studied radionuclides. Redox potential measurements of the Opalinus Clay/synthetic pore water system inside the glove boxes indicated anoxic conditions. The main focus of the experimental work presented here is on the sorption behaviour of Cs (I), Sr (II), Ni (II), Eu (III), Th (IV), Sn (IV) and Se (IV) on Opalinus Clay equilibrated with synthetic pore waters at pH 6.3 and 8. Sorption isotherms were measured for Cs, Ni, Eu, Th and Se. Single point data were measured for Sr and Sn. For all radionuclides studied the sorption kinetics were measured first. The times required to complete the sorption on the Opalinus Clay varied between one day for Th and one month for Ni and Se. Within the concentration ranges under study the uptake of Cs, Ni, Eu and Se on Opalinus Clay was non-linear, whereas for Th a linear sorption behaviour was observed. For Ni, Eu and Th the sorption increased with increasing pH. For Cs a pH independent sorption behaviour was observed. The concentration

Rheological properties of sodium smectite clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boergesson, L.; Hoekmark, H.; Karnland, O.

1988-12-01

The rheological properties of Na-smectite Mx-80 have been investigated by various laboratory tests. The investigations include determination of the hydraulic conductivity, the undrained stress-strain-strength properties, the creep properties, the compression and swelling properties in drained and undrained conditions and the undrained thermomechanical properties. Measurements have been made at different densities, clay/sand mixtures and pore water compositions. The influence of temperature, rate of strain and testing technique has also been considered. The investigation has led to a supply of basic data for the material models which will be used at performance calculations. The results have also increased the general understanding of the function of smectitic clay as buffer material. The microstructural behaviour has been considered at the validation of the different test results and the validity of the effective stress theory has been discussed. Comparisons with the properties of Ca-smectite have also been made. (orig.)

Multistep triaxial strength tests: investigating strength parameters and pore pressure effects on Opalinus Clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graesle, W.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The impact of natural variability between rock samples from a single formation is a common problem for the characterisation of THM properties of rocks. Data variation arising from heterogeneity between samples often obscures details of material behaviour. Besides efforts to reduce this statistical noise by careful selection of samples, there are essentially two approaches to overcome this problem: - To generate very large data sets for better statistics. - To avoid the impact of natural variability by yielding an extensive data set from a single sample. The multistep strength test follows the latter approach to characterise the mechanical behaviour of Opalinus Clay from Mont Terri and the possible impact of pore pressure effects. The concept of the multistep strength test comprises three test sections, each focused on the investigation of one mechanical characteristic of Opalinus Clay. Any section is composed of a series of strain controlled load cycles at various levels of confining pressure. 1) The linear elastic limit, i.e. the onset of nonlinearity in the stress-strain-relationship σ dev (ε 1 ) during strain-controlled triaxial loading, is determined in section 1. It defines a lower limit for the onset of damage. Avoiding sample damage is essential during this test section to ensure that all measurements reflect the behaviour of undisturbed material. Therefore, a rather strict and well detectable criterion for the onset of nonlinearity is required to enable a timely termination of any load phase. 2) Section 2 is focused on shear strength. Any load cycle is stopped as soon as peak stress is detected. As progressive damage of the sample is unavoidable during this process, it must be expected that only very few measured peak stresses approximately represent properties of the undamaged material. 3) Test section 3 is a conventional test of residual strength. Tests are carried out on cylindrical samples (100 mm

Use of swelling clays to reduce permeability and its potential application to nuclear waste repository sealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, D.E.; Morrow, C.A.; Byerlee, J.D.

1982-01-01

The injection of swelling-clay slurries into joints or faults at a deep-burial nuclear waste disposal site may result in signficant permeability reductions for the effective containment of radioactive wastes. In an experiment conducted to illustrate the permeability change accompanying clay swelling, a coarse stone with interconnected pore spaces was injected with a clay-electrolyte slurry, modelling the pressure-grouting of a fractured repository rock. Subsequently, solutions with lower electroylte concentrations were driven through the clay-filled stone, corresponding to migration of lower salinity ground-waters through the clay-grouted fracture. The initial injection procedure reduced the permeability of the stone from 1--10 darcies to 700 nanodarcies; the changes in solution composition decreased permeability by more than 2 additional orders of magnitude to 3 nanodarcies. For application at a nuclear waste repository, the electrolyte concentration of the injected clay slurry should be made higher than that of the ground-water in the host rock. Subesquent interaction of the ground-water with the clays would initiate swelling and create the additional, post-injection permeability reductions that may be important in preventing the escape of buried radioactive wastes. The measured permeability of the clay filling is considerably lower than that of cement tested for borehole plugging. Clays also have the advantage over cement and chemical grouts in that they are geologically stable at relatively low temperatures and have a high capacity for radionuclide adsorption

Subsurface water and clay mineral formation during the early history of Mars.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehlmann, Bethany L; Mustard, John F; Murchie, Scott L; Bibring, Jean-Pierre; Meunier, Alain; Fraeman, Abigail A; Langevin, Yves

2011-11-02

Clay minerals, recently discovered to be widespread in Mars's Noachian terrains, indicate long-duration interaction between water and rock over 3.7 billion years ago. Analysis of how they formed should indicate what environmental conditions prevailed on early Mars. If clays formed near the surface by weathering, as is common on Earth, their presence would indicate past surface conditions warmer and wetter than at present. However, available data instead indicate substantial Martian clay formation by hydrothermal groundwater circulation and a Noachian rock record dominated by evidence of subsurface waters. Cold, arid conditions with only transient surface water may have characterized Mars's surface for over 4 billion years, since the early-Noachian period, and the longest-duration aqueous, potentially habitable environments may have been in the subsurface.

Microporous membranes from polyamide 6/national clay nanocomposites - Part 2: microstructural and permeability evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leite, Amanda M.D.; Araujo, Edcleide M.; Lira, Helio de L.; Paz, Rene Anisio da; Medeiros, Vanessa da Nobrega

2014-01-01

Organic/inorganic hybrid membranes of polyamide 6 and mineral clay containing layers of silicate were prepared and compared to those of the pure polymer. Use was made of an as-received sodium clay from industry and another organophilized with ammonium quaternary salts (Dodigen and Cetremide). The salts make the clays surface hydrophobic and improve their incorporation into the polymer matrix in the molten state. Membranes were prepared with these nanocomposites using the immersion-precipitation technique with formic acid as a solvent, and precipitation in a water bath as non-solvent. The acid concentration in the solution containing the polymer and the hybrids was varied to study its influence in morphology and permeability of the membranes. An asymmetric morphology consisting of a filter skin and a porous support was observed, with pores both on the surface and in the cross section being affected by the different salts. This asymmetric morphology was also affected significantly by the acid concentration, with thicker filter skins for higher concentrations. The acid concentration affected the pores size and their distribution. The clay particles probably acted as a barrier to the flow. The permeating flux for the two acid concentrations varied as a function of the distinct morphologies. (author)

The Ypresian clays as alternative host rock for radioactive waste disposal in Belgium. A transferability study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Baelen, Herve; Wouters, Laurent; Brassinnes, Stephane; Van Geet, Maarten; Vandenberghe, Noel

2012-01-01

-layer phases, but less kaolinite. The smectites in the Ypresian clays partly originate from weathered volcanic ash layers, re-mobilised and deposited into the basin during the early Eocene, but there are indications as well for the direct sedimentation of ash layers within the basin, which subsequently transformed into authigenic smectite. Scanning electron microscopy images reveal that the compaction fabric of the Ypresian clays is, at least in a number of samples, less pronounced than for Boom Clay. An additional difference is possibly the presence of a bi-modal pore size distribution, the larger pore size population being absent in undisturbed Boom Clay. Nevertheless the total porosity measured in both host rocks is comparable, but decreases with depth in the case of the Ypresian clays. From a mechanical point of view, Ypresian clays seem to behave less stiff and appears to be more sensitive to failure. Concerning the thermal properties, contrasting results have been obtained. In a first research effort, the thermal conductivity was smaller than for Boom Clay; more recently, however, a higher conductivity than for Boom Clay was obtained, illustrating the sensitivity of thermal-conductivity measurements to the experimental conditions. The measured hydraulic conductivity covers a comparable range to Boom Clay, but displays larger vertical variations. The diffusion accessible porosity and apparent diffusion coefficient obtained on clay cores are in the same order, but a decrease with depth has been observed for the Ypresian clays. Analysis of the pore water chemistry indicates that it is of the NaCl-type and can be categorised as brackish to salty. Especially in the upper part of the Ypresian clays, the results show a very high vertical variation, which does probably not reflect the natural variability, but reflects the difficulties of obtaining a representative pore water by squeezing. The same safety concept as the one developed on Boom Clay can be envisaged, but some

Pore water chemistry in the beach sands of central Tamil Nadu, India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Chandrasekar, N.; Gujar, A.R.; Loveson, V.J.; Rajamanickam, G.V.; Moscow, S.; Manickaraj, D.S.; Chandrasekaran, R.; Chaturvedi, S.K.; Mahesh, R.; Sudha, V.; Josephine, P.J.; Deepa, V.

As the pore water chemistry- has been considered as one of the prominent base parameters to infer the impact of coastal mining in introducing environmental deterioration, a study in pore water chemistry is planned here along the beaches for a length...

Organically modified clay removes oil from water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alther, G.R.

1995-01-01

When bentonite or other clays and zeolites are modified with quaternary amines, they become organophilic. Such modified bentonites are used to remove mechanically emulsified oil and grease, and other sparingly soluble organics. If the organoclay is granulated, it is placed into a liquid phase carbon filter vessel to remove FOG's and chlorinated hydrocarbons. In this application the clay is mixed with anthrazite to prevent early plugging of the filter by oil or grease droplets. In batch systems a powered organoclay is employed. Types of oil found in water can include fats, lubricants, cutting fluids, heavy hydrocarbons such as tars, grease, crude oil, diesel oils; and light hydrocarbons such as kerosene, jet fuel, and gasoline

Molecular dynamics of interfacial water and cations associated with clay minerals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cygan, Randall T.; Greathouse, Jeffery A.; Teich-McGoldrick, Stephanie L.; Nenoff, Tina M.; Daemen, Luke L.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Clay mineral interfaces, including interlayer and external surfaces, play an essential role in many geochemical processes. Adsorption, dissolution, precipitation, nucleation, and growth mechanisms, in particular, are controlled by the interplay of structure, thermodynamics, kinetics, and transport at clay mineral-water interfaces. Molecular details of these geochemical processes are especially important in evaluating the fate of radionuclide waste in the environment. Such details are typically beyond the sensitivity of experimental and analytical methods and therefore require accurate models and simulations. Also, the basal surfaces and interlayers of clay minerals offer structurally constrained interfacial environments to better evaluate the local molecular chemistry. We have developed and used classical and quantum methods to examine the complex behavior of clay mineral-water interfaces and dynamics of interlayer species. Bulk structures, swelling behavior, diffusion, and adsorption processes are evaluated and compared to experimental and spectroscopic findings. In particular, inelastic neutron scattering methods provide a successful probe of vibrational behavior of interlayer species to help guide the simulations. Librations involving rock, wag, and twist motions of water molecules are particularly sensitive to the interlayer environment of smectite minerals such as montmorillonite and beidellite. Trends in librational modes for interlayer water as a function of clay structure and cation hydration energy are readily explained using structural and vibrational analysis derived from molecular simulation. Molecular dynamics simulations of virtual phases, including hydrated pyrophyllite, help to explain the behavior of interlayer water that is not associated with cation species. Additionally, we use large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of other layered minerals, such as muscovite, to evaluate adsorption

Retention and loss of water extractable carbon in soils: effect of clay properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Trung-Ta; Marschner, Petra

2014-02-01

Clay sorption is important for organic carbon (C) sequestration in soils, but little is known about the effect of different clay properties on organic C sorption and release. To investigate the effect of clay content and properties on sorption, desorption and loss of water extractable organic C (WEOC), two experiments were conducted. In experiment 1, a loamy sand alone (native) or mixed with clay isolated from a surface or subsoil (78 and 96% clay) resulting in 90, 158 and 175 g clay kg(-1) soil. These soil treatments were leached with different WEOC concentrations, and then CO2 release was measured for 28 days followed by leaching with reverse osmosis water at the end of experiment. The second experiment was conducted to determine WEOC sorption and desorption of clays isolated from the loamy sand (native), surface soil and subsoil. Addition of clays isolated from surface and subsoil to sandy loam increased WEOC sorption and reduced C leaching and cumulative respiration in percentage of total organic C and WEOC added when expressed per g soil and per g clay. Compared to clays isolated from the surface and subsoil, the native clay had higher concentrations of illite and exchangeable Ca(2+), total organic C and a higher CEC but a lower extractable Fe/Al concentration. This indicates that compared to the clay isolated from the surface and the subsoil, the native clay had fewer potential WEOC binding sites because it had lower Fe/Al content thus lower number of binding sites and the existing binding sites are already occupied native organic matter. The results of this study suggest that in the soils used here, the impact of clay on WEOC sorption and loss is dependent on its indigenous organic carbon and Fe and/or Al concentrations whereas clay mineralogy, CEC, exchangeable Ca(2+) and surface area are less important. © 2013.

Applications of fractional calculus to diffusion transport in clay-water system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korosak, D.; Cvikl, B.; Kramer, J.; Jecl, R.; Praprotnik, A.; Veselic, M.

2005-01-01

The analysis of the low-frequency conductivity spectra of the clay-water mixtures is presented. The conductivity spectra for samples at different water content values are shown to collapse to a single master curve when appropriately rescaled. The frequency dependence of the conductivity is shown to follow the power-law with the exponent η=0,67 before reaching the frequency-independent part. It is argued that the observed conductivity dispersion is a consequence of the anomalously diffusing ions in the clay-water system. The fractional Langevin equation is then used to describe the stochastic dynamics of the single ion. (author)

Influence of the clay content and drying of successive no solvents change in the morphology of polyamide 6 / clay membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, C.H.; Ferreira, R.S.B.; Bezerra, E.B.; Leite, A.M.D.; Araujo, E.D.; Lira, H.L.

2014-01-01

Membranes of polyamide 6/clay nanocomposites with different contents (1 and 3%) of Brazilian bentonite clay using the technique of phase inversion was obtained. The nanocomposites were obtained in a co-rotating twin screw extruder, by the melt intercalation method and were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), which showed possibly an exfoliated and / or partially exfoliated structure was obtained. The membranes were dried at room temperature and also by successive exchange of non-solvents, to prevent collapse the pores using ethanol and n-hexane as a non-solvent. From the photomicrographs of top surface by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed to morphology change in the membranes from the presence of different clay contents as well as drying the same by successive exchange of non-solvents, obtaining membranes with larger amount of pores uniformly distributed. (author)

Impact of the changes in the chemical composition of pore water on chemical and physical stability of natural clays. A review of natural cases and related laboratory experiments and the ideas on natural analogues for bentonite erosion/non-erosion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Puura, Erik (Eridicon OUe, Tartu (Estonia)); Kirsimaee, Kalle (Univ. of Tartu, Inst. of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Tartu (Estonia))

2010-01-15

A scientific literature survey was compiled with the specific objective to find information for smectite mobilization and/or retention in natural clay formations caused by contact with water with low ionic concentrations such as can be expected during and after an ice age. Evidence was sought if smectite particles are lost from the clay to the water and if accessory minerals that remain could form a growing filter slowing down or stopping further loss of smectite. Bentonites are present in geological layers for hundreds of millions of years. There is limited exchange with surrounding layers, eg K transported into the bentonite layer from surrounding shale layers leading to the increased illite % in smectite-illite of the bentonite. Another process is silicification of surrounding layers leading to lowered permeability of surrounding rocks. Geological literature data on historical bentonites do not consider colloid formation in low ionic strength water as relevant mechanism for smectite mobilization. However there are no studied cases where this could be a relevant mechanism (as proposed by colloid release scenario). Soil researchers have studied the mechanism of colloid release in laboratory experiments and have found that there has to be an abrupt change in infiltrating water quality leading to 'osmotic explosion'. Clogging the pores in the lower part of the soil column has followed, leading to dramatic decrease of hydraulic conductivity in vertical profile and increased surface runoff. So, although limited, there are literature evidences of clay colloids release from bentonites/smectites caused by low-ionic circumneutral water. The geological settings to look for natural analogue studies include (1) Bentonite/smectite similar to what is used in repository. (2) Water similar to the composition of glacial meltwater. (3) Scenario similar to what is proposed in the bentonite erosion project. The problem related to the study of historical bentonite profiles

Impact of the changes in the chemical composition of pore water on chemical and physical stability of natural clays. A review of natural cases and related laboratory experiments and the ideas on natural analogues for bentonite erosion/non-erosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puura, Erik; Kirsimaee, Kalle

2010-01-01

A scientific literature survey was compiled with the specific objective to find information for smectite mobilization and/or retention in natural clay formations caused by contact with water with low ionic concentrations such as can be expected during and after an ice age. Evidence was sought if smectite particles are lost from the clay to the water and if accessory minerals that remain could form a growing filter slowing down or stopping further loss of smectite. Bentonites are present in geological layers for hundreds of millions of years. There is limited exchange with surrounding layers, eg K transported into the bentonite layer from surrounding shale layers leading to the increased illite % in smectite-illite of the bentonite. Another process is silicification of surrounding layers leading to lowered permeability of surrounding rocks. Geological literature data on historical bentonites do not consider colloid formation in low ionic strength water as relevant mechanism for smectite mobilization. However there are no studied cases where this could be a relevant mechanism (as proposed by colloid release scenario). Soil researchers have studied the mechanism of colloid release in laboratory experiments and have found that there has to be an abrupt change in infiltrating water quality leading to 'osmotic explosion'. Clogging the pores in the lower part of the soil column has followed, leading to dramatic decrease of hydraulic conductivity in vertical profile and increased surface runoff. So, although limited, there are literature evidences of clay colloids release from bentonites/smectites caused by low-ionic circumneutral water. The geological settings to look for natural analogue studies include (1) Bentonite/smectite similar to what is used in repository. (2) Water similar to the composition of glacial meltwater. (3) Scenario similar to what is proposed in the bentonite erosion project. The problem related to the study of historical bentonite profiles is the

Mechanical properties of cohesive soils in dependence on the water quantity and mineralogical composition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ludvik Trauner

2003-12-01

Full Text Available This article explains the relationships between the water content, mineralogical properties and mechanical properties of saturated clays. The findings are based on theoretical analysis and were confirmed experimentally on monomineral clay samples. It was foundthat the quantity of intergrain water, which determines the undrained shear strength and compressibility of clays, consists of free pore water, and the firmly adsorbed water on the external surfaces of the clay grains. The free water quantity is the same for differentsaturated clays, at the same undrained shear strength, and same effective stress after consolidation and, likewise, the thickness of the water film around the clay grains. The total quantity of firmly adsorbed water depends on the specific surfaces of the clays. Theresult of this work is a new analytical formulation that gives the relationship between the water content and the mechanical properties of clays, taking into account their mineralogical characteristics.

Distribution, sources and composition of antibiotics in sediment, overlying water and pore water from Taihu Lake, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Jian [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China); Laboratory of Riverine Ecological Conservation and Technology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China); Zhang, Yuan, E-mail: zhangyuan@craes.org.cn [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China); Laboratory of Riverine Ecological Conservation and Technology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China); Zhou, Changbo [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China); Guo, Changsheng; Wang, Dingming [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China); Laboratory of Riverine Ecological Conservation and Technology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China); Du, Ping [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China); Luo, Yi [College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China); Wan, Jun; Meng, Wei [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China); Laboratory of Riverine Ecological Conservation and Technology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China)

2014-11-01

The occurrence of 15 antibiotics classified as sulphonamides, fluoroquinolones, macrolides, tetracyclines and trimethoprim in sediment, overlying water, and pore water matrices in Taihu Lake, China was studied. The total concentrations were from 4.1 μg/kg to 731 μg/kg, from 127 ng/L to 1210 ng/L, and from 1.5 ng/L to 216 ng/L in sediment, overlying water and pore water, respectively. Antibiotics in different locations originated from various sources, depending on human, agricultural and aquacultural activities. Composition analysis indicated that human-derived and animal-derived drugs significantly contributed to the total contamination of antibiotics in the lake, indicating the high complexity of contamination sources in Taihu Lake Basin. The in situ sediment–pore water partitioning coefficients were generally greater than sediment–overlying water partitioning coefficients, suggesting continuous inputs into the lake water. This study shows that antibiotics are ubiquitous in all compartments in Taihu Lake, and their potential hazards to the aquatic ecosystem need further investigation. - Highlights: • Antibiotics are ubiquitous in sediment, overlying water and pore water in Taihu Lake. • Antibiotics in Taihu Lake originated from human and nonhuman activities. • Ksp is higher than Ksw, indicating the continuous antibiotics input to lake water.

Distribution, sources and composition of antibiotics in sediment, overlying water and pore water from Taihu Lake, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Jian; Zhang, Yuan; Zhou, Changbo; Guo, Changsheng; Wang, Dingming; Du, Ping; Luo, Yi; Wan, Jun; Meng, Wei

2014-01-01

The occurrence of 15 antibiotics classified as sulphonamides, fluoroquinolones, macrolides, tetracyclines and trimethoprim in sediment, overlying water, and pore water matrices in Taihu Lake, China was studied. The total concentrations were from 4.1 μg/kg to 731 μg/kg, from 127 ng/L to 1210 ng/L, and from 1.5 ng/L to 216 ng/L in sediment, overlying water and pore water, respectively. Antibiotics in different locations originated from various sources, depending on human, agricultural and aquacultural activities. Composition analysis indicated that human-derived and animal-derived drugs significantly contributed to the total contamination of antibiotics in the lake, indicating the high complexity of contamination sources in Taihu Lake Basin. The in situ sediment–pore water partitioning coefficients were generally greater than sediment–overlying water partitioning coefficients, suggesting continuous inputs into the lake water. This study shows that antibiotics are ubiquitous in all compartments in Taihu Lake, and their potential hazards to the aquatic ecosystem need further investigation. - Highlights: • Antibiotics are ubiquitous in sediment, overlying water and pore water in Taihu Lake. • Antibiotics in Taihu Lake originated from human and nonhuman activities. • Ksp is higher than Ksw, indicating the continuous antibiotics input to lake water

The influence of clay minerals on acoustic properties of sandstones

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hansen, Olav

1997-12-31

This thesis aims to provide better understanding of the relationship between the acoustic properties and the petrophysical/mineralogical properties in sand-prone rock. It emphasizes the influence of clay minerals. The author develops a method to deposit clay minerals/mineral aggregates in pore space of a rigid rock framework. Kaolinite aggregates were flushed into porous permeable Bentheimer sandstone to evaluate the effect of pore filling minerals on porosity, permeability and acoustic properties. The compressional velocity was hardly affected by the clay content and it was found that the effect of minor quantities of pore filling minerals may be acoustically modelled as an ideal suspension, where the pore fluid bulk modulus is modified by the bulk modulus of the clay minerals. The influence of clays on acoustic velocities in petroleum reservoir rocks was investigated through ultrasonic measurements of compressional- and shear-waves on core material from reservoir and non-reservoir units on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The measured velocities decrease as the porosity increases, but are not strongly dependent on the clay content. The measured velocities are less dependent on the petrophysical and lithological properties than indicated by previous authors and published mathematical models, and stiffness reduction factors are introduced in two of the models to better match the data. Velocities are estimated along the wellbores based on non-sonic well logs and reflect well the actual sonic log well measurements. In some wells the compressional velocity cannot be modelled correctly by the models suggested. Very high compressional wave anisotropy was measured in the dry samples at atmospheric conditions. As the samples were saturated, the anisotropy was reduced to a maximum of about 30% and decreases further upon pressurization. Reservoir rocks retrieved from 2500 m are more stress dependent than those retrieved from less than 200 m depth. 168 refs., 117 figs., 24

Variations of marine pore water salinity and chlorinity in Gulf of Alaska sediments (IODP Expedition 341)

Science.gov (United States)

März, Christian; Mix, Alan C.; McClymont, Erin; Nakamura, Atsunori; Berbel, Glaucia; Gulick, Sean; Jaeger, John; Schneider (LeVay), Leah

2014-05-01

Pore waters of marine sediments usually have salinities and chlorinities similar to the overlying sea water, ranging around 34-35 psu (Practical Salinity Units) and around 550 mM Cl-, respectively. This is because these parameters are conservative in the sense that they do not significantly participate in biogeochemical cycles. However, pore water studies carried out in the frame of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and its predecessors have shown that salinities and chlorinities of marine pore waters can substantially deviate from the modern bottom water composition in a number of environmental settings, and various processes have been suggested to explain these phenomena. Also during the recent IODP Expedition 341 that drilled five sites in the Gulf of Alaska (Northeast Pacific Ocean) from the deep Surveyor Fan across the continental slope to the glaciomarine shelf deposits, several occurrences of pore waters with salinities and chlorinities significantly different from respective bottom waters were encountered during shipboard analyses. At the pelagic Sites U1417 and U1418 (~4,200 and ~3,700 m water depth, respectively), salinity and chlorinity maxima occur around 20-50 m sediment depth, but values gradually decrease with increasing drilling depths (down to 30 psu in ~600 m sediment depth). While the pore water freshening at depth is most likely an effect of clay mineral dehydration due to increasing burial depth, the shallow salinity and chlorinity maxima are interpreted as relicts of more saline bottom waters that existed in the North Pacific during the Last Glacial Maximum (Adkins et al., 2002). In contrast, the glaciomarine slope and shelf deposits at Site U1419 to U1421 (~200 to 1,000 m water depth) are characterised by unexpectedly low salinitiy and chlorinity values (as low as 16 psu and 295 mM Cl-, respectively) already in very shallow sediment depths (~10 m), and their records do not show systematic trends with sediment depth. Freshening

Hydraulic and mechanical behavior of landfill clay liner containing SSA in contact with leachate.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qian; Lu, Haijun; Liu, Junzhu; Wang, Weiwei; Zhang, Xiong

2018-05-01

Sewage sludge ash (SSA) produced by municipal sludge can be used as a modified additive for clay liner, and improves the working performance of landfill clay liner in contact with leachate. Under the action of landfill leachate, the permeability, shear strength, phase composition, and pore structure of the modified clay are investigated through the flexible wall permeability test, triaxial shear test, thermal gravimetric and differential thermal analysis, and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption test, respectively. The hydraulic conductivity of the modified clay containing 0-5% SSA is in the range of 3.94 × 10 -8 -1.16 × 10 -7  cm/s, and the pollutant concentration of the sample without SSA was higher than others. The shear strength of the modified clay is more than that of the traditional clay liner, the cohesion rate of modified clay increases from 32.5 to 199.91 kPa, and the internal friction angle decreases from 32.5° to 15.6°. Furthermore, the weight loss rates of the samples are 15.69%, 17.92%, 18.06%, and 20.68%, respectively, when the SSA content increases from 0% to 5%. The total pore volume and average pore diameter of the modified clay decrease with the increase in the SSA content, respectively. However, the specific area of the modified clay increases with the increase in the SSA content.

Enhanced water transport and salt rejection through hydrophobic zeolite pores

Science.gov (United States)

Humplik, Thomas; Lee, Jongho; O'Hern, Sean; Laoui, Tahar; Karnik, Rohit; Wang, Evelyn N.

2017-12-01

The potential of improvements to reverse osmosis (RO) desalination by incorporating porous nanostructured materials such as zeolites into the selective layer in the membrane has spurred substantial research efforts over the past decade. However, because of the lack of methods to probe transport across these materials, it is still unclear which pore size or internal surface chemistry is optimal for maximizing permeability and salt rejection. We developed a platform to measure the transport of water and salt across a single layer of zeolite crystals, elucidating the effects of internal wettability on water and salt transport through the ≈5.5 Å pores of MFI zeolites. MFI zeolites with a more hydrophobic (i.e., less attractive) internal surface chemistry facilitated an approximately order of magnitude increase in water permeability compared to more hydrophilic MFI zeolites, while simultaneously fully rejecting both potassium and chlorine ions. However, our results also demonstrated approximately two orders of magnitude lower permeability compared to molecular simulations. This decreased performance suggests that additional transport resistances (such as surface barriers, pore collapse or blockages due to contamination) may be limiting the performance of experimental nanostructured membranes. Nevertheless, the inclusion of hydrophobic sub-nanometer pores into the active layer of RO membranes should improve both the water permeability and salt rejection of future RO membranes (Fasano et al 2016 Nat. Commun. 7 12762).

Enhanced water transport and salt rejection through hydrophobic zeolite pores.

Science.gov (United States)

Humplik, Thomas; Lee, Jongho; O'Hern, Sean; Laoui, Tahar; Karnik, Rohit; Wang, Evelyn N

2017-12-15

The potential of improvements to reverse osmosis (RO) desalination by incorporating porous nanostructured materials such as zeolites into the selective layer in the membrane has spurred substantial research efforts over the past decade. However, because of the lack of methods to probe transport across these materials, it is still unclear which pore size or internal surface chemistry is optimal for maximizing permeability and salt rejection. We developed a platform to measure the transport of water and salt across a single layer of zeolite crystals, elucidating the effects of internal wettability on water and salt transport through the ≈5.5 Å pores of MFI zeolites. MFI zeolites with a more hydrophobic (i.e., less attractive) internal surface chemistry facilitated an approximately order of magnitude increase in water permeability compared to more hydrophilic MFI zeolites, while simultaneously fully rejecting both potassium and chlorine ions. However, our results also demonstrated approximately two orders of magnitude lower permeability compared to molecular simulations. This decreased performance suggests that additional transport resistances (such as surface barriers, pore collapse or blockages due to contamination) may be limiting the performance of experimental nanostructured membranes. Nevertheless, the inclusion of hydrophobic sub-nanometer pores into the active layer of RO membranes should improve both the water permeability and salt rejection of future RO membranes (Fasano et al 2016 Nat. Commun. 7 12762).

On the effect of hot water vapor on MX-80 clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pusch, Roland

2000-10-01

Earlier experiments with smectite clay exposed to hot water vapor have indicated that the expandability may be largely lost. If such conditions prevail in a HLW repository the buffer clay may deteriorate and lose its isolating potential. The present study aimed at checking this by hydrothermal treatment at 90 to 110 deg C of rather dense MX-80 clay with subsequent oedometer testing for determining the hydration rate, swelling pressure and hydraulic conductivity, which are all expected to be quite different from those of untreated clay if the expandability is actually reduced. The results show that the swelling pressure of MX-80 clay is not noticeably altered by exposing it to vapor with a temperature of up to 110 deg C for one month while the hydraulic conductivity is increased by about 10% due to some permanent microstructural alteration. The overall change in physical properties of MX-80 clay under the prevailing laboratory conditions is not very significant

On the effect of hot water vapor on MX-80 clay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pusch, Roland [Geodevelopment AB, Lund (Sweden)

2000-10-01

Earlier experiments with smectite clay exposed to hot water vapor have indicated that the expandability may be largely lost. If such conditions prevail in a HLW repository the buffer clay may deteriorate and lose its isolating potential. The present study aimed at checking this by hydrothermal treatment at 90 to 110 deg C of rather dense MX-80 clay with subsequent oedometer testing for determining the hydration rate, swelling pressure and hydraulic conductivity, which are all expected to be quite different from those of untreated clay if the expandability is actually reduced. The results show that the swelling pressure of MX-80 clay is not noticeably altered by exposing it to vapor with a temperature of up to 110 deg C for one month while the hydraulic conductivity is increased by about 10% due to some permanent microstructural alteration. The overall change in physical properties of MX-80 clay under the prevailing laboratory conditions is not very significant.

The chemical composition of sea water and pore water in the manganese nodule area of the Central Pacific

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchig, V.; Gundlach, H.; Schnier, C.

1981-11-01

Analyses for the following elements were made on 118 samples of pore water and 23 samples of sea water from the radiolarian ooze area of the Central Pacific: Na, Ca, Br, Sr (major elements) and Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Ag, Sb, Cs, Eu, Ta, Hg, U. The average concentration of most of the elements analyzed is higher in the pore water than in the sea water. The enrichment of elements in both the pore water and the bottom near sea water relative to the average composition of the sea water depends on the residence times of the elements in the sea water - the shorter the residence time the greater the enrichment. The enrichment of an element in these sea and pore waters is also dependant on the chemical species in which it occurs in the sea water. The enrichment seems to be greater for hydroxides, less for complex chloride ions and there is no enrichment for simple ions. The enrichment of the elements occuring as hydroxides (Fe, Cu, Cr, Sc, Eu) or complex chlorides (Mn, Ni, Co, Zn, Ag, Hg, Se) results in precipitation from the sea water, which contributes to the growth of the manganese nodules as well as to the genesis of metalliferous sediments in this area. The greater enrichment in the pore water relative to the sea water accounts for the remobilization of these elements from the sediment as the main source of the material for the growth of the manganese nodules. (orig.) [de

Utilization of crushed clay brick in cellular concrete production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali A. Aliabdo

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this research program is to study the effect of using crushed clay brick as an alternative aggregate in aerated concrete. Two series of mixtures were designed to investigate the physico-mechanical properties and micro-structural analysis of autoclave aerated concrete and foamed concrete, respectively. In each series, natural sand was replaced with crushed clay brick aggregate. In both series results showed a significant reduction in unit weight, thermal conductivity and sound attenuation coefficient while porosity has increased. Improvement on compressive strength of autoclave aerated concrete was observed at a percentage of 25% and 50% replacement, while in foamed concrete compressive strength gradually decreased by increasing crushed clay brick aggregate content. A comparatively uniform distribution of pore in case of foamed concrete with natural sand was observed by scanning electron microscope, while the pores were connected mostly and irregularly for mixes containing a percentage higher than 25% clay brick aggregate.

Influence of natural mobile organic matter on europium retention on Bure clay rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vu-Do, Laurence

2013-01-01

Bure clay rock (CR) was chosen as host rock for the French high and intermediate level long lived radioactive waste repository. This choice is mostly explained by the retention ability of the Callovo-Oxfordian rock (COx). Bure clay rock contains natural organic matter (OM) that could have an influence on radionuclide retention. The aim of this work is to assess the influence of natural mobile OM on the retention of Eu on clay rock. Eu was chosen as a chemical model for trivalent actinides contained in vitrified waste. Three organic molecules were studied: suberic, sorbic and tiglic acids, small organic acids identified in COx pore water. All the experiments were carried out in an environment recreating COx water (pH=7.5; I=0.1 mol/L; PCO 2 =10 -2 bar).Clay rock sample characterization showed that the sample used in this work was similar to those previously extracted from the area of interest and that it was necessary to maintain pH at 7.5 to avoid altering the clay rock. The Eu-OM system study indicated that organic acids had no influence on Eu speciation in COx water. The Eu-CR system experimental study confirmed that retention implied sorption on CR (C(Eu)≤6.10 -6 mol/L) and precipitation in COx water (C(Eu)≥6.10 -6 mol/L). Distribution coefficient Rd (quantifying sorption) was estimated at 170 ± 30 L/g. This high value is consistent with literature values obtained on clay rocks. The ternary Eu-OM-CR system study showed a slight increase of sorption in the presence of organic matter. This synergistic effect is very satisfactory in terms of storage security: the presence of small organic acids in clay rock does not question retention properties with respect to europium and trivalent actinides. (author)

Geotechnical characterization of boom clay in relation to the disposal of radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horseman, S.T.; Winter, M.G.; Enwistle, D.C.

1987-01-01

This report describes the results of a laboratory study on the geotechnical properties of the Tertiary Boom clay. Tests were performed on 'undisturbed' samples of clay taken from a location 247 m below surface at the SCK/CEN experimental site at Mol in Belgium. In geotechnical terms, the Boom clay (at depth) may be described as a hard, high-plasticity, overconsolidated clay. Test methods have included (a) the one-dimensional consolidation test with consolidation stresses up to 32 MPa, (b) the one dimensional swelling pressure test, (c) the isotropically-consolidated, undrained (CIU) triaxial test with pore pressure measurement, and (d) the unconsolidated undrained (UU) triaxial test. All triaxial tests were load-controlled. Limited test results are presented on pore pressure responses during heating under undrained conditions and on the effect of elevated temperature (80 O C) on deformability and strength. It is found that significantly large excess pore pressures (circa 1 MPa under in situ stress conditions) may be developed during heating from ambient laboratory temperature to 80 O C. The effect is due, at least in part, to the expansion of the pore fluid

The hydrogeochemistry of four inactive tailings impoundments: Perspectives on tailings pore-water evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blowes, D.W.; Cherry, J.A.; Reardon, E.J.

1987-01-01

Extensive hydrogeochemical investigations are currently underway at three inactive tailings impoundments in Canada. These programs include detailed measurements of pore-water and gas-phase geochemistry through the vadose zone and the groundwater zone. An extensive piezometer network has been installed at each location to monitor the groundwater flow regime. All of the impoundments studied have been inactive for 15 to 25 years, sufficient time for extensive tailings pore-water evolution. The study areas include a very high-sulfide impoundment, a low-sulfide, high-carbonate impoundment, a low-sulfide, very low-carbonate impoundment, and a moderately high-sulfide impoundment. The pore water at each of the sites has evolved in a distinctly different and characteristic manner, representing broad styles of tailings pore-water evolution. At the high sulfide impoundment the oxidation of sulfide minerals has resulted in low pH, high redox potential conditions, with Fe 2+ concentrations in excess of 60,000 mg/L. At a depth of about 40 cm a 10 cm thick layer of ferrous and calcium sulfate minerals has precipitated. This hardpan layer limits the downward movement of O 2 and infiltrating pore waters. As a result, the pore water chemistry, both above and below the hardpan layer, has remained relatively unchanged over the past 10 years. The low-sulfide, high-carbonate tailings are sufficiently well buffered that no low pH conditions are present. The high pH conditions limit the concentrations of the metals released by sulfide mineral oxidation to levels that are two or three orders of magnitude less than is observed at the high-sulfide site. Pore waters at the low-sulfide, low-carbonate site were sampled by other researchers from the University of Waterloo

Water-mineral interaction in hygromechanics of clays exposed to environmental loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hueckel, T.A.

1992-01-01

Water-mineral interaction in narrow interstices (<3 nm) in dense, saturated clays is discussed in view of recent experimental findings and molecular dynamics simulations. Consequences to the macroscopic behavior are considered. A mixture theory for two interacting constituents is developed. Effects of temperature and chemicals are discussed. A postulate of mass transfer of absorbed water from solid to fluid fraction caused by thermal or chemical load is then discussed. Theory of plasticity of clays affected by heat or chemicals is developed to deal with the effects of thermal and chemical consolidation

Evaluation of the permeability of microporous membranes polyamide 6 / clay bentonite for water-oil separation; Avaliacao da permeabilidade de membranas microporosas de poliamida 6/argila bentonitica para separacao agua-oleo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Medeiros, P.S.S.; Medeiros, K.M.; Araujo, E.M.; Lira, H.L., E-mail: keilamm@ig.com.br [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), PB (Brazil). Unidade Academica de Engenharia de Materiais

2014-07-01

The petroleum refining industries have faced major problems in relation to the treatment of their effluents before disposal into the environment. Among the conventional technologies treatment of these effluents, the process of oil-water separation by means of membranes has been extensively used, for having enormous potentiality. Therefore, in this study, hybrid membranes of polyamide 6/ bentonite clay were produced by the technique of phase inversion and by precipitation of the solution from the nanocomposites obtained by melt intercalation. The clay was organically modified with the quaternary ammonium salt (Cetremide®). The nanocomposites were obtained from (PA6) with untreated (AST) and treated clay (ACT), which were subsequently characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Already membranes were characterized by XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and flow measurements. From the XRD results, it was observed an exfoliated and/or partially exfoliated structure for the nanocomposites and for the membranes. From SEM images it was observed that the presence of AST and ACT clays in the polymeric matrix caused changes in membrane morphology and pore formation. The flow with distilled water in the membranes showed a decrease initially and then followed by stability. All membranes tested in the process of separating emulsions of oil in water, particularly those of nanocomposites obtained a significant reduction of oil concentration in the permeate, thus showing that these membranes have a great potential to be applied to the water-oil separation. (author)

Comparative study of illite clay and illite-based geopolymer products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sperberga, I; Sedmale, G; Zeila, K; Ulme, D; Stinkulis, G

2011-01-01

Quaternary (Q-clay) clayey deposits are one of the dominating parts of mineral raw materials of the sedimentary cover at present area of Latvia. These clays can be characterised by illite content up to 75-80 %. Two ways for use of illite clays were studied: conventional and geopolymers method. Purpose of the second mentioned method was showing the influence of alkali (KOH) on the transformation of Q-clay/illite structure. Obtained products were investigated by IR-spectroscopy, DTA and XRD, pore size distribution was determined as well. Some ceramic properties and compressive strength were determined and compared. IR-spectrum showed the effect of alkali on the transformation of Q-clay/illite structure in three main absorption bands: 3620-3415 cm -1 which is related to the vibrational modes of adsorbed water between SiO 4 and AlO 6 layers; new stronger absorption bands at 1635 cm -1 and 1435 cm -1 indicate on the appearance of vibrations in Q-KOH and are related to the K-O-Si bonds; the most essential changes are vibrations at 850 cm -1 showing the changes in the coordination number of Al from 6 to 4 for Q-KOH. Investigations of the bulk density in dependence on temperature showed the small increase of bulk density for Q-clay while - the relatively remarkable decrease for Q-clay/KOH. Mentioned values correlate with the compressive strength of Q-clay and Q-KOH products.

Sediment pore water distribution coefficients of PCB congeners in enriched black carbon sediment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, Andres; O'Sullivan, Colin; Reible, Danny; Hornbuckle, Keri C.

2013-01-01

More than 2300 sediment pore water distribution coefficients (K PCBids ) of 93 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured and modeled from sediments from Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal. K PCBids were calculated from previously reported bulk sediment values and newly analyzed pore water. PCBs in pore waters were measured using SPME PDMS-fiber and ∑PCB ranged from 41 to 1500 ng L −1 . The resulting K PCBids were ∼1 log unit lower in comparison to other reported values. A simple model for the K PCBid consisted of the product of the organic carbon fraction and the octanol–water partition coefficient and provided an excellent prediction for the measured values, with a mean square error of 0.09 ± 0.06. Although black carbon content is very high in these sediments and was expected to play an important role in the distribution of PCBs, no improvement was obtained when a two-carbon model was used. -- Highlights: •PCB sediment-pore water distribution coefficients were measured and modeled. •Distribution coefficients were lower in comparison to other reported values. •Organic carbon fraction times the K OW yielded the best prediction model. •The incorporation of black carbon into a model did not improve the results. -- The organic carbon fraction times the octanol–water partition coefficient yielded the best prediction model for the sediment pore water distribution coefficient of PCBs

Presence and evolution of natural organic matter in the boom clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Geet, M.; Deniau, I.; Largeau, C.; Bruggeman, C.; Maes, A.; Dierckx, A.

2004-01-01

Because of its very low hydraulic conductivity, reducing conditions, slightly alkaline pH, high specific surface, high cation exchange capacity and high plasticity, the Boom Clay is studied as a reference host formation for the deep disposal of high-level long-lived radioactive waste (NIRAS/ONDRAF, 1989). However, Boom Clay also contains up to 5% wt. of organic matter (OM). As radionuclides can form complexes with this organic matter, a detailed characterisation and knowledge of the evolution of the organic matter is necessary. An overview of the characteristics of the organic matter present in Boom Clay is given by Van Geet et al., (2003). The solid phase OM can be up to 5%. The dissolved OM fraction is around 200 mg C per liter of Boom Clay pore water. Both kinds of OM will be discussed. Concerning the solid phase OM the focus will be on the past evolution and its possible future evolution due to a thermal stress. For the dissolved OM, the focus will be on its origin. (author)

The synthesis and application of pillared clays prepared from charge reduced montmorillonite

Science.gov (United States)

Engwall, Erik Edwin

The synthesis of pillared interlayered clays (PILCs) makes use of the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of clay minerals to prop their structures open with large hydroxy-metal cations. Homo-ionic Ca-Montmorillonite with a CEC of 83.9 meq/100 g has been partially exchanged with varied amounts of Li+ and heated to 200°C for 24 hours. These have been used to produce Zr and Al PILCs making use of ethanol/water synthesis solutions to overcome the hydrophobic nature of the clay. For the Zr-PILC system, the d(001) spacings determined by x-ray diffraction (XRD) were relatively constant at 19.0--20.1 A with respect to changing the unpillared CEC. The Zr-PILCs had type I isotherms for argon at 87 K and for benzene, p-xylene and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene adsorption at 30°C. Several Al-PILC synthesis procedures were evaluated and all produced materials whose adsorption capacity decreased with decreasing unpillared CEC. This reduction in adsorption capacity with unpillared CEC could be partially overcome by the combined use of ethanol/water pillaring solutions with ethanol/water washing. Previously unreported d(001) values in the range of 26.8 to 29.8 A were observed in Al-PILCs and were often bimodal with the expected values of about 18 A. These larger d(001) values were most prevalent at lower CEC values, if pillaring conditions favored the formation of polymeric species other than the Keggin cation. A new micropore size distribution model was developed to better understand PILC pore structure. The new model was compared to the Horvath and Kawazoe (1983) model (HK) and the Cheng and Yang (1994) model (CY) using argon adsorption at 87 K on Zr and Al-PILCs. The interlayer spacings determined by XRD for the test PILCs were 9.5 and 8.5 A for Zr and Al-PILCs respectively. Pore sizes predicted by the new model were 7.5 and 7.3 A for Zr and Al-PILCs respectively. The new model consistently predicts values that are closer to the interlayer spacing than either the HK or CY models. The new

Sorption and desorption of carbamazepine from water by smectite clays.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Weihao; Ding, Yunjie; Boyd, Stephen A; Teppen, Brian J; Li, Hui

2010-11-01

Carbamazepine is a prescription anticonvulsant and mood stabilizing pharmaceutical administered to humans. Carbamazepine is persistent in the environment and frequently detected in water systems. In this study, sorption and desorption of carbamazepine from water was measured for smectite clays with the surface negative charges compensated with K+, Ca2+, NH4+, tetramethylammonium (TMA), trimethylphenylammonium (TMPA) and hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) cations. The magnitude of sorption followed the order: TMPA-smectite≥HDTMA-smectite>NH4-smectite>K-smectite>Ca-smectite⩾TMA-smectite. The greatest sorption of carbamazepine by TMPA-smectite is attributed to the interaction of conjugate aromatic moiety in carbamazepine with the phenyl ring in TMPA through π-π interaction. Partitioning process is the primary mechanism for carbamazepine uptake by HDTMA-smectite. For NH4-smectite the urea moiety in carbamazepine interacts with exchanged cation NH4+ by H-bonding hence demonstrating relatively higher adsorption. Sorption by K-, Ca- and TMA-smectites from water occurs on aluminosilicate mineral surfaces. These results implicate that carbamazepine sorption by soils occurs primarily in soil organic matter, and soil mineral fractions play a secondary role. Desorption of carbamazepine from the sorbents manifested an apparent hysteresis. Increasing irreversibility of desorption vs. sorption was observed for K-, Ca-, TMA-, TMPA- and HDTMA-clays as aqueous carbamazepine concentrations increased. Desorption hysteresis of carbamazepine from K-, Ca-, NH4-smectites was greater than that from TMPA- and HDTMA-clays, suggesting that the sequestrated carbamazepine molecules in smectite interlayers are more resistant to desorption compared to those sorbed by organic phases in smectite clays. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of hazardous waste leachate on performance of clay liners.

Science.gov (United States)

Mosavat, Nasim; Nalbantoglu, Zalihe

2013-02-01

Penetration of hazardous liquids through waste containment barriers exerts contamination and considerable alterations in geotechnical properties of clay liners. In general, these changes are attributed to the variation of the dielectric constant and the chemistry of the pore fluids which cause changes in soil structure. In the present study, a series of laboratory tests were performed on natural and contaminated clay soil permeated with different hazardous liquids: ethylene glycol and toluene which are generally found in petroleum-contaminated sites, possessing intermediate and low dielectric constants. Toluene was used in its pure form and ethylene glycol was used at various percentages of 0, 20, 40 and 60% by the volume of distilled water. In addition, natural sea water was also utilized as an inorganic fluid for permeation and salinization of the clay soil. The overall test results indicated that plasticity, sedimentation time, unconfined compressive strength, swell and compressibility generally decreased with increasing organic fluid/water concentration, while a slight increase in the permeability values was observed. Pure toluene resulted in diminution of plasticity and considerable flocculation of the particles which caused the soil to become granular. Sea water also caused particle flocculation and reduction in plasticity, swell potential and unconfined compressive strength, although it was noted that compressibility properties remained unchanged compared to distilled water. Finally, the correlation between the electrical resistivity and plasticity index values suggested that the electrical resistivity measurements can be used as a detecting technique for subsurface soil and waste barrier contamination.

Anisotropy of the Subsoil Pore System As Affected by High Mechanical Stresses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berisso, Feto Esimo; Schjønning, Per; Keller, Thomas

and horizontally at 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 m depths (the two lower depths only in Sweden) in two treatments (compacted and control). Water retention, air permeability (ka) and gas diffusivity (Ds/Do) were determined in the laboratory. We defined an anisotropy factor (AF) as the ratio of a certain soil property...... measured in the horizontal direction to the same property measured in vertical direction. For both soils and both treatments, ka at -100 hPa was higher in vertical direction than in horizontal direction (AF ....12 – 0.34 in the sandy loam soil and clay soil, respectively. AF was closer to 1 for the compacted treatments for both soils. We applied Ball’s tube model for the pore system and calculated the number of soil pores in a given soil cross-sectional area and the tube-equivalent pore diameter. Vertical cores...

Method for preventing plugging of water wells by clay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blazhkov, V I

1966-01-01

A method is suggested for preventing the plugging of water-bearing sands by clay from drilling fluids. It consists in placing a cement plug in the upper nipple above the filter, in order to prevent its plugging during the installation. The drilling mud passes through the rinsing windows and fills the internal void of the filter column, thus preventing further percolation and plugging of the filter during its lowering. When a 2-filter column is lowered, the clay solution is pumped into the interval between the cement plug and the next filter; this is done gradually in proportion to the addition of new pipes. When the drilling mud level lowers in the annular space between the pipes, the mud cake, together with water-saturated sand, passes through the rinsing windows into the pipes and is removed to the surface by airlift or other methods. This procedure is described in detail, discussed for various conditions of well structure, and illustrated by schematic drawings. Its advantage is in the possibility of separate testing and production of all water-bearing zones in the well, and it does not require the use of pure water for well washing.

Multi-scale modeling of the behaviour of water and ions clays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rotenberg, B.

2007-10-01

Predicting the fate of radioactive waste stored in a clay formation requires a good understanding of the transport properties of water and ions in clays. Their diffusion in this charged porous medium is described by empirical parameters such as their partitioning coefficient Kd which accounts for the interactions with the mineral surfaces. The present work deals with the relevance of this concept and its definition based on microscopic grounds. We have first modeled the ionic contribution to the dielectric properties of clays and suggested an experimental determination of Kd from dielectric spectroscopy measurements. Using microscopic simulations (Monte-Carlo and Molecular Dynamics), we then have computed the Gibbs free energy and enthalpy for ionic exchange in the case of alkaline cations. They control the value of Kd and its evolution with the temperature. The results for cesium are in good agreement with both microcalorimetric measurements and the determination of Kd at different temperatures. We have participated in the development of a new lattice simulation method (Lattice Fokker-Planck), which we have then used to link explicitly the microscopic dynamics of ions to the diffusion-reaction model underlying the definition of Kd. Finally, we have used Molecular Dynamics to investigate the kinetics of exchange of water and ions between clay particles (interlayer) and the extra-particle porosity. The results confirm the generally admitted idea that water and ions can explore the whole porosity, whereas anions are excluded from the interlayers. (author)

Concentrated aqueous sodium chloride solution in clays at thermodynamic conditions of hydraulic fracturing: Insight from molecular dynamics simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Svoboda, Martin; Lísal, Martin

2018-06-01

To address a high salinity of flow-back water during hydraulic fracturing, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and study the thermodynamics, structure, and diffusion of concentrated aqueous salt solution in clay nanopores. The concentrated solution results from the dissolution of a cubic NaCl nanocrystal, immersed in an aqueous NaCl solution of varying salt concentration and confined in clay pores of a width comparable to the crystal size. The size of the nanocrystal equals to about 18 Å which is above a critical nucleus size. We consider a typical shale gas reservoir condition of 365 K and 275 bar, and we represent the clay pores as pyrophyllite and Na-montmorillonite (Na-MMT) slits. We employ the Extended Simple Point Charge (SPC/E) model for water, Joung-Cheatham model for ions, and CLAYFF for the slit walls. We impose the pressure in the normal direction and the resulting slit width varies from about 20 to 25 Å when the salt concentration in the surrounding solution increased from zero to an oversaturated value. By varying the salt concentration, we observe two scenarios. First, the crystal dissolves and its dissolution time increases with increasing salt concentration. We describe the dissolution process in terms of the number of ions in the crystal, and the crystal size and shape. Second, when the salt concentration reaches a system solubility limit, the crystal grows and attains a new equilibrium size; the crystal comes into equilibrium with the surrounding saturated solution. After crystal dissolution, we carry out canonical MD simulations for the concentrated solution. We evaluate the hydration energy, density profiles, orientation distributions, hydrogen-bond network, radial distribution functions, and in-plane diffusion of water and ions to provide insight into the microscopic behaviour of the concentrated aqueous sodium chloride solution in interlayer galleries of the slightly hydrophobic pyrophyllite and hydrophilic Na-MMT pores.

A minimalistic microbial food web in an excavated deep subsurface clay rock.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagnoud, Alexandre; de Bruijn, Ino; Andersson, Anders F; Diomidis, Nikitas; Leupin, Olivier X; Schwyn, Bernhard; Bernier-Latmani, Rizlan

2016-01-01

Clay rocks are being considered for radioactive waste disposal, but relatively little is known about the impact of microbes on the long-term safety of geological repositories. Thus, a more complete understanding of microbial community structure and function in these environments would provide further detail for the evaluation of the safety of geological disposal of radioactive waste in clay rocks. It would also provide a unique glimpse into a poorly studied deep subsurface microbial ecosystem. Previous studies concluded that microorganisms were present in pristine Opalinus Clay, but inactive. In this work, we describe the microbial community and assess the metabolic activities taking place within borehole water. Metagenomic sequencing and genome-binning of a porewater sample containing suspended clay particles revealed a remarkably simple heterotrophic microbial community, fueled by sedimentary organic carbon, mainly composed of two organisms: a Pseudomonas sp. fermenting bacterium growing on organic macromolecules and releasing organic acids and H2, and a sulfate-reducing Peptococcaceae able to oxidize organic molecules to CO(2). In Opalinus Clay, this microbial system likely thrives where pore space allows it. In a repository, this may occur where the clay rock has been locally damaged by excavation or in engineered backfills. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Simulation with Phast of the pore water chemistry experiment results (Mont Terri Url, Switzerland), including transport, thermodynamics, kinetics, and biological activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tournassat, C.; Gaucher, E.; Pearson, F.J.; Mettler, S.; Wersin, P.

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: The Pore water Chemistry (PC-)experiment was initially designed to determine the processes that control the redox properties of pore water in the Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri URL. However, changes in isotopic data and chemical parameters such as pH, alkalinity, dissolved methane, acetate and sulphate concentrations indicated unexpected microbial activity. The origin of the bacteria is not clear. In the light of published data, an indigenous origin cannot be ruled out. A combined biological and reactive transport model has been developed with the parallel PHAST software to simulate the processes that determine pore water chemistry. The influence of bacterial activity on the system is successfully modelled by considering different reaction pathways scenarios including aceto-genesis, methano-genesis, and methane/acetate oxidation coupled to sulphate reduction. Several conclusions can be clearly stated in the light of the simulation results: - The measured redox potentials (redox electrode) are in line with the S(-II)/S(+VI) redox system. - In the undisturbed pore water, S(-II) and S(+VI) activities are controlled by a mineral assemblage containing pyrite and a Fe carbonate (siderite or ankerite). pH is buffered by mineral phases and SO 4 2- concentration is inherited from the marine sedimentary rock. - Some local redox potentials in the sedimentary rock do not correspond to the measured redox potential; for instance, organic matter/HCO 3 - and CH 4 /HCO 3 - systems are not at equilibrium with the measured redox potential. - Redox disequilibrium can be exploited by micro-organisms as a source of energy for their metabolism. In this experiment CH 4 , acetate and other organic acids were produced and SO 4 2- was reduced to HS - . The redox properties of the system are then governed by kinetics rather than by thermodynamic equilibrium. The unexpected persistence of acetate in the borehole water is one of the consequences of these

Understanding the role of pore size homogeneity in the water transport through graphene layers

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Jiaye; Zhao, Yunzhen; Fang, Chang

2018-06-01

Graphene is a versatile 2D material and attracts an increasing amount of attention from a broad scientific community, including novel nanofluidic devices. In this work, we use molecular dynamics simulations to study the pressure driven water transport through graphene layers, focusing on the pore size homogeneity, realized by the arrangement of two pore sizes. For a given layer number, we find that water flux exhibits an excellent linear behavior with pressure, in agreement with the prediction of the Hagen–Poiseuille equation. Interestingly, the flux for concentrated pore size distribution is around two times larger than that of a uniform distribution. More surprisingly, under a given pressure, the water flux changes in an opposite way for these two distributions, where the flux ratio almost increases linearly with the layer number. For the largest layer number, more distributions suggest the same conclusion that higher water flux can be attained for more concentrated pore size distributions. Similar differences for the water translocation time and occupancy are also identified. The major reason for these results should clearly be due to the hydrogen bond and density profile distributions. Our results are helpful to delineate the exquisite role of pore size homogeneity, and should have great implications for the design of high flux nanofluidic devices and inversely the detection of pore structures.

The effects of waste leachates on the hydraulic conductivity of natural clays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernandez, F

1989-01-01

Sanitary land filling remains a viable alternative for disposal of the ever increasing volumes of municipal solid waste. Current landfill design practice requires the presence of a clay barrier (liner) that may consist of either a natural stratum or compacted clay borrow. The liner acts as a hydraulic barrier to control the flux of contaminants from the waste into the adjacent groundwater. In order to do this clay liners are required to have low hydraulic conductivity, k (typically 10{sup {minus}8} cm/s) that shall not increase during exposure to waste leachate. This thesis reports the assessment of compatibility between natural clays from Sarnia, Ontario, and various leachates ranging from municipal solid waste leachate to concentrated organic solvents. The studies were performed using specially designed fixed-ring permeameters that allowed controlling confining effective stresses, volume changes in the soil specimen and chemistry of the influent and effluent permeants. The Sarnia clays appeared to be compatible with domestic waste leachate, showing slight reductions in k. Extensive retardation of potassium from the leachate required long testing periods (up to twelve pore volumes) before the soils were deemed to be in chemical equilibrium. Concentrated, water-soluble organics (ethanol and dioxane) increased the hydraulic conductivity of compacted clays by 100 to 1,000-fold, thus destroying their effectiveness as liners. Water-compacted clays appeared remarkably resistant to penetration by concentrated hydrophobic solvents such as cyclohexane. Large hydraulic gradients (up to {approximately}900) were required to produce breakthrough along compaction induced fractures. However, alcohols and surfactants can facilitate the entry of hydrophobic liquids into the double layers causing large increased in k.

Induced polarization of clay-sand mixtures: experiments and modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okay, G.; Leroy, P.; Tournassat, C.; Ghorbani, A.; Jougnot, D.; Cosenza, P.; Camerlynck, C.; Cabrera, J.; Florsch, N.; Revil, A.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Frequency-domain induced polarization (IP) measurements consist of imposing an alternative sinusoidal electrical current (AC) at a given frequency and measuring the resulting electrical potential difference between two other non-polarizing electrodes. The magnitude of the conductivity and the phase lag between the current and the difference of potential can be expressed into a complex conductivity with the in-phase representing electro-migration and a quadrature conductivity representing the reversible storage of electrical charges (capacitive effect) of the porous material. Induced polarization has become an increasingly popular geophysical method for hydrogeological and environmental applications. These applications include for instance the characterization of clay materials used as permeability barriers in landfills or to contain various types of contaminants including radioactive wastes. The goal of our study is to get a better understanding of the influence of the clay content, clay mineralogy, and pore water salinity upon complex conductivity measurements of saturated clay-sand mixtures in the frequency range ∼1 mHz-12 kHz. The complex conductivity of saturated unconsolidated sand-clay mixtures was experimentally investigated using two types of clay minerals, kaolinite and smectite in the frequency range 1.4 mHz - 12 kHz. Four different types of samples were used, two containing mainly kaolinite (80% of the mass, the remaining containing 15% of smectite and 5% of illite/muscovite; 95% of kaolinite and 5% of illite/muscovite), and the two others containing mainly Na-smectite or Na-Ca-smectite (95% of the mass; bentonite). The experiments were performed with various clay contents (1, 5, 20, and 100% in volume of the sand-clay mixture) and salinities (distilled water, 0.1 g/L, 1 g/L, and 10 g/L NaCl solution). In total, 44 saturated clay or clay-sand mixtures were prepared. Induced polarization measurements

Effects of coal and wheat husk additives on the physical, thermal and mechanical properties of clay bricks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmad, S.; Iqbal, Y.; Muhammad, R.

2017-07-01

The use of by-products as additives in brick industry is gaining increased research attention due to their effective role in decreasing the total energy needs of industrial furnaces. In addition, these additives leave pores upon burning, causing a decrease in thermal conductivity and affect the mechanical properties of bricks as well. In the present study, various proportions of coal and wheat husk were used as additives in the initial ingredients of clay bricks. Microstructure, thermal conductivity, coefficient of thermal diffusivity, water absorption, shrinkage, compressive strength and bulk density of fired clay bricks with and without additives were investigated. Clay bricks containing 5–15wt.% additives were found to be within the permissible limits for most of the recommended standard specifications. (Author)

Contaminant characterization of sediment and pore-water in the Clinch River and Poplar Creek

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levine, D.A.; Harris, R.A.; Campbell, K.R.; Hargrove, W.W.; Rash, C.D.

1995-01-01

Sediment and pore-water samples were collected from 80 locations in the Clinch River and Poplar Creek system to characterize concentrations and spatial distribution of contaminants for use in ecological risk assessment. Sediment cores were collected at each site and the top 15 cm was analyzed to represent the biologically active zone. Sediment for pore-water extraction was collected in large volumes using a Ponar grab sampler. Pore-water was extracted from this sediment using centrifugation, All samples were analyzed for metals (including methyl mercury), organics, and radiological constituents. Additionally, sediment was analyzed for physical properties: particle size distribution, density, and porosity. Sediment and pore-water were also analyzed for total organic carbon and nitrogen and ammonia levels. Sediment and pore-water were also analyzed for total organic carbon and nitrogen and ammonia levels. Sediment and pre-water results indicate that there are several areas where concentrations of a variety of contaminants are high enough to causes ecological effects. These locations in the river are immediately downstream from know sources of Contamination from on-site DOE facilities. East Fork Poplar Creek is a source of several metals, including mercury, cadmium, chromium, and copper. Mitchell Branch is a source of number of metals, uranium isotopes, technetium-99, and several PAHs. There are two clear sources of arsenic and selenium to the system, one in Poplar Creek and one in Melton Hill Reservoir, both related to past disposal of coal-ash. High concentrations in sediments did not always coincide with high concentrations in pore-water for the same sites and contaminants. This appears to be related to particle size of the sediment and total organic carbon

WET-sensor pore water EC calibration for three horticultural soils

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Balendonck, J.; Bruins, M.A.; Wattimena, M.R.; Voogt, W.; Huys, A.

2005-01-01

The WET-sensor is a frequency domain dielectric sensor that measures permittivity, conductivity and temperature, which can be used for monitoring soil water content and electrical conductivity in horticulture. By using a specific model it measures pore water conductivity as well. However, under

Modelling of the thermomechanical behaviour of saturated clays: application to the radioactive wastes disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahbaoui, A.

1995-01-01

During the waste disposal of containers, the clay barriers of backfill and the confining medium, which is essentially composed of clay, are submitted to heavy thermal stresses which induce volume change and can result in material failure. The clay, composed of solid skeleton, adsorbed water, and free water, is submitted to physico-chemical interactions which influence its thermomechanical behaviour, itself quits different from granular media such as sand. The principal factor responsible for this response is the effect of temperature on the clays water. Thus, the loss of special structure of adsorbed water and the increase in thickness of the diffused double-layer provoke microstructural rearrangement mechanisms of particles. Those mechanisms are strongly correlated with the mechanical state of material. When it is highly over-consolidated, an irreversible swelling occurs during thermal cycle, accompanied by a breaking up of the particles and a permanent expansion of meso-pores. The greater the OCR, the more important the thermal swelling. When the material is normally consolidated, the particles settle during heating under the external stress, which results in a denser rearrangement of the material. With a slight over-consolidated material, all the intermediate stages between the above mechanisms can be reached. However, cooling produces only a weak reversible compression characterising the thermal contraction of the components. Those microscopic phenomena have been used to elaborate a macroscopic thermomechanical model based on the Cam-Clay and the Hujeux Models. The model formulation includes a thermal softening, on one hand, by the reduction of the mechanical yield surface f c and the translation of the thermal yield surface f T (PTL), and, on the other hand, an irreversible thermal expansive volumetric strain. This approach of the problem was tested along various thermomechanical paths and especially on the laboratory tests, on the expansive and non expansive

Free water transport, small pore transport and the osmotic pressure gradient

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Parikova, Alena; Smit, Watske; Zweers, Machteld M.; Struijk, Dirk G.; Krediet, Raymond T.

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND: Water transport in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients occurs through the small pores and water channels, the latter allowing free water transport (FWT). The osmotic gradient is known to be one of the major determinants of water transport. The objective of the study was to analyse the

Effect of Water-Cement Ratio on Pore Structure and Strength of Foam Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhongwei Liu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Foam concrete with different dry densities (400, 500, 600, 700, and 800 kg/m3 was prepared from ordinary Portland cement (P.O.42.5R and vegetable protein foaming agent by adjusting the water-cement ratio through the physical foaming method. The performance of the cement paste adopted, as well as the structure and distribution of air pores, was characterized by a rheometer, scanning electron microscope, vacuum water saturation instrument, and image analysis software. Effects of the water-cement ratio on the relative viscosity of the cement paste, as well as pore structure and strength of the hardened foam concrete, were discussed. Results showed that water-cement ratio can influence the size, distribution, and connectivity of pores in foam concrete. The compressive strength of the foam concrete showed an inverted V-shaped variation law with the increase in water-cement ratio.

Influence of hydrological regime on pore water metal concentrations in a contaminated sediment-derived soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du Laing, G.; Vanthuyne, D.R.J.; Vandecasteele, B.; Tack, F.M.G.; Verloo, M.G.

2007-01-01

Options for wetland creation or restoration might be limited because of the presence of contaminants in the soil. The influence of hydrological management on the pore water concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn in the upper soil layer of a contaminated overbank sedimentation zone was investigated in a greenhouse experiment. Flooding conditions led to increased Fe, Mn, Ni and Cr concentrations and decreased Cd, Cu and Zn concentrations in the pore water of the upper soil layer. Keeping the soil at field capacity resulted in a low pore water concentration of Fe, Mn and Ni while the Cd, Cu, Cr and Zn concentrations increased. Alternating hydrological conditions caused metal concentrations in the pore water to fluctuate. Formation and re-oxidation of small amounts of sulphides appeared dominant in determining the mobility of Cd, Cu, and to a lesser extent Zn, while Ni behaviour was consistent with Fe/Mn oxidation and reduction. These effects were strongly dependent on the duration of the flooded periods. The shorter the flooded periods, the better the metal concentrations could be linked to the mobility of Ca in the pore water, which is attributed to a fluctuating CO 2 pressure. - The hydrological regime is a key factor in determining the metal concentration in the pore water of a contaminated sediment-derived soil

Radioactive pollution of the Chernobyl cooling pond bottom sediments. I. Water-physical properties, chemical compound and radioactive pollution of pore water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. S. Pirnach

2011-03-01

Full Text Available First results of complex research of the Chernobyl cooling pond bottom sediments are presented. The general problematic is considered. Information about vertical distribution of bottom sediments water-physical properties, and also ionic compound and radioactive pollution 137Cs and 90Sr of pore water is received. The inventory of bottom sediments pore water activity is calculated. Strong correlations between concentration in pore water 137Cs, K +, NH4 + within the selected sediments columns are found out. Results of researches are intended for the forecast of radioecological situation change in the cooling pond water-soil complex during drying-up.

Geotechnical variability of permafrozen glaciomarine clays in Sdr. Strømfjord in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foged, Niels Nielsen; Ingeman-Nielsen, Thomas; Belmonte, Louise Josefine

2014-01-01

-going in the area at Strømfjordshavn. The C14 datings of marine shells collected on the marine clay terraces at level 300kPa. Clay minerals were weathered causing moderate to high activity and plasticity despite the formation age of only 7000 years. (b) The "River Bank Erosion Cut" 2 km east of the Airport Terminal...... level with Upper Marine Limit (UML) varying from +120 to +140m at the West Coast to +40 at Kangerlussuaq. This retreat is well documented through C14-dating in the local area near to Kangerlussuaq Airport related to Fjord Stages F2 (+60m/8300 y BC) and F3 (+40m/8100 y BC) and Mt. Keglen stage (+40m/7200....... We studied a frozen marine clay deposit at +35 m with stratified ice layers under sandy gravel top layer. During laboratory analysis using fall cone testing a thawed clay sample was found to be quick (St>700) due to dilution of pore water salts. Multidisciplinary approach was necessary for this study....

Capillary pressure at irregularly shaped pore throats: Implications for water retention characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Suh, Hyoung Suk; Kang, Dong Hun; Jang, Jaewon; Kim, Kwang Yeom; Yun, Tae Sup

2017-12-01

The random shapes of pore throats in geomaterials hinder accurate estimation of capillary pressure, and conventional pore network models that simply use the Young-Laplace equation assuming circular pore throats overestimate the capillary pressure. As a solution to this problem that does not complicate the pore network model or slow its implementation, we propose a new morphological analysis method to correlate the capillary pressure at an irregular pore channel with its cross-sectional geometry using lattice Boltzmann (LB) simulation and Mayer and Stowe-Princen theory. Geometry-based shape factors for pore throats are shown here to correlate strongly with the capillary pressure obtained by LB simulation. Water retention curves obtained by incorporating the morphological calibration into conventional pore network simulation and their correlative scheme agree well with experimental data. The suggested method is relevant to pore-scale processes such as geological CO2 sequestration, methane bubbling from wetlands, and enhanced carbon recovery.

Time evolution of the Clay Barrier Chemistry in a HLW deep geological disposal in granite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Font, I.; Miguel, M. J.; Juncosa, R.

2000-01-01

The main goal of a high level waste geological disposal is to guarantee the waste isolation from the biosphere, locking them away into very deep geological formations. The best way to assure the isolation is by means of a multiple barrier system. These barriers, in a serial disposition, should assure the confinement function of the disposal system. Two kinds of barriers are considered: natural barriers (geological formations) and engineered barriers (waste form, container and backfilling and sealing materials). Bentonite is selected as backfilling and sealing materials for HLW disposal into granite formations, due to its very low permeability and its ability to fill the remaining spaces. bentonite has also other interesting properties, such as, the radionuclide retention capacity by sorption processes. Once the clay barrier has been placed, the saturation process starts. The granite groundwater fills up the voids of the bentonite and because of the chemical interactions, the groundwater chemical composition varies. Near field processes, such as canister corrosion, waste leaching and radionuclide release, strongly depends on the water chemical composition. Bentonite pore water composition is such a very important feature of the disposal system and its determination and its evolution have great relevance in the HLW deep geological disposal performance assessment. The process used for the determination of the clay barrier pore water chemistry temporal evolution, and its influence on the performance assessment, are presented in this paper. (Author)

Field Test Design Simulations of Pore-Water Extraction for the SX Tank Farm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Truex, Michael J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Oostrom, Martinus [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2013-09-01

A proof of principle test of pore water extraction is being performed by Washington River Protection Solutions for the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of River Protection. This test is being conducted to meet the requirements of Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (HFFACO) (Ecology et al. 1989) Milestone M 045-20, and is described in RPP-PLAN-53808, 200 West Area Tank Farms Interim Measures Investigation Work Plan. To support design of this test, numerical simulations were conducted to help define equipment and operational parameters. The modeling effort builds from information collected in laboratory studies and from field characterization information collected at the test site near the Hanford Site 241-SX Tank Farm. Numerical simulations were used to evaluate pore-water extraction performance as a function of the test site properties and for the type of extraction well configuration that can be constructed using the direct-push installation technique. Output of simulations included rates of water and soil-gas production as a function of operational conditions for use in supporting field equipment design. The simulations also investigated the impact of subsurface heterogeneities in sediment properties and moisture distribution on pore-water extraction performance. Phenomena near the extraction well were also investigated because of their importance for pore-water extraction performance.

Characterisation of gas transport properties of the Opalinus clay, a potential host rock formation for radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marschall, P.; Horseman, S.; Gimmi, T.

2005-01-01

The Opalinus Clay in Northern Switzerland has been identified as a potential host rock formation for the disposal of radioactive waste. Comprehensive understanding of gas transport processes through this low-permeability formation forms a key issue in the assessment of repository performance. Field investigations and laboratory experiments suggest an intrinsic permeability of the Opalinus Clay in the order of 10 -20 to 10 -21 m 2 and a moderate anisotropy ratio ≤ 10. Porosity depends on clay content and burial depth; values of ∼ 0.12 are reported for the region of interest. Porosimetry indicates that about 10-30% of voids can be classed as macro-pores, corresponding to an equivalent pore radius > 25 nm. The determined entry pressures are in the range of 0.4-10 MPa and exhibit a marked dependence on intrinsic permeability. Both in situ gas tests and gas permeameter tests on drill-cores demonstrate that gas transport through the rock is accompanied by pore water displacement, suggesting that classical flow concepts of immiscible displacement in porous media can be applied when the gas entry pressure (i.e. capillary threshold pressure) is less than the minimum principal stress acting within the rock. Essentially, the pore space accessible to gas flow is restricted to the network of connected macro-pores, which implies a very low degree of desaturation of the rock during the gas imbibition process. At elevated gas pressures (i.e. when gas pressure approaches the level of total stress that acts on the rock body), evidence was seen for dilatancy controlled gas transport mechanisms. Further field experiments were aimed at creating extended tensile fractures with high fracture transmissivity (hydro- or gas-fractures). The test results lead to the conclusion that gas fracturing can be largely ruled out as a risk for post-closure repository performance. (authors)

Mobility of trace metals in pore waters of two Central European peat bogs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novak, Martin; Pacherova, Petra

2008-01-01

Vertical peat profiles can only be used as archives of past changes in pollution levels if atmogenic elements are immobile after their burial. For mobile elements, similar pore-water concentrations can be expected at different peat depths. Concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and Cd were determined in surface bog water and bog pore water 40 cm below surface in two Sphagnum-dominated peat bogs in the Czech Republic. Velke jerabi jezero (VJJ) is an upland bog located in an industrial area, Cervene blato (CB) is a lowland bog located in a rural area. Metal concentrations were monitored seasonally over 3 years (2002-2005) at both sites. Higher concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr and Cd and lower concentrations of Mn, Fe and Co were found at the less polluted CB compared to VJJ. No clear-cut seasonality was observed in metal concentrations in bog waters, despite seasonal differences in industrial emission rates of pollutants (more coal burning in winter than in summer). This contrasts with an earlier observation of distinct seasonality in sulfate concentration and isotope composition in these stagnating bog waters. Peat substrate 40 cm below current bog surface represented pre-industrial low-pollution environment, yet pore waters at such depths contained the same metal concentrations as surface waters. The only exception was Pb, whose concentration in water solutes increased with increasing depth. Lack of vertical stratification in pore-water contents of Cu, Zn, Cr, Mn, Fe and Co indicated vertical mobility of these metals

Study of the Effect of Clay Particles on Low Salinity Water Injection in Sandstone Reservoirs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sina Rezaei Gomari

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The need for optimal recovery of crude oil from sandstone and carbonate reservoirs around the world has never been greater for the petroleum industry. Water-flooding has been applied to the supplement primary depletion process or as a separate secondary recovery method. Low salinity water injection is a relatively new method that involves injecting low salinity brines at high pressure similar to conventional water-flooding techniques, in order to recover crude oil. The effectiveness of low salinity water injection in sandstone reservoirs depends on a number of parameters such as reservoir temperature, pressure, type of clay particle and salinity of injected brine. Clay particles present on reservoir rock surfaces adsorb polar components of oil and modify wettability of sandstone rocks to the oil-wet state, which is accountable for the reduced recovery rates by conventional water-flooding. The extent of wettability alteration caused by three low salinity brines on oil-wet sandstone samples containing varying clay content (15% or 30% and type of clay (kaolinite/montmorillonite were analyzed in the laboratory experiment. Contact angles of mica powder and clay mixture (kaolinite/montmorillonite modified with crude oil were measured before and after injection with three low salinity sodium chloride brines. The effect of temperature was also analyzed for each sample. The results of the experiment indicate that samples with kaolinite clay tend to produce higher contact angles than samples with montmorillonite clay when modified with crude oil. The highest degree or extent of wettability alteration from oil-wet to intermediate-wet state upon injection with low salinity brines was observed for samples injected with brine having salinity concentration of 2000 ppm. The increase in temperature tends to produce contact angles values lying in the higher end of the intermediate-wet range (75°–115° for samples treated at 50 °C, while their corresponding

Field sampling of soil pore water to evaluate trace element mobility and associated environmental risk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moreno-Jimenez, Eduardo, E-mail: eduardo.moreno@uam.es [Departamento de Quimica Agricola, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Beesley, Luke [James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH (United Kingdom); Lepp, Nicholas W. [35, Victoria Road, Formby, Liverpool L37 7DH (United Kingdom); Dickinson, Nicholas M. [Department of Ecology, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, PO Box 84 (New Zealand); Hartley, William [School of Computing, Science and Engineering, University of Salford, Cockcroft Building, Salford, M5 4WT (United Kingdom); Clemente, Rafael [Dep. of Soil and Water Conservation and Organic Waste Management, CEBAS-CSIC, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, PO Box 164, 30100 Espinardo, Murcia (Spain)

2011-10-15

Monitoring soil pollution is a key aspect in sustainable management of contaminated land but there is often debate over what should be monitored to assess ecological risk. Soil pore water, containing the most labile pollutant fraction in soils, can be easily collected in situ offering a routine way to monitor this risk. We present a compilation of data on concentration of trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in soil pore water collected in field conditions from a range of polluted and non-polluted soils in Spain and the UK during single and repeated monitoring, and propose a simple eco-toxicity test using this media. Sufficient pore water could be extracted for analysis both under semi-arid and temperate conditions, and eco-toxicity comparisons could be effectively made between polluted and non-polluted soils. We propose that in-situ pore water extraction could enhance the realism of risk assessment at some contaminated sites. - Highlights: > In situ pore water sampling successfully evaluates trace elements mobility in soils. > Field sampling proved robust for different soils, sites and climatic regimes. > Measurements may be directly related to ecotoxicological assays. > Both short and long-term monitoring of polluted lands may be achieved. > This method complements other widely used assays for environmental risk assessment. - In situ pore water sampling from a wide variety of soils proves to be a beneficial application to monitor the stability of pollutants in soils and subsequent risk through mobility.

Chemical modelling of pore water composition from PFBC residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karlsson, L.G.

1991-01-01

The concentration of trace elements varies depending on the source of the coal and also due to the combustion process used. Mercury is one important element among the trace elements in the coal residues, generally recognised as potentially harmful to the biological system. To predict the pore water concentrations of mercury and other important constituents leached from coal combustion residues disposal sites, mechanistic data on chemical reactions are required. The present study is an application of a basially thermodynamical approach using the geochemical code EQ3NR. The presence of discrete solid phases that control the aqueous concentrations of major elements such as aluminium, calcium and silicon are identified. Solid phases are modelled in equilibrium with a hypothetical pore water at a pH range of 7-11. In this study the thermodynamic database of EQ3NR has been complemented with data for cadmium, mercury and lead taken from the OECD/NEA Thermodynamic Database and from a compilation made by Lindsay. Possible solubility limiting phases for the important trace elements arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, nickel and lead have been identified. Concentrations of these trace elements as a function of pH in the hypothetical pore water were calculated using mechanistic thermodynamial data. The thermodynamical approach in this study seems justified because most solid residues that are either present or expected to form during weathering have relatively fast precipitation/dissolution kinetics. (21 refs., 18 figs., 5 tabs.)

Water storage change estimation from in situ shrinkage measurements of clay soils

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brake, te B.; Ploeg, van der M.J.; Rooij, de G.H.

2012-01-01

Water storage in the unsaturated zone is a major determinant of the hydrological behaviour of the soil, but methods to quantify soil water storage are limited. The objective of this study is to assess the applicability of clay soil surface elevation change measurements to estimate soil water storage

Geochemical of clay formations : study of Spanish clay REFERENCE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turrero, M. J.; Pena, J.

2003-01-01

Clay rocks are investigated in different international research programs in order to assess its feasibility for the disposal of high level radioactive wastes. This is because different sepcific aspects: they have low hydraulic conductivity (10''-11-10''-15 m/s), a high sorption capacity, self-sealing capacity of facults and discontinuities and mechanical resistance. Several research programs on clay formations are aimed to study the chemistry of the groundwater and the water-rock reactions that control it: e. g. Boom Clay (Mol, Belgium), Oxford Clay /Harwell, United Kingdom), Toarcian Clay (Tournemire, France), Palfris formation (Wellenberg, Switzerland), Opalinus Clay (Bure, France). Based on these studies, considerable progress in the development of techniques for hydrologic, geochemical and hydrogeochemical characterization of mudstones has been accomplished (e. g. Beaufais et al. 1994, De Windt el al. 1998. Thury and Bossart 1999, Sacchi and Michelot 2000) with important advances in the knowledge of geochemical process in these materials (e. g. Reeder et al. 1993, Baeyens and Brandbury 1994, Beaucaire et al. 2000, Pearson et al., 2003).Furtermore, geochemical modeling is commonly used to simulate the evolution of water chemistry and to understand quantitatively the processes controlling the groundwater chemistry (e. g. Pearson et al. 1998, Tempel and Harrison 2000, Arcos et al., 2001). The work presented here is part of a research program funded by Enresa in the context of its R and D program. It is focused on the characterization of a clay formation (reference Argillaceous Formation, RAF) located within the Duero Basin (north-centralSpain). The characterisation of th ephysical properties,, fluid composition, mineralogy, water-rock reaction processes, geochemical modelling and sorption properties of the clays from the mentioned wells is the main purpose of this work. (Author)

Analysis of the temperature and pore water pressure field in the TED heating experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garitte, B.; Vaunat, J.; Gens, A.; Conil, N.; Armand, G

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. The TED experiment is a heating experiment in Callovo-Oxfordian Clay performed in the Meuse Haute Marne underground research laboratory. It was set up by Andra to confirm the results obtained in a previous thermal experiment (TER). The main objectives are: characterisation of the thermal properties of intact argillite, identification of the Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical (THM) coupling parameters, improvement of the understanding of THM behaviour and comparison of parameters measured in-situ and in the laboratory. The three heaters in the TED experiment were installed parallel at a distance of about 2.7 m to reproduce as closely as possible the real storage case (HA cells). This arrangement should allow the verification of: i) the superposition of several temperature fields generated by the three heaters and ii) the overpressure generated in the symmetry planes between the three heaters. Three heaters 4 m long and 0.143 m diameter have been installed in parallel boreholes drilled form GED gallery. To limit the influence of the conditions prevailing in the gallery, a distance of 12 m have been left between the GED wall and the closest extremity of the heaters. Rock has been intensively instrumented within a zone of 15 m around the heaters. There are 108 thermal sensors, 10 pore pressure sensors, 2 extensometers/inclinometers, placed in 13 different small diameter boreholes (56 mm). 11 boreholes were filled with bentonite (those containing thermal and pore pressure sensors) and 2 of them left open (those equipped with extensometer/inclinometers). First heating started on 22 January 2010 at the central heater and consists of three steps: 120 days at 180 W, 150 days at 300 W and one last period at 600 W. The two lateral heaters have been switched on after 14 months following the same heating sequence. The concept and the results of the TED experiment are fully described in a companion paper. Concerning heat transport

Applying Squeezing Technique to Clayrocks: Lessons Learned from Experiments at Mont Terri Rock Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, A. M.; Sanchez-Ledesma, D. M.; Tournassat, C.; Melon, A.; Gaucher, E.; Astudillo, E.; Vinsot, A.

2013-01-01

Knowledge of the pore water chemistry in clay rock formations plays an important role in determining radionuclide migration in the context of nuclear waste disposal. Among the different in situ and ex-situ techniques for pore water sampling in clay sediments and soils, squeezing technique dates back 115 years. Although different studies have been performed about the reliability and representativeness of squeezed pore waters, more of them were achieved on high porosity, high water content and unconsolidated clay sediments. A very few of them tackled the analysis of squeezed pore water from low-porosity, low water content and highly consolidated clay rocks. In this work, a specially designed and fabricated one-dimensional compression cell two directional fluid flow was used to extract and analyse the pore water composition of Opalinus Clay core samples from Mont Terri (Switzerland). The reproducibility of the technique is good and no ionic ultrafiltration, chemical fractionation or anion exclusion was found in the range of pressures analysed: 70-200 MPa. Pore waters extracted in this range of pressures do not decrease in concentration, which would indicate a dilution of water by mixing of the free pore water and the outer layers of double layer water (Donnan water). A threshold (safety) squeezing pressure of 175 MPa was established for avoiding membrane effects (ion filtering, anion exclusion, etc.) from clay particles induced by increasing pressures. Besides, the pore waters extracted at these pressures are representative of the Opalinus Clay formation from a direct comparison against in situ collected borehole waters. (Author)

Applying Squeezing Technique to Clayrocks: Lessons Learned from Experiments at Mont Terri Rock Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernandez, A. M.; Sanchez-Ledesma, D. M.; Tournassat, C.; Melon, A.; Gaucher, E.; Astudillo, E.; Vinsot, A.

2013-07-01

Knowledge of the pore water chemistry in clay rock formations plays an important role in determining radionuclide migration in the context of nuclear waste disposal. Among the different in situ and ex-situ techniques for pore water sampling in clay sediments and soils, squeezing technique dates back 115 years. Although different studies have been performed about the reliability and representativeness of squeezed pore waters, more of them were achieved on high porosity, high water content and unconsolidated clay sediments. A very few of them tackled the analysis of squeezed pore water from low-porosity, low water content and highly consolidated clay rocks. In this work, a specially designed and fabricated one-dimensional compression cell two directional fluid flow was used to extract and analyse the pore water composition of Opalinus Clay core samples from Mont Terri (Switzerland). The reproducibility of the technique is good and no ionic ultrafiltration, chemical fractionation or anion exclusion was found in the range of pressures analysed: 70-200 MPa. Pore waters extracted in this range of pressures do not decrease in concentration, which would indicate a dilution of water by mixing of the free pore water and the outer layers of double layer water (Donnan water). A threshold (safety) squeezing pressure of 175 MPa was established for avoiding membrane effects (ion filtering, anion exclusion, etc.) from clay particles induced by increasing pressures. Besides, the pore waters extracted at these pressures are representative of the Opalinus Clay formation from a direct comparison against in situ collected borehole waters. (Author)

Polyacrylamide sorption opportunity on interlayer and external pore surfaces of contaminant barrier clays.

Science.gov (United States)

Inyang, Hilary I; Bae, Sunyoung

2005-01-01

Physico-chemical interactions among polymer molecules in aqueous solution and clay mineralogical/textural characteristics influence the sorption of polymer molecules on clay barrier minerals. Amendment of potentially unstable barrier clays with aqueous polymers can improve barrier material resistance to environmental stresses during service. In this research, the ability of molecular coils of polyacrylamide (PAM) to overlap in solution and to enter interlayer space in Na-montmorillonite (specific surface=31.82+/-0.22 m2 g(-1)) and kaolinite (specific surface=18+/-2 m2 g(-1)) were analyzed theoretically and experimentally, using solution viscosity measurements, and X-ray diffractometry. Experimental data on two theoretical indices: relative size ratio (RSR); and molecular availability (Ma) that are formulated to scale polymer molecular sorption on clay interlayer, indicate that the sorption of PAM A (Mw=4000000) and PAM B (Mw=7000000) does not produce any significant change in the d-spacing of both clay minerals. Although the negative Ma values of -3.51 g l(-1) for PAM A and -3.88 g l(-1) for PAM B indicate high levels of entanglement of polymer molecular coils in solution, sorption data confirm that the entangled coils are still able to sorb onto Na-montmorillonite highly and kaolinite to a lesser extent.

Pore Structure and Fractal Characteristics of Niutitang Shale from China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaodong Xi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A suite of shale samples from the Lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation in northwestern Hunan Province, China, were investigated to better understand the pore structure and fractal characteristics of marine shale. Organic geochemistry, mineralogy by X-ray diffraction, porosity, permeability, mercury intrusion and nitrogen adsorption and methane adsorption experiments were conducted for each sample. Fractal dimension D was obtained from the nitrogen adsorption data using the fractal Frenkel-Halsey-Hill (FHH model. The relationships between total organic carbon (TOC content, mineral compositions, pore structure parameters and fractal dimension are discussed, along with the contributions of fractal dimension to shale gas reservoir evaluation. Analysis of the results showed that Niutitang shale samples featured high TOC content (2.51% on average, high thermal maturity (3.0% on average, low permeability and complex pore structures, which are highly fractal. TOC content and mineral compositions are two major factors affecting pore structure but they have different impacts on the fractal dimension. Shale samples with higher TOC content had a larger specific surface area (SSA, pore volume (PV and fractal dimension, which enhanced the heterogeneity of the pore structure. Quartz content had a relatively weak influence on shale pore structure, whereas SSA, PV and fractal dimension decreased with increasing clay mineral content. Shale with a higher clay content weakened pore structure heterogeneity. The permeability and Langmuir volume of methane adsorption were affected by fractal dimension. Shale samples with higher fractal dimension had higher adsorption capacity but lower permeability, which is favorable for shale gas adsorption but adverse to shale gas seepage and diffusion.

Hydration of swelling clay and bacteria interaction. An experimental in situ reaction study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berger, J.

2008-01-01

This study reports on the physical-chemical behaviour of swelling di-octahedral clays (smectites) and their interaction with aqueous solutions and bacteria (Shewanella putrefaciens). Experimental results are presented for compacted clays, hydrated under confined volume conditions, using a new type of reaction-cell (the 'wet-cell' of Warr and Hoffman, 2004) that was designed for in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement. For comparison, dispersed clay systems were studied using standard batch solutions subjected to varying degrees of agitation. The combination of time-dependent in situ XRD measurements with gravimetric measurements and calculated diffraction patterns using the CALCMIX software (Plancon and Drits, 1999) allowed to successful quantification of the dynamics of water uptake and storage. This analytical procedure combined with published water vapour adsorption data enabled determination of the abundance of structured water layers, developed in the interlayer space, and the amount of water contained in different storage sites (interlayers, surfaces and pore spaces). Qualitative information on surface area and textural organization was also estimated based on calculated changes in the average particle thickness and the organization of water layer structures (ordering). Abiotic smectite hydration experiments, using a range of natural and industrial bentonites (SWy-2, IBECO, MX80, TIXOTON), focused on defining the role of the interlayer cation, variable clay packing densities and the ionic strength of the infiltrating solution. The rate of smectite hydration, as expected, was seen to be highly dependent on the type of interlayer cation (enhanced for Ca as opposed to Na) and the ionic strength of solution (enhanced uptake rates with saline solutions, particularly as they infiltrate Na-smectite). A range of dynamic changes in micro textural state occurred as a function of packing density. These changes explain the differences in hydration behaviour observed

Shearing of saturated clays in rock joints at high confining pressures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, C.; Mao, N.

1979-01-01

Saturated clays are sheared between rock joints at various pore water pressures and at confining pressures up to 3 kb (300 Mpa). Sliding on these joints is stable. For a given clay, the shear stress required to initiate sliding increases linearly with the effective normal stress across the sliding surface, with a slope of 0.08 +- 0.01 for joints filled with saturated montmorillonite, 0.12 +- 0.01 with saturated chlorite, 0.15 +- 0.01 with saturated kaolinite, and 0.22 +- 0.02 with saturated silty illite. Thus at high confining pressures the shear stress required to initiate sliding on joints filled with saturated clays are very much smaller than that required to initiate sliding on clean rock joints or on joints filled with dry gouge materials. In the crust, saturation of gouge materials along active faults would greatly lower the frictional resistance to faulting and would stabilize fault movement. Different fault behaviors such as stable creep along some faults and intermittent but sudden slip along others may reflect in part different degrees of saturation of fault zones at depth

The connectivity of pore space in mudstones: insights from high-pressure Wood's metal injection, BIB-SEM imaging, and mercury intrusion porosimetry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klaver, J.; Hemes, S.; Houben, M.; Desbois, G.; Radi, Z.; Urai, J.L.

2015-01-01

Study of the pore space in mudstones by mercury intrusion porosimetry is a common but indirect technique and it is not clear which part of the pore space is actually filled with mercury. We studied samples from the Opalinus Clay, Boom Clay, Haynesville Shale, and Bossier Shale Formations using

Pore-Water Carbonate and Phosphate As Predictors of Arsenate Toxicity in Soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamb, Dane T; Kader, Mohammed; Wang, Liang; Choppala, Girish; Rahman, Mohammad Mahmudur; Megharaj, Mallavarapu; Naidu, Ravi

2016-12-06

Phytotoxicity of inorganic contaminants is influenced by the presence of competing ions at the site of uptake. In this study, interaction of soil pore-water constituents with arsenate toxicity was investigated in cucumber (Cucumis sativa L) using 10 contrasting soils. Arsenate phytotoxicity was shown to be related to soluble carbonate and phosphate. The data indicated that dissolved phosphate and carbonate had an antagonistic impact on arsenate toxicity to cucumber. To predict arsenate phytotoxicity in soils with a diverse range of soil solution properties, both carbonate and phosphate were required. The relationship between arsenic and pore-water toxicity parameters was established initially using multiple regression. In addition, based on the relationship with carbonate and phosphate we successively applied a terrestrial biotic ligand-like model (BLM) including carbonate and phosphate. Estimated effective concentrations from the BLM-like parametrization were strongly correlated to measured arsenate values in pore-water (R 2 = 0.76, P soils.

Modelling bentonite pore waters for the Swiss high-level radioactive waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curti, E.

1993-11-01

The main objective of this investigation is to contribute to definition of representative compositions of bentonite pore waters in the near-field of the Swiss repository for high-level radioactive waste. Such compositions are necessary for determining the solubility limits of radionuclides for the safety analysis KRISTALLIN I. The model developed here is based on the premise, supported by experimental data, that the composition of bentonite pore waters is largely controlled by the dissolution or precipitation of reactive trace solids in bentonite. Selectivity constants for the exchange equilibria among Na-K, Na-Ca, and Ca-Mg were derived from water-bentonite interaction experiments performed for NAGRA by the British Geological Survey (BGS). An important parameter for the prediction of radionuclide solubilities is the oxidation potential of the bentonite water. Since the BGS experiments yielded no information on this, the oxidation potential had to be estimated from model assumptions. Bentonite pore waters were defined by computer simulation with the geochemical code MINEQL. They have been modelled in a closed system, i.e. assuming the bentonite, once it has reacted with a fixed volume of groundwater, does not exchange further chemical species with an external reservoir. No attempt was made to model the evolution of the pore water by simulating diffusive exchange processes. It can be anticipated that uncertainties in the concentrations of some major elements (e.g. Al, Si) will not significantly affect the calculated radionuclide solubilities. The latter will depend primarily on the concentrations of a few major ligands (OH - , Cl - and CO 3 -2 ) and, for multivalent elements, also on the oxidation potential of the solution. (author) 10 figs., 22 tabs., 40 refs

Matrix Pore Water in Low Permeable Crystalline Bedrock: An Archive for the Palaeohydrogeological Evolution of the Olkiluoto Investigation Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eichinger, F. [Hydroisotop GmbH, Schweitenkirchen (Germany); Waber, H. N. [Rock-Water Interaction, Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Bern (Switzerland); Smellie, J. A.T. [Conterra AB, Stockholm (Sweden)

2013-07-15

Matrix pore water in the connected inter- and intragranular pore space of low permeable crystalline bedrock interacts with flowing fracture groundwater predominately by diffusion. Based on the slow exchange between the two water reservoirs, matrix pore water acts as an archive of past changes in fracture groundwater compositions and thus of the palaeohydrological history of a site. Matrix pore water of crystalline bedrock from the olkiluoto investigation site (SW Finland) was characterised using the stable water isotopes ({delta}{sup 18}O, {delta}{sup 2}H), combined with the concentrations of dissolved chloride and bromide as natural tracers. The comparison of tracer concentrations in pore water and present day fracture groundwater suggest for the pore water the presence of old, dilute meteoric water components that infiltrated into the fractures during various warm climate stages. These different meteoric components can be discerned based on the diffusion distance between the two reservoirs and brought into context with the palaeohydrological evolution of the site. (author)

Adsorption of Dissolved Gases (CH4, CO2, H2, Noble Gases) by Water-Saturated Smectite Clay Minerals

Science.gov (United States)

Bourg, I. C.; Gadikota, G.; Dazas, B.

2016-12-01

Adsorption of dissolved gases by water-saturated clay minerals plays important roles in a range of fields. For example, gas adsorption in on clay minerals may significantly impact the formation of CH4 hydrates in fine-grained sediments, the behavior of CH4 in shale, CO2 leakage across caprocks of geologic CO2 sequestration sites, H2 leakage across engineered clay barriers of high-level radioactive waste repositories, and noble gas geochemistry reconstructions of hydrocarbon migration in the subsurface. Despite its importance, the adsorption of gases on clay minerals remains poorly understood. For example, some studies have suggested that clay surfaces promote the formation of CH4 hydrates, whereas others indicate that clay surfaces inhibit the formation of CH4 hydrates. Here, we present molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the adsorption of a range of gases (CH4, CO2, H2, noble gases) on clay mineral surfaces. Our results indicate that the affinity of dissolved gases for clay mineral surfaces has a non-monotone dependence on the hydrated radius of the gas molecules. This non-monotone dependence arises from a combination of two effects: the polar nature of certain gas molecules (in particular, CO2) and the templating of interfacial water structure by the clay basal surface, which results in the presence of interfacial water "cages" of optimal size for intermediate-size gas molecules (such as Ne or Ar).

Multi-scale experimental and numerical study of the structure and the dynamics of water confined in clay minerals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guillaud, Emmanuel Bertrand

2017-01-01

Clay are complex minerals with a multi-scale porosity and a remarkable ability to swell under humid atmosphere. These materials have many applications in catalysis, waste management, construction industry... However, the properties of confined water are still not fully understood, due in particular to the complexity of water itself. The aim of this work is, using mainly molecular simulations and vibrational spectroscopy, to understand the structure and the dynamics of water confined in clay minerals. To evaluate the accuracy of numerical models to describe water confined in clay minerals, and to understand the origin of its structural and dynamical properties, a large part of the work was devoted to the building blocks of clays: pure bulk water, water at the surface of a solid, and salt water. To this extent, the viscoelastic properties of water from the deeply supercooled regime to the boiling temperature were investigated using classical molecular dynamics. The evolution of the friction properties of water on a prototypical solid surface was also analyzed, and the accuracy of ab initio approaches and empirical salt models was studied. In a second part, those results were confronted to the properties of water confined in clay minerals at low and room temperature, studied both experimentally and numerically. Experimental work consisted mostly in extensive far- and -mid infrared absorption spectrometry measurements, whereas numerical work mainly consisted in empirical molecular dynamics simulations. Especially, the existence of confinement- or temperature-induced phase transitions of confined water was investigated. (author)

Structural Investigation of Alkali Activated Clay Minerals for Application in Water Treatment Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Bumanis, G.; Bajare, D.; Dembovska, L.

2015-11-01

Alkali activation technology can be applied for a wide range of alumo-silicates to produce innovative materials with various areas of application. Most researches focuse on the application of alumo-silicate materials in building industry as cement binder replacement to produce mortar and concrete [1]. However, alkali activation technology offers high potential also in biotechnologies [2]. In the processes where certain pH level, especially alkaline environment, must be ensured, alkali activated materials can be applied. One of such fields is water treatment systems where high level pH (up to pH 10.5) ensures efficient removal of water pollutants such as manganese [3]. Previous investigations had shown that alkali activation technology can be applied to calcined clay powder and aluminium scrap recycling waste as a foam forming agent to create porous alkali activated materials. This investigation focuses on the structural investigation of calcined kaolin and illite clay alkali activation processes. Chemical and mineralogical composition of both clays were determined and structural investigation of alkali activated materials was made by using XRD, DTA, FTIR analysis; the microstructure of hardened specimens was observed by SEM. Physical properties of the obtained material were determined. Investigation indicates the essential role of chemical composition of the clay used in the alkali activation process, and potential use of the obtained material in water treatment systems.

A large-scale laboratory investigation into the movement of gas and water through clay barriers exposed to the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

This report describes a large scale laboratory investigation into the movements of gas and water through clay barriers exposed to the environment. The test beds, each 3m square were constructed and filled with clay to a depth of 400 mm, after compaction. One test bed contained London Clay, the other Glacial Till. The clays were subjected to accelerated environmental cycling and tests carried out on samples of the clays at appropriate intervals. The tests included measurements of the mechanical, physical and chemical properties of the clays and their permeability to gas and water. Gas permeability emerged as the more appropriate for the clays being investigated. The report discusses the difficulties of measuring the permeability of partially saturated clays and the need to define the measuring techniques when specifying limiting acceptability values. 55 refs., 8 figs., 7 tabs., 27 plates

Mineral acquisition from clay by budongo forest chimpanzees

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reynolds, Vernon; Lloyd, Andrew W.; English, Christopher J.; Lyons, Peter; Dodd, Howard; Hobaiter, Catherine; Newton-Fisher, Nicholas; Mullins, Caroline; Lamon, Noemie; Schel, Anne Marijke; Fallon, Brittany

2015-01-01

Chimpanzees of the Sonso community, Budongo Forest, Uganda were observed eating clay and drinking clay-water from waterholes. We show that clay, clay-rich water, and clay obtained with leaf sponges, provide a range of minerals in different concentrations. The presence of aluminium in the clay

Toxicity of sediments and pore water from Brunswick Estuary, Georgia

Science.gov (United States)

Winger, Parley V.; Lasier, Peter J.; Geitner, Harvey

1993-01-01

A chlor-alkali plant in Brunswick, Georgia, USA, discharged >2 kg mercury/d into a tributary of the Turtle River-Brunswick Estuary from 1966 to 1971. Mercury concentrations in sediments collected in 1989 along the tributary near the chlor-alkali plant ranged from 1 to 27 μg/g (dry weight), with the highest concentrations found in surface (0–8 cm) sediments of subtidal zones in the vicinity of the discharge site. Toxicity screening in 1990 using Microtox® bioassays on pore water extracted on site from sediments collected at six stations distributed along the tributary indicated that pore water was highly toxic near the plant discharge. Ten-day toxicity tests on pore water from subsequent sediment samples collected near the plant discharge confirmed high toxicity to Hyalella azteca, and feeding activity was significantly reduced in whole-sediment tests. In addition to mercury in the sediments, other metals (chromium, lead, and zinc) exceeded 50 μg/g, and polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) concentrations ranged from 67 to 95 μg/g. On a molar basis, acid-volatile sulfide concentrations (20–45 μmol/g) in the sediments exceeded the metal concentrations. Because acid-volatile sulfides bind with cationic metals and form metal sulfides, which are generally not bioavailable, toxicities shown by these sediments were attributed to the high concentrations of PCBs and possibly methylmercury.

Silicon Isotopes of Marine Pore Water: Tracking the Destiny of Marine Biogenic Opal

Science.gov (United States)

Cassarino, L.; Hendry, K. R.

2017-12-01

Silicon isotopes (δ30Si) are a powerful tool for the studying of the past and present silicon cycles, which is closely linked to the carbon cycle. Siliceous phytoplankton, such as diatoms, as one of the major conveyors of carbon to marine sediments. δ30Si from fossil diatoms has been shown to represent past silicic acid (DSi) utilization in the photic zone, since the lighter isotope is preferentially incorporated in their skeleton, the frustule. This assumes that species in the sediments depict past blooms and that frustules are preserved in their initial state during burial. Here we present new silicon isotopes data of sea water and pore water of deep marine sediments from two contrasted environments, the Equatorial Atlantic and West Antarctic Peninsula. δ30Si and DSi concentration, of both sea water and pore water, are negatively correlated. Marine biogenic opal dissolution can be tracked using δ30Si signature of pore water as lighter signals and high DSi concentrations are associated with the biogenic silica. Our data enhances post depositional and diagenesis processes during burial with a clear highlight on the sediment water interface exchanges.

Effectiveness Study of Drinking Water Treatment Using Clays/Andisol Adsorbent in Lariat Heavy Metal Cadmium (Cd) and Bacterial Pathogens

Science.gov (United States)

Pranoto; Inayati; Firmansyah, Fathoni

2018-04-01

Water is a natural resource that is essential for all living creatures. In addition, water also caused of disease affecting humans. The existence of one of heavy metal pollutants cadmium (Cd) in the body of water is an environmental problem having a negative impact on the quality of water resources. Adsorption is one of the ways or methods that are often used for the treatment of wastewater. Clay and allophanic soil were used as Cd adsorbent by batch method. Ceramic filter was used to reduce Cd concentration in the ground water. This study aims to determine the effect of the composition of clay and Allophane, activation temperature and contact time on the adsorption capacity of Cd in the model solution. The optimum adsorption condition and the effectiveness of drinking water treatment in accordance with Regulation of the Minister of Health using clay/Andisol adsorbents in ensnare heavy metals Cd and bacterial pathogens. Identification and characterization of adsorbent is done by using NaF, Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), specific surface area and total acidity specific. The Cd metal concentrations were analysed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Adsorption isotherms determined by Freundlich and Langmuir equations. Modified water purification technology using ceramic filters are made with a mixture of clay and Andisol composition. The results showed samples of clay and Andisol containing minerals. The optimum condition of adsorption was achieved at 200 °C of activation temperature, 60 minutes of contact time and the 60:40 of clay:Andisol adsorbent composition. Freundlich isotherm represented Cd adsorption on the clay/Andisol adsorbent with a coefficient of determination (R2=0.99) and constant (k=1.59), higher than Langmuir (R2=0.89). The measurement results show the water purification technology using ceramic filters effectively reduce E. coli bacterial and Cd content in the water.

Hydrogen isotope ratios of clay minerals constituting clay veins found in granitic rocks in Hiroshima Prefecture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitagawa, Ryuji; Kakitani, Satoru; Kuroda, Yoshimatsu; Matsuo, Sadao; Suzuoki, Tetsuro.

1980-01-01

The deuterium content of the constitutional and interlayer water extracted from the clay minerals (illite, montmorillonite, interstratified illite-montmorillonite mineral, kaolinite, halloysite) constituting the clay veins found in the granitic rocks in Hiroshima Prefecture was measured. The clay minerals were heated at 270 deg C to extract the interlayer water, then heated to 1,400 or 1,500 deg C to extract the constitutional water. The deuterium content of the local surface water collected from sampling points was measured. In the clay veins formed along perpendicular joints, the constituent clay minerals change from lower to upper part: illite → montmorillonite → kaolinite → halloysite. The deuterium content values of the constitutional water for illite and montmorillonite were estimated to be -67 to -69% and -86 to -89%, respectively. The deuterium content values of the constitutional water for halloysite range from -68 to -80% and for kaolinite from -63 to -67%. (J.P.N.)

Estimation of soil water storage change from clay shrinkage using satellite radar interferometry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brake, te Bram

2017-01-01

Measurements of soil water storage are hard to obtain on scales relevant for water management and policy making. Therefore, this research develops a new measurement methodology for soil water storage estimation in clay containing soils. The proposed methodology relies on the specific property of

Development of nanocomposites polyamide66/ bentonite clay membranes obtained by solution for water-oil separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medeiros, Keila Machado de

2010-01-01

Microporous membranes were obtained from nanocomposites polyamide66 and regional bentonite clay, through the technique of immersion precipitation. The nanocomposites were obtained by solution with a pre-established reaction time. The clay was treated with quaternary ammonium salt (Cetremide®) in order to make it organophilic. Untreated and treated clay were characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetry (TG), which confirmed the insertion of the Cetremide® salt in the layers of clay and their thermal stability. While the membranes were characterized by XRD, TG, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and flow measurements. The results of XRD, TG and DSC confirmed the thermal stability and morphological structure with intercalated/partially exfoliated lamellae of clay in the polymer matrix. By SEM, it was revealed an asymmetric morphology consisting of a skin layer and a porous sublayer. The higher clay content in the membrane give the lower film thickness. This influencing directly the flow measurements of the membranes produced from the nanocomposites. In general, the initial flow with distilled water through the membranes decrease and stabilise after 60 min, this due to a compression or swelling occurred in the membranes. In tests of water-oil separation it was found that the relationship J/J0 tends to be greater when using emulsions with lower concentration. The water-oil separation tests at concentrations of 300 and 500 ppm for all membranes showed a significant reduction in oil concentration in the permeate, thus showing that these membranes have potential for this application. (author)

Water repellency of clay, sand and organic soils in Finland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. RASA

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Water repellency (WR delays soil wetting process, increases preferential flow and may give rise to surface runoff and consequent erosion. WR is commonly recognized in the soils of warm and temperate climates. To explore the occurrence of WR in soils in Finland, soil R index was studied on 12 sites of different soil types. The effects of soil management practice, vegetation age, soil moisture and drying temperature on WR were studied by a mini-infiltrometer with samples from depths of 0-5 and 5-10 cm. All studied sites exhibited WR (R index >1.95 at the time of sampling. WR increased as follows: sand (R = 1.8-5.0 < clay (R = 2.4-10.3 < organic (R = 7.9-undefined. At clay and sand, WR was generally higher at the soil surface and at the older sites (14 yr., where organic matter is accumulated. Below 41 vol. % water content these mineral soils were water repellent whereas organic soil exhibited WR even at saturation. These results show that soil WR also reduces water infiltration at the prevalent field moisture regime in the soils of boreal climate. The ageing of vegetation increases WR and on the other hand, cultivation reduces or hinders the development of WR.;

The petrography of the Jurassic core from the Harwell research site. Part 1: Kimmeridge Clay, Corallian Beds and Oxford Clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milodowski, A.E.

1983-06-01

Detailed examination by mineralogical and petrological techniques has enabled a detailed characterisation of the lithologies of the Oxford Clay, Corallian Beds and the Kimmeridge Clay beneath the Harwell Research Site. Information obtained has revealed the nature of the bulk mineralogy, pore-types, pore-surface mineralogy and post-depositional alteration of the rocks. Diagenesis has played an important part in determining the mineralogy, porosity and fabric of the rocks and has had the greatest variation of effects in the Corallian Beds, determining the phases now in contact with groundwater. It is these authigenic phases that are of key interest in assessing the behaviour of radionuclides which may be released into the local groundwater systems. The importance of the different pore-types characterised during this investigation and of the mineral phases lining these potential pathways for groundwater movement are discussed in detail at the end of this report. Diagenesis has reduced primary porosity in many of the Corallian rocks by calcite precipitation. In such rocks where a cohesive cement is present, groundwater flow must occur along large-scale fractures and more slowly along intercrystalline grain-boundary cracks. (author)

Pore-scale investigation on the response of heterotrophic respiration to moisture conditions in heterogeneous soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yan, Zhifeng; Liu, Chongxuan; Todd-Brown, Katherine E.; Liu, Yuanyuan; Bond-Lamberty, Ben; Bailey, Vanessa L.

2016-11-15

The relationship between microbial respiration rate and soil moisture content is an important property for understanding and predicting soil organic carbon degradation, CO₂ production and emission, and their subsequent effects on climate change. This paper reports a pore-scale modeling study to investigate the response of heterotrophic respiration to moisture conditions in soils and to evaluate various factors that affect this response. X-ray computed tomography was used to derive soil pore structures, which were then used for pore-scale model investigation. The pore-scale results were then averaged to calculate the effective respiration rates as a function of water content in soils. The calculated effective respiration rate first increases and then decreases with increasing soil water content, showing a maximum respiration rate at water saturation degree of 0.75 that is consistent with field and laboratory observations. The relationship between the respiration rate and moisture content is affected by various factors, including pore-scale organic carbon bioavailability, the rate of oxygen delivery, soil pore structure and physical heterogeneity, soil clay content, and microbial drought resistivity. Simulations also illustrates that a larger fraction of CO₂ produced from microbial respiration can be accumulated inside soil cores under higher saturation conditions, implying that CO₂ flux measured on the top of soil cores may underestimate or overestimate true soil respiration rates under dynamic moisture conditions. Overall, this study provides mechanistic insights into the soil respiration response to the change in moisture conditions, and reveals a complex relationship between heterotrophic microbial respiration rate and moisture content in soils that is affected by various hydrological, geochemical, and biophysical factors.

Visualizing and Quantifying Bioaccessible Pores in Field-Aged Petroleum Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Clay Soils Using Synchrotron-based X-ray Computed Tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, W.; Kim, J.; Zhu, N.; McBeth, J. M.

2015-12-01

Microbial hydrocarbon degradation is environmentally significant and applicable to contaminated site remediation practices only when hydrocarbons (substrates) are physically bioaccessible to bacteria in soil matrices. Powerful X-rays are produced by synchrotron radiation, allowing for bioaccessible pores in soil (larger than 4 microns), where bacteria can be accommodated, colonize and remain active, can be visualized at a much higher resolution. This study visualized and quantified such bioaccessible pores in intact field-aged, oil-contaminated unsaturated soil fractions, and examined the relationship between the abundance of bioaccessible pores and hydrocarbon biodegradation. Using synchrotron-based X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) at the Canadian Light Source, a large dataset of soil particle characteristics, such as pore volumes, surface areas, number of pores and pore size distribution, was generated. Duplicate samples of five different soil fractions with different soil aggregate sizes and water contents (13, 18 and 25%) were examined. The method for calculating the number and distribution of bioaccessible pores using CT images was validated using the known porosity of Ottawa sand. This study indicated that the distribution of bioaccessible pore sizes in soil fractions are very closely related to microbial enhancement. A follow-up aerobic biodegradation experiment for the soils at 17 °C (average site temperature) over 90 days confirmed that a notable decrease in hydrocarbon concentrations occurred in soils fractions with abundant bioaccessible pores and with a larger number of pores between 10 and 100 μm. The hydrocarbon degradation in bioactive soil fractions was extended to relatively high-molecular-weight hydrocarbons (C16-C34). This study provides quantitative information about how internal soil pore characteristics can influence bioremediation performance.

Modelling of clay diagenesis using a combined approach of crystalchemistry and thermochemistry: a case study in the smectite illitization.

Science.gov (United States)

Geloni, Claudio; Previde Massara, Elisabetta; Di Paola, Eleonora; Ortenzi, Andrea; Gherardi, Fabrizio; Blanc, Philippe

2017-04-01

Diagenetic transformations occurring in clayey and arenaceous sediments is investigated in a number of hydrocarbon reservoirs with an integrated approach that combines mineralogical analysis, crystalchemistry, estimation of thermochemical parameters of clay minerals, and geochemical modelling. Because of the extremely variable crystalchemistry of clays, especially in the smectite - illite compositional range, the estimation of thermochemical parameters of site-specific clay-rich rocks is crucial to investigate water-rock equilibria and to predict mineralogical evolutionary patterns at the clay-sandstone interface. The task of estimating the thermochemical properties of clay minerals and predicting diagenetic reactions in natural reservoirs is accomplished through the implementation of an informatized, procedure (IP) that consists of: (i) laboratory analysis of smectite, illite and mixed layers (I/S) for the determination of their textural characteristics and chemical composition; (ii) estimation of the thermodynamic and structural parameters (enthalpy, entropy, and free energy of formation, thermal capacity, molar volume, molar weight) with a MS Excel tool (XLS) specifically developed at the French Bureau of Geological and Mining Researches (BRGM); (iii) usage of the SUPCRT (Johnson et al., 1992) software package (thereinafter, SSP) to derive log K values to be incorporated in thermodynamic databases of the standard geochemical codes; (iv) check of the consistency of the stability domains calculated with these log K values with relevant predominance diagrams; (v) final application of geochemical and reactive transport models to investigate the reactive mechanisms under different thermal conditions (40-150°C). All the simulations consider pore waters having roughly the same chemical composition of reservoir pore waters, and are performed with The Geochemist Workbench (Bethke and Yeakel, 2015), PHREEQC (Parkhurst, 1999) and TOUGHREACT (Xu, 2006). The overall

Determination of the rare earth elements in marine pore waters and associated sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, H.; Elderfield, H.

Accurate and precise determinations of natural levels of rare earth elements (R.E.E.) in sea water and pore water are highly reliant upon the size and variability of the analytical blank, the method for determining the yield, and, to a lesser extent, the inherent precision of the instrument used. Isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) together with ultra-clean room techniques has been successfully used in the determinations of rare earth elements in pore waters. Simultaneous multi-element analysis by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP) provides an alternative to IDMS for a rapid determination of R.E.E. in sediments. (author)

Evaporation of J13 and UZ pore waters at Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenberg, N D; Gdowski, G E; Knauss, K G

2000-01-01

This work is motivated by a need to characterize the chemistry of aqueous films that might form at elevated temperatures on engineered components at the potential high-level, nuclear-waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Such aqueous films might form through evaporation of water that seeps into the drifts, or by water vapor absorption by hydroscopic salts directly deposited on these components (possibly from previous evaporation events or possibly from air-blown particles drawn into the drifts through a drift ventilation system). There is no consensus at this time on the chemical composition of water that might come in contact with engineered components at Yucca Mountain. Two possibilities have received the most attention: well J13 water and pore waters from the unsaturated zone (UZ) above the repository horizon. These waters represent the two major types of natural waters at Yucca Mountain. Well J13 water is a dilute Na-HCO 3 -CO 3 water, representative of regional perched water and groundwater. The UZ pore waters are Ca-Cl-SO 4 -rich waters with a higher dissolved ion content. These waters are less well-characterized. We have studied the evaporative evolution of these two major types of waters through a series of open system laboratory experiments, with and without crushed repository-horizon tuff present, conducted at sub-boiling temperatures (75 C-85 C)

Effect of Water on Elastic and Creep Properties of Self-Standing Clay Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrier, Benoit; Vandamme, Matthieu; Pellenq, Roland J-M; Bornert, Michel; Ferrage, Eric; Hubert, Fabien; Van Damme, Henri

2016-02-09

We characterized experimentally the elastic and creep properties of thin self-standing clay films, and how their mechanical properties evolved with relative humidity and water content. The films were made of clay montmorillonite SWy-2, obtained by evaporation of a clay suspension. Three types of films were manufactured, which differed by their interlayer cation: sodium, calcium, or a mixture of sodium with calcium. The orientational order of the films was characterized by X-ray diffractometry. The films were mechanically solicited in tension, the resulting strains being measured by digital image correlation. We measured the Young's modulus and the creep over a variety of relative humidities, on a full cycle of adsorption-desorption for what concerns the Young's modulus. Increasing relative humidity made the films less stiff and made them creep more. Both the elastic and creep properties depended significantly on the interlayer cation. For the Young's modulus, this dependence must originate from a scale greater than the scale of the clay layer. Also, hysteresis disappeared when plotting the Young's modulus versus water content instead of relative humidity. Independent of interlayer cation and of relative humidity greater than 60%, after a transient period, the creep of the films was always a logarithmic function of time. The experimental data gathered on these mesoscale systems can be of value for modelers who aim at predicting the mechanical behavior of clay-based materials (e.g., shales) at the engineering macroscopic scale from the one at the atomistic scale, for them to validate the first steps of their upscaling scheme. They provide also valuable reference data for bioinspired clay-based hybrid materials.

Monitoring water content in Opalinus Clay within the FE-Experiment: Test application of dielectric water content sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Sakaki, T.; Vogt, T.; Komatsu, M.; Müller, H. R.

2013-12-01

The spatiotemporal variation of water content in the near field rock around repository tunnels for radioactive waste in clay formations is one of the essential quantities to be monitored for safety assessment in many waste disposal programs. Reliable measurements of water content are important not only for the understanding and prediction of coupled hydraulic-mechanic processes that occur during tunnel construction and ventilation phase, but also for the understanding of coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) processes that take place in the host rock during the post closure phase of a repository tunnel for spent fuel and high level radioactive waste (SF/HLW). The host rock of the Swiss disposal concept for SF/HLW is the Opalinus Clay formation (age of approx. 175 Million years). To better understand the THM effects in a full-scale heater-engineered barrier-rock system in Opalinus Clay, a full-scale heater test, namely the Full-Scale Emplacement (FE) experiment, was initiated in 2010 at the Mont Terri underground rock laboratory in north-western Switzerland. The experiment is designed to simulate the THM evolution of a SF/HLW repository tunnel based on the Swiss disposal concept in a realistic manner during the construction, emplacement, backfilling, and post-closure phases. The entire experiment implementation (in a 50 m long gallery with approx. 3 m diameter) as well as the post-closure THM evolution will be monitored using a network of several hundred sensors. The sensors will be distributed in the host rock, the tunnel lining, the engineered barrier, which consists of bentonite pellets and blocks, and on the heaters. The excavation is completed and the tunnel is currently being ventilated. Measuring water content in partially saturated clay-rich high-salinity rock with a deformable grain skeleton is challenging. Therefore, we use the ventilation phase (before backfilling and heating) to examine the applicability of commercial water content sensors and to

Nearfield behaviour of clay barriers and their interaction with concrete Task 3 characterization of radioactive waste forms a series of final reports (1985-89) No 26

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atabek, R.; Beziat, A.; Coulon, H.; Dardaine, M.; Eglem, A.; Farcy, C.; Fontan, N.; Gatabin, C.; Gegout, P.; Lajudie, A.; Landoas, O.; Lechelle, J.; Plas, F.; Raynal, J.; Revertegat, E.; Debrabant, P.; Proust, D.

1991-01-01

In order to guarantee the safety of waste underground disposal, engineered barriers will be implemented as backfill materials in galleries and access shafts and as buffer materials between the host medium and the waste packages. One of the first requirements for engineered barriers is to minimize water and chemical species transfer. The materials being considered are essentially swelling clays, in particular calcium smectite clays coming from french deposits and hydraulic binders, more specially a ternary cement (named C.L.C.). A vitrified waste disposal in granite is taken as the most constraining scenario as far as engineered barrier is concerned. The clay buffer material is placed between the packages and the host rock. The main properties which are determined are directly related to the engineered barrier requirements: thermal conductivity, hydraulic conductivity, swelling pressure and swelling capacity. Moreover results are obtained on temperature effect on clay microstructure and properties in both cases: without and with water intake. The concrete durability with regard to clay pore water attack is evaluated taking into account previous results obtained to ensure low-level radioactive waste disposal safety. 23 refs., 29 figs., 10 tabs

Evaluation of Water Vapor Sorption Hysteresis in Soils: The Role of Organic Matter and Clay

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arthur, Emmanuel; Tuller, Markus; Moldrup, Per

2015-01-01

an important role. It is clear that modeling physical and biological soil processes is more accurate when SWC hysteresis is considered, particularly at low potentials where small differences in water content are associated with large changes in potential energy. The objectives of the presented study were to......: (i) evaluate and compare recently developed methods (MBET-n, Dh and SPN) for quantifying hysteresis in soils and pure clays, and (ii) investigate the role of organic matter (OM) and clay content and type on hysteresis. Five pure clays and two sets of soils with gradients in organic matter and clay....... For the SPN method, large contents of organic matter and clay in soils are associated with increased hysteresis. For both MBET-n and Dh methods, no clear trends of clay or OM contents effects on hysteresis was observed....

Halogens in pore water of peat bogs – the role of peat decomposition and dissolved organic matter

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H. Biester

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Halogens are strongly enriched in peat and peatlands and such they are one of their largest active terrestrial reservoir. The enrichment of halogens in peat is mainly attributed to the formation of organohalogens and climatically controlled humification processes. However, little is known about release of halogens from the peat substrate and the distribution of halogens in the peat pore water. In this study we have investigated the distribution of chlorine, bromine and iodine in pore water of three pristine peat bogs located in the Magellanic Moorlands, southern Chile. Peat pore waters were collected using a sipping technique, which allows in situ sampling down to a depth greater than 6m. Halogens and halogen species in pore water were determined by ion-chromatography (IC (chlorine and IC-ICP-MS (bromine and iodine. Results show that halogen concentrations in pore water are 15–30 times higher than in rainwater. Mean concentrations of chlorine, bromine and iodine in pore water were 7–15 mg l−1, 56–123 μg l−1, and 10–20 μg l−1, which correspond to mean proportions of 10–15%, 1–2.3% and 0.5–2.2% of total concentrations in peat, respectively. Organobromine and organoiodine were the predominant species in pore waters, whereas chlorine in pore water was mostly chloride. Advection and diffusion of halogens were found to be generally low and halogen concentrations appear to reflect release from the peat substrate. Release of bromine and iodine from peat depend on the degree of peat degradation, whereas this relationship is weak for chlorine. Relatively higher release of bromine and iodine was observed in less degraded peat sections, where the release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC was also the most intensive. It has been concluded that the release of halogenated dissolved organic matter (DOM is the predominant mechanism of iodine and bromine release from peat.

Clay minerals behaviour in thin sandy clay-rich lacustrine turbidites (Lake Hazar, Turkey)

Science.gov (United States)

El Ouahabi, Meriam; Hubert-Ferrari, Aurelia; Lamair, Laura; Hage, Sophie

2017-04-01

Turbidites have been extensively studied in many different areas using cores or outcrop, which represent only an integrated snapshot of a dynamic evolving flow. Laboratory experiments provide the missing relationships between the flow characteristics and their deposits. In particular, flume experiments emphasize that the presence of clay plays a key role in turbidity current dynamics. Clay fraction, in small amount, provides cohesive strength to sediment mixtures and can damp turbulence. However, the degree of flocculation is dependent on factors such as the amount and size of clay particles, the surface of clay particles, chemistry and pH conditions in which the clay particles are dispersed. The present study focuses on thin clayey sand turbidites found in Lake Hazar (Turkey) occurring in stacked thin beds. Depositional processes and sources have been previously studied and three types were deciphered, including laminar flows dominated by cohesion, transitional, and turbulence flow regimes (Hage et al., in revision). For the purpose of determine the clay behavior in the three flow regimes, clay mineralogical, geochemical measurements on the cores allow characterising the turbidites. SEM observations provide further information regarding the morphology of clay minerals and other clasts. The study is particularly relevant given the highly alkaline and saline water of the Hazar Lake. Clay minerals in Hazar Lake sediments include kaolinite (1:1-type), illite and chlorite (2:1-type). Hazar lake water is alkaline having pH around 9.3, in such alkaline environment, a cation-exchange reaction takes place. Furthermore, in saline water (16‰), salts can act as a shield and decrease the repulsive forces between clay particle surfaces. So, pH and salt content jointly impact the behaviour of clays differently. Since the Al-faces of clay structures have a negative charge in basic solutions. At high pH, all kaolinite surfaces become negative-charged, and then kaolinite

Comparison of pore water samplers and cryogenic distillation under laboratory and field conditions for soil water stable isotope analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Thoma, Michael; Frentress, Jay; Tagliavini, Massimo; Scandellari, Francesca

2018-02-15

We used pore water samplers (PWS) to sample for isotope analysis (1) only water, (2) soil under laboratory conditions, and (3) soil in the field comparing the results with cryogenic extraction (CE). In (1) and (2), no significant differences between source and water extracted with PWS were detected with a mean absolute difference (MAD) always lower than 2 ‰ for δ 2 H and 1 ‰ for δ 18 O. In (2), CE water was more enriched than PWS-extracted water, with a MAD respect to source water of roughly 8 ‰ for δ 2 H and 4 ‰ for δ 18 O. In (3), PWS water was enriched relative to CE water by 3 ‰ for δ 2 H and 0.9 ‰ for δ 18 O. The latter result may be due to the distinct water portions sampled by the two methods. Large pores, easily sampled by PWS, likely retain recent, and enriched, summer precipitation while small pores, only sampled by CE, possibly retain isotopically depleted water from previous winter precipitation or irrigation inputs. Accuracy and precision were greater for PWS relative to CE. PWS is therefore suggested as viable tool to extract soil water for stable isotope analysis, particularly for soils used in this study (sandy and silty loams).

Deposition of Suspended Clay to Open and Sand-Filled Framework Gravel Beds in a Laboratory Flume

Science.gov (United States)

Mooneyham, Christian; Strom, Kyle

2018-01-01

Pulses of fine sediment composed of sand, silt, and clay can be introduced to gravel bed rivers through runoff from burn-impacted hillslopes, landslides, bank failure, or the introduction of reservoir sediment as a result of sluicing or dam decommissioning. Here we present a study aimed at quantifying exchange between suspensions of clay and gravel beds. The questions that motivate the work are: how do bed roughness and pore space characteristics, shear velocity (u∗), and initial concentration (C0) affect clay deposition on or within gravel beds? Where does deposition within these beds occur, and can deposited clay be resuspended while the gravel is immobile? We examine these questions in a laboratory flume using acrylic, open-framework gravel, and armored sand-gravel beds under conditions of varying u∗ and C0. Deposition of clay occurred to all beds (even with Rouse numbers ˜ 0.01). We attribute deposition under full suspension conditions to be an outcome of localized protected zones where clay can settle and available pore space in the bed. For smooth wall cases, protection came from the viscous wall region and the development of bed forms; for the rough beds, protection came from separation zones and low-velocity pore spaces. Bed porosity was the strongest influencer of nondimensional deposition rate; deposition increased with porosity. Deposition was inversely related to u∗ for the acrylic bed runs; no influence of u∗ was found for the porous bed runs. Increases in discharge resulted in resuspension of clay from acrylic beds; no resuspension was observed in the porous bed runs.

Clays in natural and engineered barriers for radioactive waste confinement - 4. International meeting. Book of abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

proposed within the Strategic Research Agenda, elaborated through the Implementing Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste Technology Platform (IGD-TP). The conference offers a particular opportunity to present the more recent developments and main outputs of research carried out within the framework of national and international cooperative experiments and dedicated European projects. Contributions coming from fields other than radioactive waste disposal; like geological storage of natural gas, sequestration of CO 2 , energy storage in underground, chemical waste isolation, etc., also taking advantage of the properties of the clay material, were encouraged. This conference covers all topics concerning the natural argillaceous geological barriers and the clay-based engineered barrier systems, investigated by means of: laboratory experiments on clay samples (new analytical developments), in situ experiments in underground research laboratories, mock-up demonstrations, natural analogues, as well as numerical modelling and global integration approaches (including up-scaling processes and treatment of uncertainties) and monitoring. General strategy for clay based repository concepts Examples of research programmes (national or international) concerning the role of natural and engineered clay barriers for radioactive waste confinement including repository designs, safety assessment, full-scale demonstrations and implementations (e.g. heater tests). Geology and clay characterisation Clay mineralogy, sedimentology, paleo-environment, diagenesis, dating techniques, discontinuities in clay rock, fracturing, self-sealing processes, role of organic matters and microbiological processes, micro and nano characterisation of clay minerals and argillaceous rocks. Geochemistry Pore water geochemistry, clay thermodynamics, chemical retention, geochemical modelling, advanced isotopic geochemistry. Mass transfer Water status and hydraulic properties in low permeability media, pore space

Small-scale variability in peatland pore-water biogeochemistry, Hudson Bay Lowland, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Ulanowski, T A; Branfireun, B A

2013-06-01

The Hudson Bay Lowland (HBL) of northern Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec, Canada is the second largest contiguous peatland complex in the world, currently containing more than half of Canada's soil carbon. Recent concerns about the ecohydrological impacts to these large northern peatlands resulting from climate change and resource extraction have catalyzed a resurgence in scientific research into this ecologically important region. However, the sheer size, heterogeneity and elaborate landscape arrangements of this ecosystem raise important questions concerning representative sampling of environmental media for chemical or physical characterization. To begin to quantify such variability, this study assessed the small-scale spatial (1m) and short temporal (21 day) variability of surface pore-water biogeochemistry (pH, dissolved organic carbon, and major ions) in a Sphagnum spp.-dominated, ombrotrophic raised bog, and a Carex spp.-dominated intermediate fen in the HBL. In general, pore-water pH and concentrations of dissolved solutes were similar to previously reported literature values from this region. However, systematic sampling revealed consistent statistically significant differences in pore-water chemistries between the bog and fen peatland types, and large within-site spatiotemporal variability. We found that microtopography in the bog was associated with consistent differences in most biogeochemical variables. Temporal changes in dissolved solute chemistry, particularly base cations (Na(+), Ca(2+) and Mg(2+)), were statistically significant in the intermediate fen, likely a result of a dynamic connection between surficial waters and mineral-rich deep groundwater. In both the bog and fen, concentrations of SO4(2-) showed considerable spatial variability, and a significant decrease in concentrations over the study period. The observed variability in peatland pore-water biogeochemistry over such small spatial and temporal scales suggests that under-sampling in

In situ chemical osmosis experiment in the Boom Clay at the Mol underground research laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Garavito, A. M.; De Cannière, P.; Kooi, H.

Studies on the compatibility of Boom Clay with large amounts of nitrate- bearing bituminized radioactive waste have recently raised a particular interest for osmosis-induced effects in this reference formation in Belgium. Indeed, water flow and solute transport may be associated with several types of driving forces, or gradients (chemical, electrical, thermal), in addition to the hydraulic forces, resulting in the so-called coupled flows. Fluid flow caused by driving forces different than hydraulic gradients is referred to as osmosis. Chemical osmosis, the water flow induced by a chemical gradient across a semi-permeable membrane, can generate pressure increase. The question thus arises if there is a risk to create high pore pressures that could damage the near-field of medium-level waste (MLW) galleries, if osmotically driven water flows towards the galleries are produced by the release of large amounts of NaNO 3 (750 t) in the formation. To what extent a low-permeability clay formation such as the Boom Clay acts as an osmotic membrane is thus a key issue to assess the relevance of osmosis phenomena for the disposal of medium-level waste. An in situ osmosis experiment has been conducted at the H ADES underground research laboratory to determine the osmotic efficiency of Boom Clay at the field scale. A recently developed chemical osmosis flow continuum model has been used to design the osmosis experiment, and to interpret the water pressure measurements. Experimental data could be reproduced quite accurately by the model, and the inferred parameter values are consistent with independent determinations for Boom Clay. A rapid water pressure increase (but limited to about a 2 m water column) was observed after 12 h in the filter containing the more saline water. Then, the osmotically induced water pressure slowly decays on several months. So, the experimental results obtained in situ confirm the occurrence of non-hydraulic flow phenomena (chemical osmosis) in a low

Pore-water indicators of rainwater-dominated versus groundwater-dominated peat bog profiles (Jura Mountains, Switzerland)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shotyk, W.; Steinmann, P.

1994-01-01

The dominant inorganic anions and cations, and dissolved organic carbon have been measured in the pore waters expressed from peat cores taken from two Sphagnum bogs in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland: Etang de la Gruyere (EGr) consists of > 6 m of peat representing more than 12,000 yr of peat formation while at La Tourbiere de Genevez (TGe) approximately 1.5 m of peat have accumulated over the past 5,000 yr. The pore-water analyses of the core taken at EGr show that the first 100 cm of the core are influenced only by atmospheric inputs. Relative to the average composition of rainwater in this area, Na + is enriched throughout the pore-water profiles, K 2+ is neither enriched nor depleted, Mg 2+ is significantly depleted in the deeper pore waters and Ca 2+ strongly depleted through the profile. The dominant process affecting the cations in these waters is ion exchange, with the peats behaving like a simple cation exchanger with ion preference decreasing in the order Ca 2+ >Mg 2+ >H + >K + much-greater than Na + . In contrast, at TGe the pH increases from pH approximately 4 at the surface to pH 5 at 80 cm. The Cl - and K + concentrations are up to 10 times higher than rainwater values because of mixing of the bog pore water with nearby groundwaters. The Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ concentrations increase with depth to concentrations up to 10 times higher than rainwater values, mainly because of the increasing importance of mineral dissolution within the profile

Prediction of clay content from water vapour sorption isotherms considering hysteresis and soil organic matter content

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arthur, E.; Tuller, M.; Møldrup, Per

2015-01-01

Soil texture, in particular the clay fraction, governs numerous environmental, agricultural and engineering soil processes. Traditional measurement methods for clay content are laborious and impractical for large-scale soil surveys. Consequently, clay prediction models that are based on water...... within a RH range from 3 to 93%. The clay contents, which ranged between 1 and 56%, were measured with a combination of sieving and sedimentation methods. Two regression models were developed for both adsorption and desorption at 10 RH levels (5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90%). While the first...

Pore formation and occurrence in the organic-rich shales of the Triassic Chang-7 Member, Yanchang Formation, Ordos Basin, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chuang Er

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Shale-reservoir appraisal depends greatly on its pore characteristics (e.g., diameter, geometry, connectivity. Using a new pore-classification scheme based on the matrix type and occurrence state, four types of pores are identified in the organic-rich shales of the Triassic Chang-7 Member: intergranular, intragranular, organic pore, and microfracture. The intergranular pores are subdivided into primary pores between clastic grains, clay-mineral aggregates, and secondary dissolution pores between clastic grains or clay-mineral aggregates based on their origins, respectively. The intragranular pores are subdivided into secondary dissolved pores in feldspars, intra-clay-mineral aggregates and inter-pyrite. Organic pores include primarily microfractures in the organic matter and isolated organic pores. Microfracture is mainly developed along sandy and muddy laminations. Analysis by integration of data from pore imaging, low-temperature liquid nitrogen absorption, relationships between pore geometry and mineral components and between TOC and maturity of organic matter indicates that depositional environment, diagenesis, and thermal evolution of organic matter controlled the formation and preservation of pores. Organic-rich shales deposited in a deep and semi-deep lake environment contains thinly bedded turbidite sandstones, which are characterized by high content of clastic particles and thus favor the development of primary intergranular and intragranular pores, as well as microfractures along sandy laminations. During the early diagenesis process, precipitation of pyrite favors the development of inter-pyrite pores. However, compaction reduced the diameter and bulk pore volume. Organic pore has been greatly reduced under compaction. Dissolution led to formation of both inter and intra-feldspar pores, which has improved reservoir quality to some extent. Organic pore started to develop after shale maturity reaches a threshold (RO = 0

Study of heat and hydraulic diffusions in clays under thermal loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djeran, I.

1993-01-01

This study is a cost-sharing research programme on radioactive waste disposal and radioactive waste management. The thermal conductivity of clays is the fundamental parameter which governs the thermal diffusion and the pore pressure of the rock mass under thermal loading. Experiments have been undertaken in a reduced model, respecting representative boundary conditions. They show that the thermal conductivity depends on temperature in an unfavourable sense to the decrease of heat. On the other hand, the outflow of pore water, from the source to the exterior, has a low amplitude. A single model of porous medium allows the observations and illustrates the effects of the variation of conductivity on the behaviour of rock mass. Finally, thanks to the numerical formulations specially developed, we examine the incident of the particularities of proposed models on the thermohydromechanical behaviour of geometrically simple structures subjected to a given thermal loading

Uranium in pore waters from North Atlantic (GME and Southern Nares Abyssal Plain) sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santschi, P.H.; Bajo, C.; Mantovani, M.; Orciuolo, D.; Cranston, R.E.; Bruno, J.

1988-01-01

Here we report the measurement of low uranium concentrations in composite pore-water samples from the uppermost 20-30 m of deep-sea abyssal plain sediments from the Great Meteor East and Southern Nares Abyssal Plains Area. Many values are the lowest uranium concentrations ever measured in the pore waters of deep-sea sediments. Our lowest value, 0.05 ± 0.01 p.p.b., is orders of magnitude lower than the predicted solubility of U0 2 or U 4 0 9 . The uranium concentrations obtained from both sites correlate closely with measured redox potentials in the sediments. The low mobility of uranium in pore waters from turbiditic deep-sea abyssal plain sediments, which can be deduced from these measurements, has important implications for the sub-seabed disposal of high-level radioactive waste, and for marine geochemistry of uranium. (author)

Measurement of water activity from shales through thermo hygrometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rabe, Claudio [Pontificia Univ. Catolica do Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Civil. Grupo de Tecnologia e Engenharia de Petroleo (GTEP)

2004-07-01

This paper presents a campaign of lab tests to obtain the water activity from shales and its pore fluid originated from offshore and onshore basin. The results of water activity from shales indicate that the values rang from 0.754 to 0.923 and for the pore fluid are between 0.987 and 0.940. The results show that the water activity of interstitial water can be obtained in 6 days and the rock in 10 days using the thermo hygrometer used. The degree of saturation, water content, kind and tenor of expansible and hydratable clay mineral, total and interconnected porosity, salinity of interstitial fluid and the capillary pressure of shale samples affected the results of water activity. (author)

Disturbances to metal partitioning during toxicity testing of iron(II)-rich estuarine pore waters and whole sediments.

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Stuart L; Batley, Graeme E

2003-02-01

Metal partitioning is altered when suboxic estuarine sediments containing Fe(II)-rich pore waters are disturbed during collection, preparation, and toxicity testing. Experiments with model Fe(II)-rich pore waters demonstrated the rates at which adsorptive losses of Cd, Cu, Ni, Mn, Pb, and Zn occur upon exposure to air. Experiments with Zn-contaminated estuarine sediments demonstrated large and often unpredictable changes to metal partitioning during sediment storage, removal of organisms, and homogenization before testing. Small modifications to conditions, such as aeration of overlying waters, caused large changes to the metal partitioning. Disturbances caused by sediment collection required many weeks for reestablishment of equilibrium. Bioturbation by benthic organisms led to oxidation of pore-water Fe(II) and lower Zn fluxes because of the formation of Fe hydroxide precipitates that adsorb pore-water Zn. For five weeks after the addition of organisms to sediments, Zn fluxes increased slowly as the organisms established themselves in the sediments, indicating that the establishment of equilibrium was not rapid. The results are discussed in terms of the dynamic nature of suboxic, Fe(II)-rich estuarine sediments, how organisms perturb their environment, and the importance of understanding chemistry in toxicity testing with whole sediments or pore water. Recommendations are provided for the handling of sediments for toxicity testing.

Heater test in the Opalinus Clay of the Mont Terri URL. Gas release and water redistribution - Contribution to heater experiment (HE); Rock and bentonite thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in the nearfield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jockwer, N.; Wieczorek, K.

2006-06-01

Beside salt and granite, clay formations are investigated as potential host rocks for disposing radioactive waste. In Switzerland in the canton Jura close to the city of St. Ursanne, an underground laboratory was built in the vicinity of the reconnaissance gallery of a motorway tunnel. Since 1995, a consortium of 12 international organisations is running this laboratory for investigating the suitability of the Opalinus clay formation with regard to disposal of radioactive waste. In 1999, the Heater Experiment B (HE-B) was started for investigating the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes of the Opalinus clay in interaction with the bentonite buffer. The principal contractors of this project were the Bundesanstalt fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR), the Empresa Nacional de Residuos Radiactivos S. A. (ENRESA), the Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) mbH, and the National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (NAGRA). GRS participated in that experiment for determining the subjects of gas generation, gas release, water content, and water redistribution in the Opalinus clay during heating. This was achieved by analysing gas and water samples from the test field before, during, and after the heating period and by performing geoelectric tomography measurements in the heated region. The in-situ measurements were supported by an additional laboratory programme. This report deals with the work of GRS performed in this project during the years 1999 to 2005. All the results obtained in the frame of the project are presented. Additional laboratory measurements conducted by the Pore Water Laboratory at CIEMAT in Madrid are also presented. The participation of GRS was funded by German Ministry of Economics and Labour (BMWA) under the contract No. 02 E 9602 and by the Commission of the European Communities under the contract No. FIKW.CT-2001-00132. (orig.)

Application of a Multi-Scale form of Terzaghi’s Effective Stress Principle for Unsaturated Expansive Clays to Simulate Hydro-Mechanical Behavior During Hydration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mainka Julia

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Our recently developed multi-scale form of Terzaghi’s effective stress principle for unsaturated swelling clays that was rigorously derived by periodic homogenization starting from micro- and nano-mechanical analyses is applied to numerically simulate one-dimensional swelling pressure tests of compacted bentonites during hydration. The total macroscopic stress captures the coupling between disjoining forces at the nanoscopic scale of clay platelets and capillary effects at the microscopic scale of clay aggregates over the entire water content range. The numerical results allow to draw conclusions on the water transfer mechanism between inter- and intra-aggregate pores during hydration and consequently on the evolution of the external swelling pressure resulting from the competition between capillary and disjoining forces. In addition, such application highlights the abilities and the limits of the electrical double-layer theory to compute the disjoining pressure in the nano-pores. For large platelet distances, in the range of osmotic swelling, the nature of the disjoining pressure is electro-chemical and can be computed from Poisson-Boltzmann theory. Conversely, at small distances, in the crystalline swelling, a solvation component has to be added to account for the molecular nature of the solvent. As a first improvement of the nano-scale description the solvent is treated as a hard sphere fluid using Density Functional Theory.

Numerical analysis of thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in the clay based material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Xuerui

2016-10-06

conductivity on the degree of water saturation, the dependency of the thermal effects on the water retention behaviour, and the dependency of the effects of the pore pressure variation on the permeability and the anisotropic swelling/shrinkage behaviour have been intensively analysed and the corresponding numerical models to consider those coupling effects have been developed. The developed numerical model has been applied to simulate the laboratory and in situ heating experiments on the bentonite and clay rock at different scales. Firstly the laboratory heating experiment on Callovo-Oxfordian Clay (COX) and the laboratory long-term heating and hydration experiment on MX80 pellets were simulated. Based on the knowledge from the numerical analysis of the laboratory experiments, a 1:2 scale in situ heating experiment of an integrated system of the bentonite engineered barrier system (EBS) in the Opalinus Clay host rock was simulated. All the relevant operation phases were considered in the modelling. Besides, the modelling was extended to 50 years after the heat shut-down with the aim of predicting the long-term behaviours. Additionally, variation calculations were carried out to investigate the effects of the storage capacity of the Opalinus Clay on the thermally induced hydraulic response. In the long-term modelling, the effects of different saturated water permeabilities of buffer material on the resaturation process were analysed. Based on the current researches and model developments, the observed THM behaviours of the bentonite buffer and the clay rock, that is, the measured evolution of temperature, pore pressure, humidity, swelling pressure, and so on in the laboratory and in situ experiments can be reproduced and interpreted well. It is proved that by using both a non-isothermal multiphase flow model and a non-isothermal Richards flow model combined with the corresponding thermal and mechanical models, the major THM behaviours can be captured. It is validated that the

Numerical analysis of thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in the clay based material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Xuerui

2016-01-01

conductivity on the degree of water saturation, the dependency of the thermal effects on the water retention behaviour, and the dependency of the effects of the pore pressure variation on the permeability and the anisotropic swelling/shrinkage behaviour have been intensively analysed and the corresponding numerical models to consider those coupling effects have been developed. The developed numerical model has been applied to simulate the laboratory and in situ heating experiments on the bentonite and clay rock at different scales. Firstly the laboratory heating experiment on Callovo-Oxfordian Clay (COX) and the laboratory long-term heating and hydration experiment on MX80 pellets were simulated. Based on the knowledge from the numerical analysis of the laboratory experiments, a 1:2 scale in situ heating experiment of an integrated system of the bentonite engineered barrier system (EBS) in the Opalinus Clay host rock was simulated. All the relevant operation phases were considered in the modelling. Besides, the modelling was extended to 50 years after the heat shut-down with the aim of predicting the long-term behaviours. Additionally, variation calculations were carried out to investigate the effects of the storage capacity of the Opalinus Clay on the thermally induced hydraulic response. In the long-term modelling, the effects of different saturated water permeabilities of buffer material on the resaturation process were analysed. Based on the current researches and model developments, the observed THM behaviours of the bentonite buffer and the clay rock, that is, the measured evolution of temperature, pore pressure, humidity, swelling pressure, and so on in the laboratory and in situ experiments can be reproduced and interpreted well. It is proved that by using both a non-isothermal multiphase flow model and a non-isothermal Richards flow model combined with the corresponding thermal and mechanical models, the major THM behaviours can be captured. It is validated that the

The effective stress concept in saturated sand-clay buffer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graham, J.; Oswell, J.M.; Gray, M.N.

1992-01-01

Tests were performed on mixtures of sand and bentonite, to investigate whether the behavior of the mixture can be expressed in terms of effective stresses, defined as the tensor difference between externally applied total stresses and pore water pressures measured outside the cell. Within acceptable bounds of experimental error, the tests show that effective stress can be used to describe consolidation and shear behaviour. However, because part of the effective stress in the clay is derived from net interparticle repulsive (unit) forces seated in diffuse double layers around aggregations of bentonite particles, the applicability of the concept has at this stage been restricted to conditions of constant volume (or possibly constant straining rate), constant chemistry, and constant temperature

Triaxial- and uniaxial-compression testing methods developed for extraction of pore water from unsaturated tuff, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mower, T.E.; Higgins, J.D. [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (USA). Dept. of Geology and Geological Engineering; Yang, I.C. [Geological Survey, Denver, CO (USA). Water Resources Div.

1989-12-31

To support the study of hydrologic system in the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, two extraction methods were examined to obtain representative, uncontaminated pore-water samples from unsaturated tuff. Results indicate that triaxial compression, which uses a standard cell, can remove pore water from nonwelded tuff that has an initial moisture content greater than 11% by weight; uniaxial compression, which uses a specifically fabricated cell, can extract pore water from nonwelded tuff that has an initial moisture content greater than 8% and from welded tuff that has an initial moisture content greater than 6.5%. For the ambient moisture conditions of Yucca Mountain tuffs, uniaxial compression is the most efficient method of pore-water extraction. 12 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.

Permeability changes induced by microfissure closure and opening in tectonized materials. Effect on slope pore pressure regime.

Science.gov (United States)

De la Fuente, Maria; Vaunat, Jean; Pedone, Giuseppe; Cotecchia, Federica; Sollecito, Francesca; Casini, Francesca

2015-04-01

Tectonized clays are complex materials characterized by several levels of structures that may evolve during load and wetting/drying processes. Some microstructural patterns, as microfissures, have a particular influence on the value of permeability which is one of the main factors controlling pore pressure regime in slopes. In this work, the pore pressure regime measured in a real slope of tectonized clay in Southern Italy is analyzed by a numerical model that considers changes in permeability induced by microfissure closure and opening during the wetting and drying processes resulting from climatic actions. Permeability model accounts for the changes in Pore Size Distribution observed by Microscopy Intrusion Porosimetry. MIP tests are performed on representative samples of ground in initial conditions ("in situ" conditions) and final conditions (deformed sample after applying a wetting path that aims to reproduce the saturation of the soil under heavy rains). The resulting measurements allow for the characterization at microstructural level of the soil, identifying the distribution of dominant families pores in the sample and its evolution under external actions. Moreover, comparison of pore size density functions allows defining a microstructural parameter that depends on void ratio and degree of saturation and controls the variation of permeability. Model has been implemented in a thermo-hydro-mechanical code provided with a special boundary condition for climatic actions. Tool is used to analyze pore pressure measurements obtained in the tectonized clay slope. Results are analyzed at the light of the effect that permeability changes during wetting and drying have on the pore pressure regime.

Gas Hydrate Occurrence Inferred from Dissolved Cl− Concentrations and δ18O Values of Pore Water and Dissolved Sulfate in the Shallow Sediments of the Pockmark Field in Southwestern Xisha Uplift, Northern South China Sea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min Luo

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Deep-water pockmarks are frequently accompanied by the occurrence of massive gas hydrates in shallow sediments. A decline in pore-water Cl− concentration and rise in δ18O value provide compelling evidence for the gas hydrate dissociation. Mega-pockmarks are widely scattered in the southwestern Xisha Uplift, northern South China Sea (SCS. Pore water collected from a gravity-core inside of a mega-pockmark exhibits a downward Cl− concentration decrease concomitant with an increase in δ18O value at the interval of 5.7–6.7 mbsf. Concentrations of Cl−, Na+, and K+ mainly cluster along the seawater freshening line without distinct Na+ enrichment and K+ depletion. Thus, we infer that the pore water anomalies of Cl− concentrations and δ18O values are attributed to gas hydrate dissociation instead of clay mineral dehydration. Moreover, the lower δ18O values of sulfate in the target core (C14 than those in the reference core (C9 may be associated with the equilibrium oxygen fractionation during sulfate reduction between sulfate and the relatively 18O-depleted ambient water resulting from gas hydrate formation. The gas hydrate contents are estimated to be 6%–10% and 7%–15%, respectively, according to the offset of Cl− concentrations and δ18O values from the baselines. This pockmark field in southwestern Xisha Uplift is likely to be a good prospective area for the occurrence of gas hydrate in shallow sediments.

Predictive modelling of an excavation test in indurated clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garitte, B.; Vaunat, J.; Gens, A.; Vietor, T.

2010-01-01

constitutive laws that describe the various phenomena under consideration. The density of the solid and the density of the water are dependent on the total mean pressure and the water pressure, respectively and the advective water flux is described by an anisotropic Darcy's law. Finally, the mechanical behaviour is modelled using an anisotropic linear elastic constitutive law that relates the medium deformation with the effective stress (σ'=σ-b.p w , where σ is total stress, b is the Biot coefficient and p w the water pressure). The simulated pore water pressure evolution is presented for two points at 1 m from the niche wall, in a transversal section at 16.5 m from the gallery centre (points B1 and B2) for 4 different computations. B1 lies in the direction of the major stress and B2 in the direction of the minor stress. F an is a 'full' anisotropic computation, considering anisotropy of stress, stiffness and permeability (E 1 = 1.33*E 2 = 4000 MPa). ISO is an isotropic simulation. In E an and in S an , all properties are considered isotropic except the mechanical constitutive law (E1 = 2*E2 = 6000 MPa) and the stress state, respectively. Long before the arrival of the gallery, ISO and S an do not predict significant pore water pressure changes in contrast to the computations that consider an anisotropic constitutive model. The changes are strongest in the case of F an and are consistent with observations in similar tests performed in Callovo-Oxfordian Clay. After the passage of the shaft, pore water pressure keeps increasing in the minor stress direction whereas it decreases in the major stress direction. A future stage of modelling must incorporate the reduction of stiffness and the increase in permeability cause by rock damage. The result will likely be a lower magnitude of the pore water pressure increments and an acceleration of drainage processes

The analysis and comparison of the ions present in the pore water of different cement systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jolliffe, C.B.

1990-01-01

Cementation is currently the main encapsulation route for the safe disposal of intermediate level radioactive waste. By analysis of the pore solutions extracted from hardened cement pastes any potential interactions between the cement matrix and/or the disposal container can be identified. The effect of hydration time on three different blended cement systems has been assessed by analysing the water extracted from the pore voids within the hardened cement pastes by use of a high force hydraulic press. The pH, redox potential, anion and cation concentrations were measured using standard analytical techniques. The results showed that as the cement systems hydrated the volume of pore water extracted decreased, causing a reduction in the ionic species released into solution. The strongly basic pore waters contained mainly potassium and sodium hydroxide and this feature needs to be taken into account when modelling radionuclide migration. (author)

Reactive transport modelling of a heating and radiation experiment in the Boom clay (Belgium)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montenegro, L.; Samper, J.; Delgado, J.

2003-01-01

Most countries around the world consider Deep Geological Repositories (DGR) as the most safe option for the final disposal of high level radioactive waste (HLW). DGR is based on adopting a system of multiple barriers between the HLW and the biosphere. Underground laboratories provide information about the behaviour of these barriers at real conditions. Here we present a reactive transport model for the CERBERUS experiment performed at the HADES underground laboratory at Mol (Belgium) in order to characterize the thermal (T), hydrodynamic (H) and geochemical (G) behaviour of the Boon clay. This experiment is unique because it addresses the combined effect of heat and radiation produced by the storage of HLW in a DGR. Reactive transport models which are solved with CORE, are used to perform quantitative predictions of Boom clay thermo-hydro-geochemical (THG) behaviour. Numerical results indicate that heat and radiation cause a slight oxidation near of the radioactive source, pyrite dissolution, a pH decrease and slight changes in the pore water chemical composition of the Boom clay. (Author) 33 refs

Enhancement of insulating properties of brick clay by renewable agricultural wastes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viktor Bánhidi

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The use of agricultural wastes (byproducts in various segments of brick and tile industry is increasing continuously. These additives, which are previously mixed into the raw or compound clay, start to ignite during the firing process, providing extra thermal energy inside the product and decreasing the required external energy need. Besides this effect, the combustion of additives increases the porosity of the final product resulting in enhanced thermal insulation properties. In this paper the effect of some common agricultural wastes (sawdust, rice-peel and seed-shell on the thermal properties of brick clay products was investigated. The brick samples were prepared from the mixture of the yellow and gray clay in the ratio of 4:1, water content was between 15.57-16.67 wt.% and the pore-forming additives in concentrations 0, 4 and 7 wt.%. To measure the steady state thermal conductivity of the clay mixtures, samples with dimensions of 300×300×50 mm were prepared. Drying and firing were performed using the industrial partner’s standard procedures. Precise thermal conductivity data was measured, using a RAPID‑K type static thermal conductivity instrument. The results showed that increasing the quantity of agricultural byproducts in the clay mixture significantly decreases the thermal conductivity of the final products, while only a minor reduction in the mechanical strength was observed. It was found that the most efficient byproduct additive was the sunflower seed‑shell. With the addition of only 7 wt.% seed‑shell to the basic clay the thermal conductivity decreased from 0,27 W/m·K to 0,17 W/m·K (i.e. ~36%.

Preparation and characterization of sol-gel derived 4%La{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} ceramic membrane on clay-based supports

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ersoy, B. [Afyon Kocatepe Univ., Mining Engineering Dept., AFYON (Turkey); Gunay, V. [TUBITAK-MRC, MCTRI, Gebze-KOCAELI (Turkey)

2004-07-01

In this work, {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} membrane layer (4 wt% La{sub 2}O{sub 3}+96% Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) was coated on the clay based porous support by using the sol-gel coating. The coating solution was prepared by using boehmite (AlOOH), La-nitrate (La{sub 2}(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}.6H{sub 2}O), PVA, distilled water and HNO{sub 3}. The thickness of the {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} membrane layer was between 5-7 {mu}m. Two unprocessed clay samples which were supplied from Kutahya and Balikesir regions, were used to produce supports for the membranes. Porosities of the supports were varied from 25 to 40% depending on sintering temperatures. Mean pore diameter of the supports were between 0.01-1{mu}m. The mean pore diameter of 4wt%La{sub 2}O{sub 3} - Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} membrane layer was around 11 nm and total pore area was 113 m{sup 2} / g at 1000 C for 1 hour. (orig.)

Thixotropic Properties of Latvian Clays

OpenAIRE

Lakevičs, Vitālijs; Stepanova, Valentīna; Ruplis, Augusts

2015-01-01

This research studies Latvia originated Devon (Tūja, Skaņkalne), quaternary (Ceplīši), Jurassic, (Strēļi) and Triassic (Vadakste) deposit clays as well as Lithuania originated Triassic (Akmene) deposit clays. Thixotropic properties of clay were researched by measuring relative viscosity of clay in water suspensions. Relative viscosity is measured with a hopper method. It was detected that, when concentration of suspension is increased, clay suspension’s viscosity also increases. It happens un...

Evaluation of methods to sample fecal indicator bacteria in foreshore sand and pore water at freshwater beaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, Laura J; Edge, Thomas A; O'Carroll, Denis M; Solo-Gabriele, Helena M; Kushnir, Caitlin S E; Robinson, Clare E

2017-09-15

Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) are known to accumulate in foreshore beach sand and pore water (referred to as foreshore reservoir) where they act as a non-point source for contaminating adjacent surface waters. While guidelines exist for sampling surface waters at recreational beaches, there is no widely-accepted method to collect sand/sediment or pore water samples for FIB enumeration. The effect of different sampling strategies in quantifying the abundance of FIB in the foreshore reservoir is unclear. Sampling was conducted at six freshwater beaches with different sand types to evaluate sampling methods for characterizing the abundance of E. coli in the foreshore reservoir as well as the partitioning of E. coli between different components in the foreshore reservoir (pore water, saturated sand, unsaturated sand). Methods were evaluated for collection of pore water (drive point, shovel, and careful excavation), unsaturated sand (top 1 cm, top 5 cm), and saturated sand (sediment core, shovel, and careful excavation). Ankle-depth surface water samples were also collected for comparison. Pore water sampled with a shovel resulted in the highest observed E. coli concentrations (only statistically significant at fine sand beaches) and lowest variability compared to other sampling methods. Collection of the top 1 cm of unsaturated sand resulted in higher and more variable concentrations than the top 5 cm of sand. There were no statistical differences in E. coli concentrations when using different methods to sample the saturated sand. Overall, the unsaturated sand had the highest amount of E. coli when compared to saturated sand and pore water (considered on a bulk volumetric basis). The findings presented will help determine the appropriate sampling strategy for characterizing FIB abundance in the foreshore reservoir as a means of predicting its potential impact on nearshore surface water quality and public health risk. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

Sediment pore-water interactions associated with arsenic and uranium transport from the North Cave Hills mining region, South Dakota, USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larson, Lance N.; Kipp, Gregory G.; Mott, Henry V.; Stone, James J.

2012-01-01

The extent of historical U mining impacts is well documented for the North Cave Hills region of Harding County, South Dakota, USA. While previous studies reported watershed sediment and surface water As and U concentrations up to 90× established background concentrations, it was unclear whether or how localized changes in sediment redox behavior may influence contaminant remobilization. Five pore-water equilibration samplers (peepers) were spatially and temporally deployed within the study area to evaluate seasonal solid–liquid As and U distributions as a function of sediment depth. Pore-water and solid phase As and U concentrations, Fe speciation, Eh and pH were measured to ascertain specific geochemical conditions responsible for As and U remobilization and transport behavior. At a mine overburden sedimentation pond adjacent to the mine sites, high total aqueous As and U concentrations (4920 and 674 μg/L, respectively) were found within surface water during summer sampling; however pond dredging prior to autumn sampling resulted in significantly lower aqueous As and U concentrations (579 and 108 μg/L, respectively); however, both As and U still exceeded regional background concentrations (20 and 18 μg/L, respectively). At a wetlands-dominated deposition zone approximately 2 km downstream of the sedimentation pond, pore-water geochemical conditions varied seasonally. Summer conditions promoted reducing conditions in pore water, resulting in active release of As(III) to the water column. Autumn conditions promoted oxidizing conditions, decreasing pore-water As (As pw ) 5× and increasing U pw 10×. Peak U pore-water concentrations (781 μg/L) were 3.5× greater than determined for the surface water (226 μg/L), and approximately 40× background concentrations. At the Bowman–Haley reservoir backwaters 45 km downstream from the mine sites, As and U pore-water concentrations increased significantly between the summer and autumn deployments, attributed to

[Mechanism of tritium persistence in porous media like clay minerals].

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Dong-Jie; Wang, Jin-Sheng; Teng, Yan-Guo; Zhang, Ke-Ni

2011-03-01

To investigate the mechanisms of tritium persistence in clay minerals, three types of clay soils (montmorillonite, kaolinite and illite) and tritiated water were used in this study to conduct the tritium sorption tests and the other related tests. Firstly, the ingredients, metal elements and heat properties of clay minerals were studied with some instrumental analysis methods, such as ICP and TG. Secondly, with a specially designed fractionation and condensation experiment, the adsorbed water, the interlayer water and the structural water in the clay minerals separated from the tritium sorption tests were fractionated for investigating the tritium distributions in the different types of adsorptive waters. Thirdly, the location and configuration of tritium adsorbed into the structure of clay minerals were studied with infrared spectrometry (IR) tests. And finally, the forces and mechanisms for driving tritium into the clay minerals were analyzed on the basis of the isotope effect of tritium and the above tests. Following conclusions have been reached: (1) The main reason for tritium persistence in clay minerals is the entrance of tritium into the adsorbed water, the interlayer water and the structural water in clay minerals. The percentage of tritium distributed in these three types of adsorptive water are in the range of 13.65% - 38.71%, 0.32% - 5.96%, 1.28% - 4.37% of the total tritium used in the corresponding test, respectively. The percentages are different for different types of clay minerals. (2) Tritium adsorbed onto clay minerals are existed in the forms of the tritiated hydroxyl radical (OT) and the tritiated water molecule (HTO). Tritium mainly exists in tritiated water molecule for adsorbed water and interlayer water, and in tritiated hydroxyl radical for structural water. (3) The forces and effects driving tritium into the clay minerals may include molecular dispersion, electric charge sorption, isotope exchange and tritium isotope effect.

Hydro-mechanical characterisation of Vendian clay from Russia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, A.M.; Cui, Y.J.; Hong, P.Y.; Li, X.L.; Rumynin, V.G.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. In the context of the Belgian-Russian bilateral program for developing a repository concept for L/ILW disposal, with a long experience in studies on disposal in clays, SCK.CEN has been charged to assist LSK RADON in assessing disposal possibilities at the LSK RADON site. In the present work, the hydro-mechanical characterisation of Kotlin clay taken from the LSK RADON site is investigated using laboratory tests. Three drilled cores taken from the site of LSK RADON were provided for testing: - RUS-B1-23.1-MCH from 23.1-m depth; - RUS-B1-78.4-MCH from 78.4-m depth; - RUS-B1-126.6 M CH: from 126.6-m depth. The depth of the samples was measured from the surface. The surface elevation was about 24 m above the sea level and the depth of the ground water table from the surface was around 3.5 m. It is shown that the sample taken from 23.1 m depth was close to the limit between the Lomonosov aquifer stratum (Cambrian Sand) and the first Kotlin confining layer (Vendian clay, Vkt1). The sample taken from 78.4 m depth corresponds to the middle of the Vkt1. The third sample taken from 126.6 m depth corresponds to the bottom part of the Vkt1. Visual observations and particles size distribution analysis showed that the studied soil corresponds to a stiff clay. However, the sample from 23.1 m depth has lower fine grain content and, that from 126.6 m depth is similar to a clayey rock. Drained triaxial compression tests at various confining pressures (p' 0 ) under controlled strain condition were performed on Core No. 2 (middle of Vkt1). The Young's modulus determined from these tests ranges from 140 to 260 MPa. Failure was obtained at an axial strain (ε a ) of about 2% and the shear stress (q) decreases drastically after the failure. The peak shear strength obtained varied from 2.06 to 3.82 MPa. Regarding the volumetric behaviour upon shearing, the soil volume decreases firstly by 1.2% (contractant) and then increases

Dynamics of water confined in clay minerals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Caer, S.; Pommeret, S.; Renault, J.Ph.; Lima, M.; Righini, R.; Gosset, D.; Simeone, D.; Bergaya, F.

2012-01-01

Ultrafast infrared spectroscopy of the O-D stretching mode of dilute HOD in H 2 O probes the local environment and the hydrogen bond network of confined water. The dynamics of water molecules confined in the interlayer space of montmorillonites (Mt) and in interaction with two types of cations (Li + and Ca 2+ ) but also with the negatively charged siloxane surface are studied. The results evidence that the OD vibrational dynamics is significantly slowed down in confined media: it goes from 1.7 ps in neat water to 2.6 Ps in the case of Li + cations with two water pseudo-layers (2.2-2.3 ps in the case of Ca 2+ cations) and to 4.7 ps in the case of Li + cations with one water pseudo-layer. No significant difference between the two cations is noticed. In this 2D confined geometry (the interlayer space being about 0.6 nm for two water pseudo-layers), the relaxation time constants obtained are comparable to the ones measured in analogous concentrated salt solutions. Nevertheless, and in strong opposition to the observations performed in the liquid phase, anisotropy experiments evidence the absence of rotational motions on a 5 ps time scale, proving that the hydrogen bond network in the interlayer space of the clay mineral is locked at this time scale. (authors)

The nature of porosity in organic-rich mudstones of the Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay Formation, North Sea, offshore United Kingdom

Science.gov (United States)

Fishman, Neil S.; Hackley, Paul C.; Lowers, Heather; Hill, Ronald J.; Egenhoff, Sven O.; Eberl, Dennis D.; Blum, Alex E.

2012-01-01

Analyses of organic-rich mudstones from wells that penetrated the Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay Formation, offshore United Kingdom, were performed to evaluate the nature of both organic and inorganic rock constituents and their relation to porosity in this world-class source rock. The formation is at varying levels of thermal maturity, ranging from immature in the shallowest core samples to mature in the deepest core samples. The intent of this study was to evaluate porosity as a function of both organic macerals and thermal maturity. At least four distinct types of organic macerals were observed in petrographic and SEM analyses and they all were present across the study area. The macerals include, in decreasing abundance: 1) bituminite admixed with clays; 2) elongate lamellar masses (alginite or bituminite) with small quartz, feldspar, and clay entrained within it; 3) terrestrial (vitrinite, fusinite, semifusinite) grains; and 4) Tasmanites microfossils. Although pores in all maceral types were observed on ion-milled surfaces of all samples, the pores (largely nanopores with some micropores) vary as a function of maceral type. Importantly, pores in the macerals do not vary systematically as a function of thermal maturity, insofar as organic pores are of similar size and shape in both the immature and mature Kimmeridge rocks. If any organic pores developed during the generation of hydrocarbons, they were apparently not preserved, possibly because of the highly ductile nature of much of the rock constituents of Kimmeridge mudstones (clays and organic material). Inorganic pores (largely micropores with some nanopores) have been observed in all Kimmeridge mudstones. These pores, particularly interparticle (i.e., between clay platelets), and intraparticle (i.e., in framboidal pyrite, in partially dissolved detrital K-feldspar, and in both detrital and authigenic dolomite) are noteworthy because they compose much of the observable porosity in the shales in both

Imaging techniques in clay sciences: a key tool to go a step further

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinet, J.C.; Michau, N.; Schaefer, T.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Clay-rocks and clay based materials are greatly considered in nuclear waste geological repository due to their multiple favourable properties (low permeability, low diffusion coefficients, high retention capacity for radionuclides, swelling...). In this context, the study of clays and clay rocks covers a large variety of scientific disciplines such as geology, mineralogy, geomechanics, geochemistry or hydrodynamics. These disciplines are linked together by a common issue which is the understanding and the predicting of clay and clay-rock behaviors and properties under various thermal-hydrological-mechanical- chemical (THMC) conditions. Linking the fundamental forces to macroscopic (from millimeter to several meters) behaviors and properties is nevertheless not straightforward for porous media such as clay-rocks and clay based materials. Currently, it remains a key challenge for the scientific community. Imaging techniques offer solutions to face up this challenge by characterizing the internal microstructure of material and rocks at different levels of resolution. Due to the reactivity of clay minerals with water (swelling, mechanical deformation) or with repository components (mineral transformations at iron, copper or concrete interfaces) and the multi-scale distribution of pore and mineral sizes, classically ranged from nano-meter to millimeter, imaging clay based materials and clay-rocks itself is unanimously recognized as a challenging task. In the 80's, despite several constraints and limits, the microstructure of clays had been intensively imaged using conventional 2D imaging techniques such as optical microscopy, X-ray radiography, scanning electron microscopy or transmission electron microscopy [1]. The images acquired using these techniques have given us a pictorial frame of reference of the internal structures of clay rocks and clay based materials at various resolution levels. They have also highlighted

Data Qualification Report: Pore Water Data for Use on the Yucca Mountain Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

H. Miller; R. Monks; C. Warren; W. Wowak

2000-01-01

Pore water data associated with Data Tracking Number (DTN) No.LL990702804244.100 are referenced in the Analysis and Model Reports (AMRs) prepared to support the Site Recommendation in determining the suitability of the Yucca Mountain, Nevada as a repository for high-level nuclear waste. It has been determined, in accordance with procedure AP-3.15Q Rev. 1, ICN 1, ''Managing Technical Product Inputs'', Attachment 6 , that the DTN-referenced data are used in AMRs that provide a direct calculation of ''Principal Factors'' for the Post-closure Safety Case or Potentially Disruptive Processes or Events. Therefore, in accordance with the requirements of procedure AP-SIII.2Q, Rev 0, ICN 2, ''Qualification of Unqualified Data and the Documentation of Rationale for Accepted Data'', Section 5.3.1 .a, a Data Qualification Report has been prepared for submittal to the Assistant Manager, Office of Project Execution for concurrence. This report summarizes the findings of the Data Qualification Team assembled to evaluate unqualified ''pore water data'' represented by DTN No. LL990702804244.100. This DTN is currently used in the following AMRs: Drift-Scale Coupled Processes (DST and THC Seepage) Models (CRWMS M and O 2000a), Environment of the Surfaces of the Drip Shield and Waste Package Outer Barrier (CRWMS M and O 2000b), and Engineered Barrier System: Physical and Chemical Environment Model (CRWMS M and O 2000c). Mineral composition of pore water submitted to the Technical Data Management System (TDMS) using the subject DTN were acquired data from the analysis pore water samples sent to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) by UFA Ventures, Inc. and analyzed by LLNL's Analytical Sciences/Analytical and Nuclear Chemistry Division (ASD). The purpose and scope of the AMRs that reference the subject DTN and the potential application of pore water data is described below. These AMRs use only that data associated with the specific samples: ESF-HD-PERM-1, ESF-HD-PERM-2, and

Data Qualification Report: Pore Water Data for Use on the Yucca Mountain Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

H. Miller; R. Monks; C. Warren; W. Wowak

2000-06-09

Pore water data associated with Data Tracking Number (DTN) No.LL990702804244.100 are referenced in the Analysis and Model Reports (AMRs) prepared to support the Site Recommendation in determining the suitability of the Yucca Mountain, Nevada as a repository for high-level nuclear waste. It has been determined, in accordance with procedure AP-3.15Q Rev. 1, ICN 1, ''Managing Technical Product Inputs'', Attachment 6 , that the DTN-referenced data are used in AMRs that provide a direct calculation of ''Principal Factors'' for the Post-closure Safety Case or Potentially Disruptive Processes or Events. Therefore, in accordance with the requirements of procedure AP-SIII.2Q, Rev 0, ICN 2, ''Qualification of Unqualified Data and the Documentation of Rationale for Accepted Data'', Section 5.3.1 .a, a Data Qualification Report has been prepared for submittal to the Assistant Manager, Office of Project Execution for concurrence. This report summarizes the findings of the Data Qualification Team assembled to evaluate unqualified ''pore water data'' represented by DTN No. LL990702804244.100. This DTN is currently used in the following AMRs: Drift-Scale Coupled Processes (DST and THC Seepage) Models (CRWMS M&O 2000a), Environment of the Surfaces of the Drip Shield and Waste Package Outer Barrier (CRWMS M&O 2000b), and Engineered Barrier System: Physical and Chemical Environment Model (CRWMS M&O 2000c). Mineral composition of pore water submitted to the Technical Data Management System (TDMS) using the subject DTN were acquired data from the analysis pore water samples sent to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) by UFA Ventures, Inc. and analyzed by LLNL's Analytical Sciences/Analytical and Nuclear Chemistry Division (ASD). The purpose and scope of the AMRs that reference the subject DTN and the potential application of pore water data is described below. These AMRs use only that

Fractal Characteristics of Pores in Taiyuan Formation Shale from Hedong Coal Field, China

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Kunjie; Zeng, Fangui; Cai, Jianchao; Sheng, Guanglong; Xia, Peng; Zhang, Kun

For the purpose of investigating the fractal characteristics of pores in Taiyuan formation shale, a series of qualitative and quantitative experiments were conducted on 17 shale samples from well HD-1 in Hedong coal field of North China. The results of geochemical experiments show that Total organic carbon (TOC) varies from 0.67% to 5.32% and the organic matters are in the high mature or over mature stage. The shale samples consist mainly of clay minerals and quartz with minor pyrite and carbonates. The FE-SEM images indicate that three types of pores, organic-related pores, inorganic-related pores and micro-fractures related pores, are developed well, and a certain number of intragranular pores are found inside quartz and carbonates formed by acid liquid corrosion. The pore size distributions (PSDs) broadly range from several to hundreds nanometers, but most pores are smaller than 10nm. As the result of different adsorption features at relative pressure (0-0.5) and (0.5-1) on the N2 adsorption isotherm, two fractal dimensions D1 and D2 were obtained with the Frenkel-Halsey-Hill (FHH) model. D1 and D2 vary from 2.4227 to 2.6219 and from 2.6049 to 2.7877, respectively. Both TOC and brittle minerals have positive effect on D1 and D2, whereas clay minerals, have a negative influence on them. The fractal dimensions are also influenced by the pore structure parameters, such as the specific surface area, BJH pore volume, etc. Shale samples with higher D1 could provide more adsorption sites leading to a greater methane adsorption capacity, whereas shale samples with higher D2 have little influence on methane adsorption capacity.

Revealing the influence of water-cement ratio on the pore size distribution in hydrated cement paste by using cyclohexane

Science.gov (United States)

Bede, Andrea; Ardelean, Ioan

2017-12-01

Varying the amount of water in a concrete mix will influence its final properties considerably due to the changes in the capillary porosity. That is why a non-destructive technique is necessary for revealing the capillary pore distribution inside hydrated cement based materials and linking the capillary porosity with the macroscopic properties of these materials. In the present work, we demonstrate a simple approach for revealing the differences in capillary pore size distributions introduced by the preparation of cement paste with different water-to-cement ratios. The approach relies on monitoring the nuclear magnetic resonance transverse relaxation distribution of cyclohexane molecules confined inside the cement paste pores. The technique reveals the whole spectrum of pores inside the hydrated cement pastes, allowing a qualitative and quantitative analysis of different pore sizes. The cement pastes with higher water-to-cement ratios show an increase in capillary porosity, while for all the samples the intra-C-S-H and inter-C-S-H pores (also known as gel pores) remain unchanged. The technique can be applied to various porous materials with internal mineral surfaces.

Sugar-influenced water diffusion, interaction, and retention in clay interlayer nanopores probed by theoretical simulations and experimental spectroscopies

Science.gov (United States)

Aristilde, Ludmilla; Galdi, Stephen M.; Kelch, Sabrina E.; Aoki, Thalia G.

2017-08-01

Understanding the hydrodynamics in clay nanopores is important for gaining insights into the trapping of water, nutrients, and contaminants in natural and engineered soils. Previous investigations have focused on the interlayer organization and molecular diffusion coefficients (D) of cations and water molecules in cation-saturated interlayer nanopores of smectite clays. Little is known, however, about how these interlayer dynamic properties are influenced by the ubiquitous presence of small organic compounds such as sugars in the soil environment. Here we probed the effects of glucose molecules on montmorillonite interlayer properties. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed re-structuring of the interlayer organization of the adsorptive species. Water-water interactions were disrupted by glucose-water H-bonding interactions. ;Dehydration; of the glucose-populated nanopore led to depletion in the Na solvation shell, which resulted in the accumulation of both Na ions (as inner-sphere complexes) and remaining hydrated water molecules at the mineral surface. This accumulation led to a decrease in both DNa and Dwater. In addition, the reduction in Dglucose as a function of increasing glucose content can be explained by the aggregation of glucose molecules into organic clusters H-bonded to the mineral surface on both walls of the nanopore. Experimental nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray diffraction data were consistent with the theoretical predictions. Compared to clay interlayers devoid of glucose, increased intensities and new peaks in the 23Na nuclear magnetic resonance spectra confirmed increasing immobilization of Na as a function of increasing glucose content. And, the X-ray diffraction data indicated a reduced collapse of glucose-populated interlayers exposed to decreasing moisture conditions, which led to the maintenance of hydrated clay nanopores. The coupling of theoretical and experimental findings sheds light on the molecular to nanoscale mechanisms that

Investigation of activated Al-pillared clay efficiency in vegetable oil purification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lomić Gizela A.

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This paper represents a contribution to the applicability of natural clays and their derivates as adsorbents in the process of purification of vegetable oil. Investigation of textural properties of raw and purified clay samples reveals that during acid activation and Al-pillaring, BET and micropore surface area increases significantly. However, bleaching capacity of clay and its derivates is not determined by using sample surface area, but rather sample total pore volume. Surface area, especially micropore surface area contributes to removal of smaller molecules. This was confirmed by successful elimination of moisture and volatile materials by samples with an appropriate micropore structure. Used samples of clay and its derivates do not significantly influence acid and peroxide values of raw sunflower oil during its treatment.

A desk study of surface diffusion and mass transport in clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, A.J.

1988-09-01

The concept of a geological barrier to radionuclide migration from theoretical radioactive waste repositories has drawn attention to the physico-chemical properties of clays, which are traditionally regarded as retarding media. This report addresses the different mechanisms of transport of radionuclides through clay and in particular focuses on the surface diffusion movement of sorbed cations. The relative contributory importance of the different transport mechanisms is governed by the pore size distributions and interconnections within the clay fabric. Surface diffusion data in the literature have been from experiments using compacted montmorillonite and biotite gneiss. A possible programme of laboratory work is outlined, based on diffusion experiments, which describes the way of measuring the effect of surface diffusion more accurately in clays, mudstones and shales. (author)

Nanoconfined water in magnesium-rich phyllosilicates.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nenoff, Tina Maria; Durkin, Justin S.; Daemen, Luke L. (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM); Ockwig, Nathan W.; Cygan, Randall Timothy; Greathouse, Jeffery A.

2009-10-01

Inelastic neutron scattering, density functional theory, ab initio molecular dynamics, and classical molecular dynamics were used to examine the behavior of nanoconfined water in palygorskite and sepiolite. These complementary methods provide a strong basis to illustrate and correlate the significant differences observed in the spectroscopic signatures of water in two unique clay minerals. Distortions of silicate tetrahedra in the smaller-pore palygorskite exhibit a limited number of hydrogen bonds having relatively short bond lengths. In contrast, without the distorted silicate tetrahedra, an increased number of hydrogen bonds are observed in the larger-pore sepiolite with corresponding longer bond distances. Because there is more hydrogen bonding at the pore interface in sepiolite than in palygorskite, we expect librational modes to have higher overall frequencies (i.e., more restricted rotational motions); experimental neutron scattering data clearly illustrates this shift in spectroscopic signatures. Distortions of the silicate tetrahedra in these minerals effectively disrupts hydrogen bonding patterns at the silicate-water interface, and this has a greater impact on the dynamical behavior of nanoconfined water than the actual size of the pore or the presence of coordinatively-unsaturated magnesium edge sites.

The CEC benchmark interclay on rheological models for clays results of pilot phase (January-June 1989) about the boom clay at Mol (B)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Come, B.

1990-01-01

A pilot phase of a benchmark exercise for rheological models for boom clay, called interclay, was launched by the CEC in January 1989. The purpose of the benchmark is to compare predictions of calculations made about well-defined rock-mechanical problems, similar to real cases at the Mol facilities, using existing data from laboratory tests on samples. Basically, two approaches were to be compared: one considering clay as an elasto-visco-plastic medium (rock-mechanics approach), and one isolating the role of pore-pressure dissipation (soil-mechanics approach)

Natural isotope tracing of hydric transfers in a very low porosity clay-stone formation: the argilites of Tournemire (France)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreau-Le Golvan, Yann

1997-01-01

Since 1988, the experimental site of the French Institute for Protection and Nuclear Safety (IPSN) situated in a tunnel near Toumemire (Aveyron, France), is studied in order to develop techniques and methods for the characterization of water behaviour in a clay-stone formation with very low water content and very low permeability. Isotope geochemistry was used to define the fluid transfer modalities. After the development or the improvement of sampling techniques, the measurement of the stable isotope contents (oxygen-18, deuterium, carbon-13) and radioactive isotope contents (tritium, carbon-14, chlorine-36) of fluids (pore water, fracture water) and solids (calcite fracture fillings) allowed to distinguish several origins and behaviours of water in the massif. The stable isotope distribution of pore water could be due to a diffusion driven mixing between argilite formation water and water from karsts, over and underlying the argilite formation. In this hypothesis, the time needed to establish the distribution profile should be longer than 5 million years. The role of the fractures seems complex, with indications of local paleo-transfers from the matrix to the fracture, and indications of transfers from the karstic aquifer. (author) [fr

Natural isotope tracing of hydric transfers in a very low porosity clay stone formation: the argilites of Tournemire (France)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreau-Le Golvan, Y.

1997-01-01

Since 1988, the experimental site of the French Institute for Protection and Nuclear Safety Safety (IPSN) situated in a tunnel near Tournemire (Aveyron, France), is studied in order to develop techniques and methods for the characterization of water behaviour in a clay-stone formation with very low water content and very low permeability. Isotope geochemistry was used to define the fluid transfer modalities. After the development development of the improvement of sampling techniques, the measurement of the stable isotope contents (oxygen - 18, deuterium, carbon-13) and radioactive isotope contents (tritium, carbon-14, chlorine-36) of fluids (pore water, fracture water) and solids (calcite fracture fillings) allowed to distinguish several origins and behaviours of water in the massif. The stable isotope distribution of pore water could be due to a diffusion driven mixing between argillite formation water and water from karsts, over and underlying the argillite formation. In this hypothesis, the time needed to establish the distribution profile should be longer than 5 million years. The role of the fractures seems complex, with indications of local paleo-transfers from the matrix to the fracture, and indications of transfers from the karstic aquifer. (author)

Fault creep and stress drops in saturated silt-clay gouge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bombolakis, E.G.; Hepburn, J.C.; Roy, D.C.

1978-01-01

An analysis of physicochemical processes in saturated silt-clay gouge indicates that this type of fault zone material can account for for the following phenomena: (1) the nonlinear mechanical behavior indicated by certain geophysical measurements along the San Andreas fault zone, (2) the low stress drops associated with earthquakes to several kilometers' depth, and (3) the recurrence of creep-induced instabilities at shallow depths along fault zones. A rheological model is described for a gouge consisting of colloidal size clay platelets with absorbed water, brittle silt size particles, and 'free' pore water. Recurrence of shallow earthquakes or accelerated creep is explained in the model by thixotropic hardening of the colloidal phase following shear deformation, i.e., by electrochemical reorientation of clay platelets from a dispersed structure to a face-to-edge type of structure during a quiescent period. The silt phase must support part of the effective mean stress for thixotropic hardening to occur at several kilometers' depth. The peak shear strength of the gouge in this case is expressed in functional form by S/sub p/=f[kappaP/sub e/+sigma-bar/sub c/ tan psi/sub e/; sigma-bar/sub s/ tan psi/sub s/], where kappa, P/sub e/, and psi/sub e/ are Hvorslev parameters; sigma-bar/sub c/ is the effective stress in the colloidal phase, acting normal to the shear zone; sigma-bar/sub s/ is the effective stress in the silt phase, acting normal to the shear zone; and psi/sub s/ is the 'friction angle' of the silt phase. The peak shear strength is time dependent owing to viscous type contacts between absorbed water layers surrounding the colloidal platelets. The time-dependent nature of S/sub p/ may be responsible for certain nonlinear behavior noted in fault zones and for the small stress drops associated with earthquakes occurring at several kilometers' depth

Pore-Engineered Metal–Organic Frameworks with Excellent Adsorption of Water and Fluorocarbon Refrigerant for Cooling Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Jian [Physical; Vemuri, Rama S. [Energy; Estevez, Luis [Energy; Koech, Phillip K. [Energy; Varga, Tamas [Environmental; Camaioni, Donald M. [Physical; Blake, Thomas A. [Physical; McGrail, B. Peter [Energy; Motkuri, Radha Kishan [Energy

2017-07-20

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are found to be promising sorbents for adsorption cooling applications. Using organic ligands with 1, 2, and 3 phenylene rings, we construct moisture-stable Ni-MOF-74 members with adjustable pore apertures. These pore-engineered materials exhibit excellent sorption capabilities towards water and fluorocarbons. The adsorption patterns for these materials differ significantly and are attributed to variances in the hydrophobic/hydrophilic pore character, associated with differences in pore size. Complementary ex situ characterizations and in situ FTIR spectra are deployed to understand the correlations between the mechanisms of gas loadings and the pore environment of the MOFs.

The marine geochemistry of actinium-227: Evidence for its migration through sediment pore water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nozaki, Yoshiyuki; Yamada, Masatoshi; Nikaido, Hirofumi

1990-01-01

227 Ac with a half life of 21.8 years has a potential utility as a tracer of deep water circulation and mixing studies on time scales less than 100 years. Here the authors present the first measurement of 227 Ac profile in the pore water of Northwest Pacific deep-sea sediment and in the ∼10,000 m long water column of Izu-Ogasawara Trench. The results clearly show that 227 Ac is supplied from the sediment to the overlying water through migration in the pore water. The model calculation indicates that the molecular diffusion alone through sediment porewater can support only a half of the standing crop of excess 227 Ac in the water column and the enhanced supply of 227 Ac by particle mixing is necessary to account for the remainder. Thus, bioturbation in the deep sea plays an important role in controlling the flux of some short-lived radionuclides such as 227 Ac and 228 Ra across the sediment-water interface

Clay Characterization as Engineered Barrier to Contaminants Migration: Thermal, Hydraulic and Mechanical Properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bru, A.; Casero, D.

2001-01-01

In this work we characterize the structure of a clay, concretely bentonite. Our main aim is to stress the important role that plays the heterogeneity of the medium structure in transport processes. Randomness of pore sizes produces an anomalous transport of contaminants. We analyze mercuric porosimetry data with simulations finding that pore size distribution has a power-law behaviour. (Author) 6 refs

Research and development on groundwater dating. Part 6. Extraction of pore water from low permeability rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakata, Kotaro; Oyama, Takahiro; Higashihara, Tomohiro; Hasegawa, Takuma; Kitsukawa, Takashi

2007-01-01

The squeezing method is one of the most promising methods to obtain the pore water from rock cores. However, in previous studies, ion composition of squeezed water was found to have dependency on squeezing pressure. In this study, squeezing method was applied to both natural and artificial standard samples and concentration of Cl ion in squeezed water and basal spacing of smectite included in samples were investigated as a function of squeezing pressure. Furthermore, bentonite sample was prepared by suspending the bentonite powder in NaCl solution and supplied for squeezing. The relation between concentration of Cl ion in squeezed water and the amount of inter-layer water squeezed from smectite was discussed quantitatively, for this bentonite sample. The concentration of Cl ion in squeezed water was found to decrease with increase of squeezing pressure. The inter-layer water from smectite is assumed to be one of the most effective cause of the decrease of Cl ion with increase of squeezing pressure, because of following 3 reasons; 1) Basal spacing of smectite included in rocks decreased with increase of squeezing pressure, 2) The decrease of Cl ion strongly depended on the amount of smectite included in rocks and no decrease was observed in glass filter sample in which no smectite is included, 3) The agreement between concentration of Cl estimated from obtained pore water and that calculated with basal spacing and amount of pore water was obtained in bentonite sample. These results indicated squeezing pressure should be limited so that basal spacing of smectite do not change during squeezing to estimate the concentration of Cl in pore water precisely. (author)

Effects of Wood Pollution on Pore-Water Sulfide Levels and Eelgrass Germination

Science.gov (United States)

Ekelem, C.

2016-02-01

Historically, sawmills released wood waste onto coastal shorelines throughout the Pacific Northwest of the USA, enriching marine sediments with organic material. The increase in organic carbon boosts the bacterial reduction of sulfate and results in the production of a toxic metabolite, hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is a phytotoxin and can decrease the growth and survival of eelgrass. This is a critical issue since eelgrass, Zostera marina, forms habitat for many species, stabilizes sediment, and plays a role in nutrient cycling and sediment chemistry. The objective of our study was to determine the effects of wood debris on sediment pore-water hydrogen sulfide concentrations and eelgrass germination. To test the impact of wood inputs on sulfide production and seed germination, we conducted a laboratory mesocosm experiment, adding sawdust to marine sediments and measuring the sulfide levels weekly. We subsequently planted seeds in the mesocosms and measured germination rates. Higher concentrations of sawdust led to higher levels of pore-water hydrogen sulfide and drastically slower eelgrass germination rates. Treatments with greater than 10% wood enrichment developed free sulfide concentrations of 0.815 (± 0.427) mM after 118 days, suggesting sediments with greater than 10% wood pollution may have threateningly high pore-water hydrogen sulfide levels. These results can be used to set thresholds for remediation efforts and guide seed distribution in wood polluted areas.

Cold seeps in Monterey Bay, California: Geochemistry of pore waters and relationship to benthic foraminiferal calcite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gieskes, Joris; Rathburn, Anthony E.; Martin, Jonathan B.; Perez, M. Elena; Mahn, Chris; Bernhard, Joan M.; Day, Shelley

2011-01-01

Highlights: → We describe the geochemistry of pore waters in the Clam Flats area of Monterey Bay. → The geochemical data are compared with the δ 13 C chemistry of benthic foraminifera. → Living foraminifera indicate little effects of pore water low δ 13 C (DIC) in the clam bed. → This phenomenon and its implications are discussed in detail. → Implications with regards to paleo-methane seepage are discussed. - Abstract: An extensive geochemical and biogeochemical examination of CH 4 seeps in the Clam Flats area of Monterey Bay provides insight into the character of relationships between seep geochemistry and benthic foraminiferal geochemistry. The area is characterized by sulfide-rich fluids. Sulfide increases are associated with large increases in alkalinity, as well as small decreases in dissolved Ca and Mg. In addition, only small increases in NH 4 are observed, but values of δ 13 C of dissolved inorganic C are as low as -60 per mille at shallow depths ( 4 , which is transported upward by slow seepage of pore fluids. The geochemistry of the pore fluids should be relevant to the geochemistry of the carbonate tests of living and dead foraminifera. However, a profound disequilibrium of approximately an order of magnitude occurs between the δ 13 C values of stained (cytoplasm-containing) foraminiferal carbonate and the C isotope values of ambient pore water dissolved inorganic C. Reasons are unclear for this isotopic disequilibrium, but have important implications for interpretations of foraminiferal carbonate as a paleoenvironmental proxy. Much fine scale work is needed to fully understand the relationships between the biogeochemistry of benthic foraminifera and the geochemistry of the pore waters where they live.

Arsenic readily released to pore waters from buried mill tailings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahoney, John [Hydrologic Consultants, Inc., 143 Union Blvd., Suite 525, Lakewood, CO 80228 (United States)]. E-mail: jmahoney@hcico.com; Langmuir, Donald [Hydrochem Systems Corp., P.O. Box 17090, Golden, CO 80402 (United States); Gosselin, Neil [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Way, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2 (Canada); Rowson, John [COGEMA Resources, Inc., P.O. Box 9204, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 3X5 (Canada)

2005-05-15

At the McClean Lake Operation in the Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan, the untreated acid raffinate solutions associated with U mill tailings contain up to 700 mg/L dissolved As. To reduce the concentration of As and other contaminants in acid tailing slurries at the JEB mill at McClean Lake, ferric sulfate may be added to the acid raffinates to assure that their molar Fe/As ratio equals or exceeds 3. Tailings slurries are then neutralized with lime to pH 4, and subsequently to pH 7-8. The neutralized tailings contain minerals from the original ore, which are chiefly quartz, illite, kaolinite and chlorite, and precipitated (secondary) minerals that include gypsum, scorodite, annabergite, hydrobasaluminite and ferrihydrite. Most of the As is associated with the secondary arsenate minerals, scorodite and annabergite. However, a few percent is adsorbed and/or co-precipitated, mainly by ferrihydrite. Of major concern to provincial and federal regulators is the risk that significant amounts of As might be released from the tailings to pore waters after their subaqueous disposal in the tailings management facility. A laboratory study was performed to address this issue, measuring readily desorbed As using a method known as equilibrium partitioning in closed systems (EPICS). The EPICS method was selected because it employs a leaching solution that, except for its As concentration, is identical in composition to the neutralized raffinate in contact with the tailings. Laboratory experiments and modeling results demonstrated that the As that could be readily released to pore waters is about 0.2% of the total As in the tailings. Long-term, such releases may contribute no more than a few mg/L of dissolved As to tailings pore waters.

Arsenic readily released to pore waters from buried mill tailings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahoney, John; Langmuir, Donald; Gosselin, Neil; Rowson, John

2005-01-01

At the McClean Lake Operation in the Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan, the untreated acid raffinate solutions associated with U mill tailings contain up to 700 mg/L dissolved As. To reduce the concentration of As and other contaminants in acid tailing slurries at the JEB mill at McClean Lake, ferric sulfate may be added to the acid raffinates to assure that their molar Fe/As ratio equals or exceeds 3. Tailings slurries are then neutralized with lime to pH 4, and subsequently to pH 7-8. The neutralized tailings contain minerals from the original ore, which are chiefly quartz, illite, kaolinite and chlorite, and precipitated (secondary) minerals that include gypsum, scorodite, annabergite, hydrobasaluminite and ferrihydrite. Most of the As is associated with the secondary arsenate minerals, scorodite and annabergite. However, a few percent is adsorbed and/or co-precipitated, mainly by ferrihydrite. Of major concern to provincial and federal regulators is the risk that significant amounts of As might be released from the tailings to pore waters after their subaqueous disposal in the tailings management facility. A laboratory study was performed to address this issue, measuring readily desorbed As using a method known as equilibrium partitioning in closed systems (EPICS). The EPICS method was selected because it employs a leaching solution that, except for its As concentration, is identical in composition to the neutralized raffinate in contact with the tailings. Laboratory experiments and modeling results demonstrated that the As that could be readily released to pore waters is about 0.2% of the total As in the tailings. Long-term, such releases may contribute no more than a few mg/L of dissolved As to tailings pore waters

Mineral Acquisition from Clay by Budongo Forest Chimpanzees.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vernon Reynolds

Full Text Available Chimpanzees of the Sonso community, Budongo Forest, Uganda were observed eating clay and drinking clay-water from waterholes. We show that clay, clay-rich water, and clay obtained with leaf sponges, provide a range of minerals in different concentrations. The presence of aluminium in the clay consumed indicates that it takes the form of kaolinite. We discuss the contribution of clay geophagy to the mineral intake of the Sonso chimpanzees and show that clay eaten using leaf sponges is particularly rich in minerals. We show that termite mound soil, also regularly consumed, is rich in minerals. We discuss the frequency of clay and termite soil geophagy in the context of the disappearance from Budongo Forest of a formerly rich source of minerals, the decaying pith of Raphia farinifera palms.

Mineral Acquisition from Clay by Budongo Forest Chimpanzees.

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, Vernon; Lloyd, Andrew W; English, Christopher J; Lyons, Peter; Dodd, Howard; Hobaiter, Catherine; Newton-Fisher, Nicholas; Mullins, Caroline; Lamon, Noemie; Schel, Anne Marijke; Fallon, Brittany

2015-01-01

Chimpanzees of the Sonso community, Budongo Forest, Uganda were observed eating clay and drinking clay-water from waterholes. We show that clay, clay-rich water, and clay obtained with leaf sponges, provide a range of minerals in different concentrations. The presence of aluminium in the clay consumed indicates that it takes the form of kaolinite. We discuss the contribution of clay geophagy to the mineral intake of the Sonso chimpanzees and show that clay eaten using leaf sponges is particularly rich in minerals. We show that termite mound soil, also regularly consumed, is rich in minerals. We discuss the frequency of clay and termite soil geophagy in the context of the disappearance from Budongo Forest of a formerly rich source of minerals, the decaying pith of Raphia farinifera palms.

Mercury cycling in surface water, pore water and sediments of Mugu Lagoon, CA, USA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rothenberg, Sarah E. [Environmental Science and Engineering Program, Box 951772, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772 (United States)], E-mail: rothenberg.sarah@gmail.com; Ambrose, Richard F. [Environmental Science and Engineering Program, Box 951772, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772 (United States); Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Box 951772, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772 (United States)], E-mail: rambrose@ucla.edu; Jay, Jennifer A. [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Box 951593, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1593 (United States)], E-mail: jjay@seas.ucla.edu

2008-07-15

Mugu Lagoon is an estuary in southern California, listed as impaired for mercury. In 2005, we examined mercury cycling at ten sites within at most four habitats. In surface water (unfiltered and filtered) and pore water, the concentration of total mercury was correlated with methylmercury levels (R{sup 2} = 0.29, 0.26, 0.27, respectively, p < 0.05), in contrast to sediments, where organic matter and reduced iron levels were most correlated with methylmercury content (R{sup 2} = 0.37, 0.26, respectively, p < 0.05). Interestingly, levels for percent methylmercury of total mercury in sediments were higher than typical values for estuarine sediments (average 5.4%, range 0.024-38%, n = 59), while pore water methylmercury K{sub d} values were also high (average 3.1, range 2.0-4.2 l kg{sup -1}, n = 39), and the estimated methylmercury flux from sediments was low (average 1.7, range 0.14-5.3 ng m{sup -2} day{sup -1}, n = 19). Mercury levels in predatory fish tissue at Mugu are >0.3 ppm, suggesting biogeochemical controls on methylmercury mobility do not completely mitigate methylmercury uptake through the food web. - Trends in mercury cycling differed between habitats and within matrices at Mugu Lagoon.

Tracer diffusion in compacted, water-saturated bentonite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourg, Ian C.; Sposito, Garrison; Bourg, Alain C.M.

2005-01-01

Compacted Na-bentonite clay barriers, widely used in the isolation of solid-waste landfills and other contaminated sites, have been proposed for a similar use in the disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Molecular diffusion through the pore space in these barriers plays a key role in their performance, thus motivating recent measurements of the apparent diffusion coefficient tensor of water tracers in compacted, water-saturated Na-bentonites. In the present study, we introduce a conceptual model in which the pore space of water-saturated bentonite is divided into 'macropore' and 'interlayer nanopore' compartments. With this model we determine quantitatively the relative contributions of pore-network geometry (expressed as a geometric factor) and of the diffusive behavior of water molecules near montmorillonite basal surfaces(expressed as a contrastivity factor) to the apparent diffusion coefficient tensor. Our model predicts, in agreement with experiment, that the mean principal value of the apparent diffusion coefficient tensor follows a single relationship when plotted against the partial montmorillonite dry density (mass of montmorillonite per combined volume of montmorillonite and pore space). Using a single fitted parameter, the mean principal geometric factor, our model successfully describes this relationship for a broad range of bentonite-water system, from dilute gel to highly-compacted bentonite with 80 percent of its pore water in interlayer nanopores

Error Analysis of Clay-Rock Water Content Estimation with Broadband High-Frequency Electromagnetic Sensors—Air Gap Effect

Science.gov (United States)

Bore, Thierry; Wagner, Norman; Delepine Lesoille, Sylvie; Taillade, Frederic; Six, Gonzague; Daout, Franck; Placko, Dominique

2016-01-01

Broadband electromagnetic frequency or time domain sensor techniques present high potential for quantitative water content monitoring in porous media. Prior to in situ application, the impact of the relationship between the broadband electromagnetic properties of the porous material (clay-rock) and the water content on the frequency or time domain sensor response is required. For this purpose, dielectric properties of intact clay rock samples experimental determined in the frequency range from 1 MHz to 10 GHz were used as input data in 3-D numerical frequency domain finite element field calculations to model the one port broadband frequency or time domain transfer function for a three rods based sensor embedded in the clay-rock. The sensor response in terms of the reflection factor was analyzed in time domain with classical travel time analysis in combination with an empirical model according to Topp equation, as well as the theoretical Lichtenecker and Rother model (LRM) to estimate the volumetric water content. The mixture equation considering the appropriate porosity of the investigated material provide a practical and efficient approach for water content estimation based on classical travel time analysis with the onset-method. The inflection method is not recommended for water content estimation in electrical dispersive and absorptive material. Moreover, the results clearly indicate that effects due to coupling of the sensor to the material cannot be neglected. Coupling problems caused by an air gap lead to dramatic effects on water content estimation, even for submillimeter gaps. Thus, the quantitative determination of the in situ water content requires careful sensor installation in order to reach a perfect probe clay rock coupling. PMID:27096865

Error Analysis of Clay-Rock Water Content Estimation with Broadband High-Frequency Electromagnetic Sensors—Air Gap Effect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thierry Bore

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Broadband electromagnetic frequency or time domain sensor techniques present high potential for quantitative water content monitoring in porous media. Prior to in situ application, the impact of the relationship between the broadband electromagnetic properties of the porous material (clay-rock and the water content on the frequency or time domain sensor response is required. For this purpose, dielectric properties of intact clay rock samples experimental determined in the frequency range from 1 MHz to 10 GHz were used as input data in 3-D numerical frequency domain finite element field calculations to model the one port broadband frequency or time domain transfer function for a three rods based sensor embedded in the clay-rock. The sensor response in terms of the reflection factor was analyzed in time domain with classical travel time analysis in combination with an empirical model according to Topp equation, as well as the theoretical Lichtenecker and Rother model (LRM to estimate the volumetric water content. The mixture equation considering the appropriate porosity of the investigated material provide a practical and efficient approach for water content estimation based on classical travel time analysis with the onset-method. The inflection method is not recommended for water content estimation in electrical dispersive and absorptive material. Moreover, the results clearly indicate that effects due to coupling of the sensor to the material cannot be neglected. Coupling problems caused by an air gap lead to dramatic effects on water content estimation, even for submillimeter gaps. Thus, the quantitative determination of the in situ water content requires careful sensor installation in order to reach a perfect probe clay rock coupling.

Error Analysis of Clay-Rock Water Content Estimation with Broadband High-Frequency Electromagnetic Sensors--Air Gap Effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Bore, Thierry; Wagner, Norman; Lesoille, Sylvie Delepine; Taillade, Frederic; Six, Gonzague; Daout, Franck; Placko, Dominique

2016-04-18

Broadband electromagnetic frequency or time domain sensor techniques present high potential for quantitative water content monitoring in porous media. Prior to in situ application, the impact of the relationship between the broadband electromagnetic properties of the porous material (clay-rock) and the water content on the frequency or time domain sensor response is required. For this purpose, dielectric properties of intact clay rock samples experimental determined in the frequency range from 1 MHz to 10 GHz were used as input data in 3-D numerical frequency domain finite element field calculations to model the one port broadband frequency or time domain transfer function for a three rods based sensor embedded in the clay-rock. The sensor response in terms of the reflection factor was analyzed in time domain with classical travel time analysis in combination with an empirical model according to Topp equation, as well as the theoretical Lichtenecker and Rother model (LRM) to estimate the volumetric water content. The mixture equation considering the appropriate porosity of the investigated material provide a practical and efficient approach for water content estimation based on classical travel time analysis with the onset-method. The inflection method is not recommended for water content estimation in electrical dispersive and absorptive material. Moreover, the results clearly indicate that effects due to coupling of the sensor to the material cannot be neglected. Coupling problems caused by an air gap lead to dramatic effects on water content estimation, even for submillimeter gaps. Thus, the quantitative determination of the in situ water content requires careful sensor installation in order to reach a perfect probe clay rock coupling.

Water storage change estimation from in situ shrinkage measurements of clay soils

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brake, te B.; Ploeg, van der M.J.; Rooij, de G.H.

2013-01-01

The objective of this study is to assess the applicability of clay soil elevation change measurements to estimate soil water storage changes, using a simplified approach. We measured moisture contents in aggregates by EC-5 sensors, and in multiple aggregate and inter-aggregate spaces (bulk soil) by

Morphology modification of polyethersulfone membrane from montmorillonite clay presence; Modificacao da morfologia de membrana de polietersulfona a partir da presenca de argila montmorilonita

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferreira, R.S.B.; Oliveira, S.S.L.; Leite, A.M.D.; Araujo, E.M.; Lira, H.L., E-mail: edcleide.araujo@dema.ufcg.edu.br [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UAEMa/CCT/UFCG), PB (Brazil). Unidade Academica de Engenharia de Materiais; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (ECT/UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil). Escola de Ciencias e Tecnologia

2016-07-01

The objective of this work is to produce hollow fiber membranes of polyethersulfone from the formation of hybrids with montmorillonite national clay (3 and 5% Brasgel PA), with the intention of modifying the morphology and improving the flow properties of the PES membrane. Initially, flat membranes were produced for characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and contact angle. By XRD it was evident that membrane production and clay influenced the crystallinity of the polymer. The measurement of the contact angle indicated that the incorporation of clay promoted a change in membrane hydrophilicity, being more evident for with the 3% of MMT. By means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) it was evidenced that the clay modified the morphology of the membrane, having a better distribution of the pores and the 'fingers'. The flow measurements showed that the membrane containing 3% of MMT had a higher permeability to distilled water, indicating its potential for the treatment of liquid effluents. (author)

Changes in Pore Water Quality After Peatland Restoration: Assessment of a Large-Scale, Replicated Before-After-Control-Impact Study in Finland

Science.gov (United States)

Menberu, Meseret Walle; Marttila, Hannu; Tahvanainen, Teemu; Kotiaho, Janne S.; Hokkanen, Reijo; Kløve, Bjørn; Ronkanen, Anna-Kaisa

2017-10-01

Drainage is known to affect peatland natural hydrology and water quality, but peatland restoration is considered to ameliorate peatland degradation. Using a replicated BACIPS (Before-After-Control-Impact Paired Series) design, we investigated 24 peatlands, all drained for forestry and subsequently restored, and 19 pristine control boreal peatlands with high temporal and spatial resolution data on hydroclimate and pore water quality. In drained conditions, total nitrogen (Ntot), total phosphorus (Ptot), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in pore water were several-fold higher than observed at pristine control sites, highlighting the impacts of long-term drainage on pore water quality. In general, pore water DOC and Ntot decreased after restoration measures but still remained significantly higher than at pristine control sites, indicating long time lags in restoration effects. Different peatland classes and trophic levels (vegetation gradient) responded differently to restoration, primarily due to altered hydrology and varying acidity levels. Sites that were hydrologically overrestored (inundated) showed higher Ptot, Ntot, and DOC than well-restored or insufficiently restored sites, indicating the need to optimize natural-like hydrological regimes when restoring peatlands drained for forestry. Rich fens (median pH 6.2-6.6) showed lower pore water Ptot, Ntot, and DOC than intermediate and poor peats (pH 4.0-4.6) both before and after restoration. Nutrients and DOC in pore water increased in the first year postrestoration but decreased thereafter. The most important variables related to pore water quality were trophic level, peatland class, water table level, and soil and air temperature.

Dielectric properties of clay-rock and their influence on water content measurement with TDR probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bore, T.; Coelho, D.; Robinet, J.C.; Delepine-Lesoille, S.; Placko, D.; Gatabin, C.; Sabouroux, P.; Six, G.; Taillade, F.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Clays constitute major components for radioactive waste repositories managed by Andra. Water content monitoring is one of the indicators chosen to evaluate the health of the structure. In this perspective, several TDR probes have been installed in various structures, made of three types of clay materials: the bentonite, the clay-rock (Callovo-Oxfordian mud-stone) and the compacted crushed clay-rock. . The technique consists of a time-of-flight measurement of an electric pulse along the TDR probes. To convert flight time propagation delay into water content, calibrations are required. This conversion is however neither accurate, nor generalizable for other mixtures. For precise understanding and modeling of the sensing chain, a better knowledge the complex permittivity of clay materials is necessary. Chosen TDR sensing lines make use of a step electric pulse (such as Campbell TDR100). Considering the rise time of this system, the frequency content of the measured TDR wave form extends from about 20 kHz to roughly 1.5 GHz. Material dielectric must thus be characterized over a broad band frequency. The determination of the electromagnetic properties using non resonant method is fundamentally deduced from their impedance and the wave velocities in the materials. This kind of technique relies on a device able to direct the electromagnetic energy towards a material and to collect the reflected and transmitted parts. In a first step, we designed a transmission line to provide electromagnetic characterizations of clay material. The clay material under test is inserted into a brass coaxial cell specifically designed for our purposes. Two conical transition units surround the specimen holder. The electromagnetic properties of the sample are based on the reflection from the material and the transmission through the material measured by a vector network analyser (VNA). The determination of the electromagnetic properties from

Thixotropic Properties of Latvian Illite Containing Clays

OpenAIRE

Lakevičs, Vitālijs; Stepanova, Valentīna; Niedra, Santa; Dušenkova, Inga; Ruplis, Augusts

2015-01-01

Thixotropic properties of Latvian Devonian and Quaternary clays were studied. Dynamic viscosity of the water clay suspensions were measured with a rotating viscometer. Influence of concentration, pH and modifiers on the thixotropic clay properties was analyzed. It was found that Latvian clays have thixotropic properties. Stability of clay suspensions is described with the thixotropy hysteresis loop. Increasing the speed of the viscometer rotation, dynamic viscosity of the clay suspension decr...

New membranes made of sintered clay application to crossflow ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The new mineral membranes made of sintered clay are performed and characterized in terms of porosity, hydraulic resistance, pore diameter and mechanical resistance. It is shown that these membranes can be used as microfiltration membrane. The variations of the filtrate flux as a function of time are measured during the ...

Natural gas extraction and artificial gas injection experiments in Opalinus Clay, Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vinsot, A.; Lundy, M. [Agence Nationale pour la Gestion des Déchets Radioactifs ANDRA, Meuse Haute-Marne Center, Bure (France); Appelo, C.A.J. [Dr C.A.J. Appelo, Hydrochemical Consultant, Amsterdam (Netherlands); and others

2017-04-15

Two experiments have been installed at Mont Terri in 2004 and 2009 that allowed gas circulation within a borehole at a pressure between 1 and 2 bar. These experiments made it possible to observe the natural gases that were initially dissolved in pore-water degassing into the borehole and to monitor their content evolution in the borehole over several years. They also allowed for inert (He, Ne) and reactive (H{sub 2}) gases to be injected into the borehole with the aim either to determine their diffusion properties into the rock pore-water or to evaluate their removal reaction kinetics. The natural gases identified were CO{sub 2}, light alkanes, He, and more importantly N{sub 2}. The natural concentration of four gases in Opalinus Clay pore-water was evaluated at the experiment location: N{sub 2} 2.2 mmol/L ± 25%, CH{sub 4} 0.30 mmol/L ± 25%, C{sub 2}H{sub 6} 0.023 mmol/L ± 25%, C{sub 3}H{sub 8} 0.012 mmol/L ± 25%. Retention properties of methane, ethane, and propane were estimated. Ne injection tests helped to characterize rock diffusion properties regarding the dissolved inert gases. These experimental results are highly relevant towards evaluating how the fluid composition could possibly evolve in the drifts of a radioactive waste disposal facility. (authors)

Cold seeps in Monterey Bay, California: Geochemistry of pore waters and relationship to benthic foraminiferal calcite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gieskes, Joris, E-mail: jgieskes@ucsd.edu [Scripps Institution of Oceanography, IOD-0208, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0208 (United States); Rathburn, Anthony E. [Scripps Institution of Oceanography, IOD-0208, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0208 (United States)] [Indiana State University, Department of Earth and Environmental Systems, Terre Haute, IN 47809 (United States); Martin, Jonathan B. [University of Florida, Department of Geological Sciences, Gainesville, FL 32611-2120 (United States); Perez, M. Elena [Indiana State University, Department of Earth and Environmental Systems, Terre Haute, IN 47809 (United States)] [The Natural History Museum, Department of Palaeontology, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD (United Kingdom); Mahn, Chris [Scripps Institution of Oceanography, IOD-0208, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0208 (United States); Bernhard, Joan M. [Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Geology and Geophysics Department, MS52, Woods Hole, MA 02543 (United States); Day, Shelley [University of Florida, Department of Geological Sciences, Gainesville, FL 32611-2120 (United States)

2011-05-15

Highlights: > We describe the geochemistry of pore waters in the Clam Flats area of Monterey Bay. > The geochemical data are compared with the {delta}{sup 13}C chemistry of benthic foraminifera. > Living foraminifera indicate little effects of pore water low {delta}{sup 13}C (DIC) in the clam bed. > This phenomenon and its implications are discussed in detail. > Implications with regards to paleo-methane seepage are discussed. - Abstract: An extensive geochemical and biogeochemical examination of CH{sub 4} seeps in the Clam Flats area of Monterey Bay provides insight into the character of relationships between seep geochemistry and benthic foraminiferal geochemistry. The area is characterized by sulfide-rich fluids. Sulfide increases are associated with large increases in alkalinity, as well as small decreases in dissolved Ca and Mg. In addition, only small increases in NH{sub 4} are observed, but values of {delta}{sup 13}C of dissolved inorganic C are as low as -60 per mille at shallow depths (<3 cm). These observations indicate that all these processes are related to the bacterial oxidation of CH{sub 4}, which is transported upward by slow seepage of pore fluids. The geochemistry of the pore fluids should be relevant to the geochemistry of the carbonate tests of living and dead foraminifera. However, a profound disequilibrium of approximately an order of magnitude occurs between the {delta}{sup 13}C values of stained (cytoplasm-containing) foraminiferal carbonate and the C isotope values of ambient pore water dissolved inorganic C. Reasons are unclear for this isotopic disequilibrium, but have important implications for interpretations of foraminiferal carbonate as a paleoenvironmental proxy. Much fine scale work is needed to fully understand the relationships between the biogeochemistry of benthic foraminifera and the geochemistry of the pore waters where they live.

Study of phosphate release from Bogor botanical gardens’ sediment into pore water using diffusive gradient in thin film (DGT)

Science.gov (United States)

Tirta, A. P.; Saefumillah, A.; Foliatini

2017-04-01

Eutrophication is one of the environmental problems caused by the excessive nutrients in aquatic ecosystems. In most lakes, phosphate is a limiting nutrient for algae photosynthesis. Even though the concentration of phosphate from external loading into the water body has been reduced, eutrophication could still be occured due to internal mobilization of phosphate from the sediment pore water into the overlying water. Therefore, the released phosphate from sediments and their interaction in the pore water must be included in the monitoring of phosphate concentration in aquatic system. The released phosphate from sediment into pore water has been studied by DGT device with ferrihydrite as binding gel and N-N‧-methylenebisacrylamide as crosslinker. The results showed that DGT with 15% acrylamide; 0.1 % N-N‧-methylenebisacrylamide and ferrihydrite as binding gel was suitable for the measurement of the released phosphate from sediment into pore water. The result of the deployed DGT in oxic and anoxic conditions in seven days incubation showed the released phosphate process from the sediment into pore water was affected by incubation time and the existence of oxygen in the environment. The released phosphate from the sediment into pore water in anoxic condition has a higher value than oxic condition. The experimental results of the deployed DGT in natural sediment core at a depth of 1 to 15 cm from the surface of the water for 7 days showed that the sediment has a different phosphate mass profile based on depth. The concentration of phosphate tends to be increased with depth. The maximum CDGT of phosphate released in oxic and anoxic conditions at 7th day period of incubation are 29.23 μg/L at 14 cm depth and 30.19 μg/L at 8 cm depth, respectively.

Nitrate concentrations in drainage water in marine clay areas : exploratory research of the causes of increased nitrate concentrations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boekel, van E.M.P.M.; Roelsma, J.; Massop, H.T.L.; Hendriks, R.F.A.; Goedhart, P.W.; Jansen, P.C.

2013-01-01

The nitrate concentrations measured in drainage water and groundwater at LMM farms (farms participating in the National Manure Policy Effects Measurement Network (LLM)) in marine clay areas have decreased with 50% since the mid-nineties. The nitrate concentrations in marine clay areas are on average

Mars, clays and the origins of life

Science.gov (United States)

Hartman, Hyman

1989-01-01

To detect life in the Martian soil, tests were designed to look for respiration and photosynthesis. Both tests (labeled release, LR, and pyrolytic release, PR) for life in the Martian soils were positive. However, when the measurement for organic molecules in the soil of Mars was made, none were found. The interpretation given is that the inorganic constituents of the soil of Mars were responsible for these observations. The inorganic analysis of the soil was best fitted by a mixture of minerals: 60 to 80 percent clay, iron oxide, quartz, and soluble salts such as halite (NaCl). The minerals most successful in simulating the PR and LR experiments are iron-rich clays. There is a theory that considers clays as the first organisms capable of replication, mutation, and catalysis, and hence of evolving. Clays are formed when liquid water causes the weathering of rocks. The distribution of ions such as aluminum, magnesium, and iron play the role of bases in the DNA. The information was stored in the distribution of ions in the octahedral and tetrahedral molecules, but that they could, like RNA and DNA, replicate. When the clays replicated, each sheet of clay would be a template for a new sheet. The ion substitutions in one clay sheet would give rise to a complementary or similar pattern on the clay synthesized on its surface. It was theorized that it was on the surface of replicating iron-rich clays that carbon dioxide would be fixed in the light into organic acids such as formic or oxalic acid. If Mars had liquid water during a warm period in its past, clay formation would have been abundant. These clays would have replicated and evolved until the liquid water was removed due to cooling of Mars. It is entirely possible that the Viking mission detected life on Mars, but it was clay life that awaits the return of water to continue its evolution into life based on organic molecules.

Phosphonium modified clay/polyimide nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ceylan, Hatice; Çakmakçi, Emrah; Beyler-Çiǧil, Asli; Kahraman, Memet Vezir

2014-01-01

In this study, octyltriphenylphosphonium bromide [OTPP-Br] was prepared from the reaction of triphenylphosphine and 1 -bromooctane. The modification of clay was done by ion exchange reaction using OTPP-Br in water medium. Poly(amic acid) was prepared from the reaction of 3,3',4,4'-Benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) and 4,4'-Oxydianiline (ODA). Polyimide(PI)/clay hybrids were prepared by blending of poly(amic acid) and organically modified clay as a type of layered clays. The morphology of the Polyimide/ phosphonium modified clay hybrids was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Chemical structures of polyimide and Polyimide/ phosphonium modified clay hybrids were characterized by FTIR. SEM and FTIR results showed that the Polyimide/ phosphonium modified clay hybrids were successfully prepared. Thermal properties of the Polyimide/ phosphonium modified clay hybrids were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)

Effects of temperature and thermally-induced microstructure change on hydraulic conductivity of Boom Clay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W.Z. Chen

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Boom Clay is one of the potential host rocks for deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive nuclear waste in Belgium. In order to investigate the mechanism of hydraulic conductivity variation under complex thermo-mechanical coupling conditions and to better understand the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM coupling behaviour of Boom Clay, a series of permeability tests using temperature-controlled triaxial cell has been carried out on the Boom Clay samples taken from Belgian underground research laboratory (URL HADES. Due to its sedimentary nature, Boom Clay presents across-anisotropy with respect to its sub-horizontal bedding plane. Direct measurements of the vertical (Kv and horizontal (Kh hydraulic conductivities show that the hydraulic conductivity at 80 °C is about 2.4 times larger than that at room temperature (23 °C, and the hydraulic conductivity variation with temperature is basically reversible during heating–cooling cycle. The anisotropic property of Boom Clay is studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM tests, which highlight the transversely isotropic characteristics of intact Boom Clay. It is shown that the sub-horizontal bedding feature accounts for the horizontal permeability higher than the vertical one. The measured increment in hydraulic conductivity with temperature is lower than the calculated one when merely considering the changes in water kinematic viscosity and density with temperature. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR tests have also been carried out to investigate the impact of microstructure variation on the THM properties of clay. The results show that heating under unconstrained boundary condition will produce larger size of pores and weaken the microstructure. The discrepancy between the hydraulic conductivity experimentally measured and predicted (considering water viscosity and density changes with temperature can be attributed to the microstructural weakening effect on the thermal volume change

Viscosity and Plasticity of Latvian Illite Clays

OpenAIRE

Jurgelāne, I; Vecstaudža, J; Stepanova, V; Mālers, J; Bērziņa-Cimdiņa, L

2012-01-01

Due to viscosity and plasticity, clays and clay minerals are used in civil engineering, pottery and also in cosmetics and medicine as thickening agents and emulsion and suspension stabilizers. The rheological properties of clay suspensions are complex. Mostly it is an interaction between mineral composition, clay particle size and pH value and also depends on clay minerals. Clay-water suspension is non-Newtonian fluid showing thixotropic and pseudoplastic properties. Results showed that plast...

Synopsis Session III and IV 'Water and ion mobility, up-scaling and implementation in model approaches'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

The contributions of Session III 'Water and ion mobility' and Session IV 'Up-scaling and implementation in model approaches' were merged for the proceedings volume. The range of scales we are interested in starts at molecular scale (1-3 Angstrom) to crystal scale (3 Angstrom-2 nm) over particle scale with 2-200 nm dimension to the particle/macro-aggregate scale with 0.2-1500 μm. Methods available to study the particle scale concerning pore structure and connectivity which determines water mobility are under dry conditions N 2 adsorption and Hg intrusion, whereas under the hydrated state methods like X-Ray tomography and X-ray and neutron scattering are available. Going down in size molecular modeling, x-ray and neutron diffraction modeling and water adsorption gravimetry are inter alia available. There are resolution limits to the methods presented in session II (e.g. BIB-SEM) on pore characterization as e.g. the clay matrix characterization being only possible under a limited clay induration and pore throats being on the limit of resolution. These pore throats however are very important for as macroscopic phenomena observed. One methodological approach to bridge the gap between the molecular/crystal scale and the particle/macro-aggregate scale (FIB-SEM) is to use complementary techniques as cryo-NMR, N 2 and water ad-/desorption and TEM

Geochemical controls on the composition of soil pore waters beneath a mixed waste disposal site in the unsaturated zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rawson, S.A.; Hubbell, J.M.

1989-01-01

Soil pore waters are collected routinely to monitor a thick unsaturated zone that separates a mixed waste disposal site containing transuranic and low-level radioactive wastes from the Snake River Plain aquifer. The chemistry of the soil pore waters has been studied to evaluate the possible control on the water composition by mineral equilibria and determine the extent, if any, of migration of radionuclides from the disposal site. Geochemical codes were used to perform speciation calculations for the waters. The results of speciation calculations suggest that the installation of the lysimeters affects the observed silica contents of the soil pore waters. The results also establish those chemical parameters that are controlled by secondary mineral precipitation. 15 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab

Isotopic composition of pore water in the Tournemire argilites (Aveyron, France): inter-comparison study of analytical methods and relations with petrophysical parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altinier, M.V.

2006-06-01

Stable isotope profiles of pore water in argillaceous rocks are used to characterize fluid migration through these rocks. However, the very low water contents, less than 5% by wet weight, and the small pore sizes (<10 nm) make difficult the access to pore water. In order to assess the representativeness of stable isotopes data in pore water from Tournemire shale (IRSN experimental facility), we made a comparative study by using vacuum distillation at 50 deg. C and 150 deg. C, diffusion in liquid phase and diffusive exchange in vapour phase, together with a study of petrophysical and mineralogical properties of the rock. The results show a good agreement between the water contents determined by heating and vacuum distillation at 150 deg. C and by equilibration techniques. On the other hand, vacuum distillation at 50 deg. C allows to extract less than 90% of the extractable water by heating at 150 deg. C; leading to a depletion in heavy isotopes of extracted water, which can be corrected by using a Rayleigh-type model. Finally, we studied a perpendicular profile to a fracture in order to determine the origin of heavy isotope enrichment of pore water that was observed, in previous works, in the vicinity of fractures (less than one meter). It seems that water content, which increases near the fracture, associated with a more important proportion of bigger pores (φ ∼ 10 - 180 nm), would be at the origin of the isotopic anomalies determined by vacuum distillation at 50 deg. C. Preponderance of bigger pores near the fractures would facilitate mobilization of pore water and its extraction by vacuum distillation at 50 deg. C, reducing the effects of incomplete distillation. (author)

Micromechanics of non-active clays in saturated state and DEM modelling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pagano Arianna Gea

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a conceptual micromechanical model for 1-D compression behaviour of non-active clays in saturated state. An experimental investigation was carried out on kaolin clay samples saturated with fluids of different pH and dielectric permittivity. The effect of pore fluid characteristics on one-dimensional compressibility behaviour of kaolin was investigated. A three dimensional Discrete Element Method (DEM was implemented in order to simulate the response of saturated kaolin observed during the experiments. A complex contact model was introduced, considering both the mechanical and physico-chemical microscopic interactions between clay particles. A simple analysis with spherical particles only was performed as a preliminary step in the DEM study in the elastic regime.

Synthesis and characterization of a PbO2-clay nanocomposite: Removal of lead from water using montmorillonite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aroui, L.; Zerroual, L.; Boutahala, M.

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: The replacement of Na by Pb in the interlayer space of the smectite leads to a decrease in the intensity of the the (0 0 1) reflection as the concentration of lead nitrate increases. A significant restructuring at the particle scale is observed leading probably to the exfoliation of the caly. In addition, the thermal behaviour of the montmorillonite samples with regard to their dehydration and dehydroxilation capacities is significantly influenced. This leads to a lowering of the water content and a decrease in the ionic conductivity of the clay. Highlights: ► In the clay, Pb replaces Na ions and a significant restructuring at the particle scale is observed. ► Pb influenced significantly the thermal behaviour of the clay with regard to its dehydration. ► In the interlayer space, the exchange of Na by Pb leads to a decrease in the protonic conductivity. ► A PbO 2 -clay nanocomposite material with good conductivity is synthesized. -- Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present the results obtained with Pb(II) sorption on an Algerian Clay. The experiments were carried out using a batch process. Powder X-rays diffraction patterns (PXRD) prove that in the montmorillonite Pb replaces Na ions. A significant restructuring at the particle scale is observed leading to the disappearance of the d 001 reflection of the clay at high concentrations of lead. The replacement of hydrated Na with Pb ions influenced significantly the thermal behaviour of the montmorillonite samples with regard to their dehydration and dehydroxilation capacities with a lowering of the water content. A PbO 2 -clay composite material with good electrical conductivity is synthesized.

The Effects of High Salinity Groundwater on the Performance of Clay Barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savage, David

2005-08-01

Potential changes in groundwater chemistry during the operational or post-closure periods of the Swedish repository for spent fuel could affect the performance of both the bentonite buffer and repository backfill. For example, the up-coning of saline groundwater could lead to decreased swelling pressures in both the bentonite buffer and tunnel backfills, and could also induce 'piping'. SKB is considering these issues as part of its 'SR-Can' safety assessment. This report reviews evidence for the behaviour of swelling clays in groundwaters of varying salinity with special relevance to the SKB programme. Smectite clays can absorb water into clay inter-layers with the most important parameters being: the surface density of charge of the clay; the charge and solvation behaviour of the inter-layer ions; and the electrolyte concentration or activity of water. Two categories of swelling are generally observed: innercrystalline swelling caused by the hydration of the exchangeable cations in the dry clay; and osmotic swelling, resulting from concentration gradients in ion concentrations between clay surfaces and pore water. Several models exist to interpret and predict the swelling behaviour of clays. SKB currently prefer an interpretation of clay swelling pressure where clay particles are viewed as 'macro-ions' and the entire clay-water system can be considered as a 'polyelectrolyte'. SKB use the term 'Donnan exclusion' to estimate the amount of introduced ions into the clay and hence the amount of reduced swelling pressure due to contact with a saline solution. Donnan exclusion is the process whereby the migration of anions through the narrow aqueous film surrounding clay platelets is restricted due to the repulsion by the negative charge of the clay platelets. SKB's experimental work shows that: There is an exponential relation between swelling pressure and mean basal interlamellar spacing of the clay. Ions from the external electrolyte solution enter the clay volume

The Effects of High Salinity Groundwater on the Performance of Clay Barriers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Savage, David [Quintessa Ltd., Nottingham (United Kingdom)

2005-07-01

Potential changes in groundwater chemistry during the operational or post-closure periods of the Swedish repository for spent fuel could affect the performance of both the bentonite buffer and repository backfill. For example, the up-coning of saline groundwater could lead to decreased swelling pressures in both the bentonite buffer and tunnel backfills, and could also induce 'piping'. SKB is considering these issues as part of its 'SR-Can' safety assessment. This report reviews evidence for the behaviour of swelling clays in groundwaters of varying salinity with special relevance to the SKB programme. Smectite clays can absorb water into clay inter-layers with the most important parameters being: the surface density of charge of the clay; the charge and solvation behaviour of the inter-layer ions; and the electrolyte concentration or activity of water. Two categories of swelling are generally observed: innercrystalline swelling caused by the hydration of the exchangeable cations in the dry clay; and osmotic swelling, resulting from concentration gradients in ion concentrations between clay surfaces and pore water. Several models exist to interpret and predict the swelling behaviour of clays. SKB currently prefer an interpretation of clay swelling pressure where clay particles are viewed as 'macro-ions' and the entire clay-water system can be considered as a 'polyelectrolyte'. SKB use the term 'Donnan exclusion' to estimate the amount of introduced ions into the clay and hence the amount of reduced swelling pressure due to contact with a saline solution. Donnan exclusion is the process whereby the migration of anions through the narrow aqueous film surrounding clay platelets is restricted due to the repulsion by the negative charge of the clay platelets. SKB's experimental work shows that: There is an exponential relation between swelling pressure and mean basal interlamellar spacing of the clay. Ions from the

Thermo-hydraulic behaviour of Boom Clay using a heating cell. experimental and numerical study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima, A.; Romero, E.; Vaunat, J.; Gens, A.; Li, X.L.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Boom clay is the subject of extensive research in Belgium dealing with all phenomena that may possibly affect the performance of this geological formation as potential radioactive waste repository. Specifically, thermal loads may play an important role on this low-permeability clay. There are a number of laboratory results concerning the saturated hydro-mechanical behaviour of Boom clay under different temperatures and recent studies on this area are described in Le (2008). Nevertheless, information on clay hydro-mechanical response on heating and cooling paths under small-scale laboratory conditions is less known. To this aim, non-isothermal tests on intact borehole samples were carried out using an axisymmetric heating cell described in Munoz et al. (2009). Heating and cooling paths under nearly constant volume and different target temperatures (maximum 85 deg. C) were performed under controlled hydraulic boundary conditions. The paper presents results of an exhaustive experimental programme performed on a fully-instrumented cell (sample 75 mm in diameter and 100 mm high) with a controlled-power heater installed along the axis of the sample. Different transducers were monitoring the sample response: two miniature pore water pressure transducers located at different heights of the lateral wall of the cell, three thermocouples (two at equivalent locations in relation to the pressure transducers and one near the heater), and top and lateral strain gauges attached to reduced thickness sections of the walls. The cell has top and bottom valves to apply the hydraulic conditions. The protocol of the tests presented three important phases: hydration, heating and cooling. Throughout the heating and cooling phases, the bottom drainage was maintained open at a constant water pressure of 1 MPa using an automatic pressure/volume controller, while the upper valve was kept closed. This back-pressure was important since it

Development of a toxicity-based fractionation approach for the identification of phototoxic PAHs in pore water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosian, P.A.; Makynen, E.A.; Ankley, G.T.; Monson, P.D.

1995-01-01

Environmental matrices often contain complex mixtures of chemical compounds, however, typically only a few chemicals are responsible for observed toxicity. To determine those chemicals responsible for toxicity, a toxicity-based fractionation technique coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) has been used for the isolation and identification of nonpolar toxicants in aqueous samples. In this study, this technique was modified to separate and identify polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) responsible for phototoxicity in pore water. Whole pore water, obtained from sediments collected near an oil refinery discharge site, was found to be toxic to Lumbriculus variegatus in the presence of ultraviolet (UV) light. Solid phase extraction disks and high pressure liquid chromatography were used, in conjunction with toxicity tests with L. variegatus, to extract and fractionate phototoxic chemicals from the pore water. GC/MS analysis was performed on the toxic fractions and a tentative list of compound identifications were made based on interpretation of mass spectra and elution information from the chromatographic separation. The compounds identified include PAHs and substituted PAHs that are known or predicted to be phototoxic in the presence of UV light. The results show that a modified toxicity-based fractionation approach can be successfully applied to identify phototoxic PAHs in sediment pore water and therefore used in the assessment of contaminated sediments

A USANS/SANS study of the accessibility of pores in the Barnett Shale to methane and water

Science.gov (United States)

Ruppert, Leslie F.; Sakurovs, Richard; Blach, Tomasz P.; He, Lilin; Melnichenko, Yuri B.; Mildner, David F.; Alcantar-Lopez, Leo

2013-01-01

Shale is an increasingly important source of natural gas in the United States. The gas is held in fine pores that need to be accessed by horizontal drilling and hydrofracturing techniques. Understanding the nature of the pores may provide clues to making gas extraction more efficient. We have investigated two Mississippian Barnett Shale samples, combining small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and ultrasmall-angle neutron scattering (USANS) to determine the pore size distribution of the shale over the size range 10 nm to 10 μm. By adding deuterated methane (CD4) and, separately, deuterated water (D2O) to the shale, we have identified the fraction of pores that are accessible to these compounds over this size range. The total pore size distribution is essentially identical for the two samples. At pore sizes >250 nm, >85% of the pores in both samples are accessible to both CD4 and D2O. However, differences in accessibility to CD4 are observed in the smaller pore sizes (~25 nm). In one sample, CD4 penetrated the smallest pores as effectively as it did the larger ones. In the other sample, less than 70% of the smallest pores (4, but they were still largely penetrable by water, suggesting that small-scale heterogeneities in methane accessibility occur in the shale samples even though the total porosity does not differ. An additional study investigating the dependence of scattered intensity with pressure of CD4 allows for an accurate estimation of the pressure at which the scattered intensity is at a minimum. This study provides information about the composition of the material immediately surrounding the pores. Most of the accessible (open) pores in the 25 nm size range can be associated with either mineral matter or high reflectance organic material. However, a complementary scanning electron microscopy investigation shows that most of the pores in these shale samples are contained in the organic components. The neutron scattering results indicate that the pores are

Performance of Kaolin Clay on the Concrete Pavement

Science.gov (United States)

Abdullah, M. E.; Jaya, R. P.; Shahafuddin, M. N. A.; Yaacob, H.; Ibrahim, M. H. Wan; Nazri, F. M.; Ramli, N. I.; Mohammed, A. A.

2018-05-01

This paper investigates the performance of concrete pavement containing kaolin clay with their engineering properties and to determine the optimum kaolin clay content. The concrete used throughout the study was designed as grade 30 MPa strength with constant water to cement ratio of 0.49. The compressive strength, flexural strength and water absorption test was conducted in this research. The concrete mix designed with kaolin clay as cement replacement comprises at 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% by the total weight of cement. The results indicate that the strength of pavement concrete decreases as the percentage of kaolin clay increases. It also shows that the water absorption increases with the percentage of cement replacement. However, 5% kaolin clay is found to be the optimum level to replace cement in a pavement concrete.

Disinfection of water with new chitosan-modified hybrid clay composite adsorbent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emmanuel I. Unuabonah

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Hybrid clay composites were prepared from Kaolinite clay and Carica papaya seeds via modification with chitosan, Alum, NaOH, and ZnCl2 in different ratios, using solvothermal and surface modification techniques. Several composite adsorbents were prepared, and the most efficient of them for the removal of gram negative enteric bacteria was the hybrid clay composite that was surface-modified with chitosan, Ch-nHYCA1:5 (Chitosan: nHYCA = 1:5. This composite adsorbent had a maximum adsorption removal value of 4.07 × 106 cfu/mL for V. cholerae after 120 min, 1.95 × 106 cfu/mL for E. coli after ∼180 min and 3.25 × 106 cfu/mL for S. typhi after 270 min. The Brouers-Sotolongo model was found to better predict the maximum adsorption capacity (qmax of Ch-nHYCA1:5 composite adsorbent for the removal of E. coli with a qmax of 103.07 mg/g (7.93 × 107 cfu/mL and V. cholerae with a qmax of 154.18 mg/g (1.19 × 108 cfu/mL while the Sips model best described S. typhi adsorption by Ch-nHYCA1:5 composite with an estimated qmax of 83.65 mg/g (6.43 × 107 cfu/mL. These efficiencies do far exceed the alert/action levels of ca. 500 cfu/mL in drinking water for these bacteria. The simplicity of the composite preparation process and the availability of raw materials used for its preparation underscore the potential of this low-cost chitosan-modified composite adsorbent (Ch-nHYCA1:5 for water treatment.

Dynamic pore-scale network model (PNM) of water imbibition in porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Li, J.; McDougall, S. R.; Sorbie, K. S.

2017-09-01

A dynamic pore-scale network model is presented which simulates 2-phase oil/water displacement during water imbibition by explicitly modelling intra-pore dynamic bulk and film flows using a simple local model. A new dynamic switching parameter, λ, is proposed within this model which is able to simulate the competition between local capillary forces and viscous forces over a very wide range of flow conditions. This quantity (λ) determines the primary pore filling mechanism during imbibition; i.e. whether the dominant force is (i) piston-like displacement under viscous forces, (ii) film swelling/collapse and snap-off due to capillary forces, or (iii) some intermediate local combination of both mechanisms. A series of 2D dynamic pore network simulations is presented which shows that the λ-model can satisfactorily reproduce and explain different filling regimes of water imbibition over a wide range of capillary numbers (Ca) and viscosity ratios (M). These imbibition regimes are more complex than those presented under drainage by (Lenormand et al. (1983)), since they are determined by a wider group of control parameters. Our simulations show that there is a coupling between viscous and capillary forces that is much less important in drainage. The effects of viscosity ratio during imbibition are apparent even under conditions of very slow flow (low Ca)-displacements that would normally be expected to be completely capillary dominated. This occurs as a result of the wetting films having a much greater relative mobility in the higher M cases (e.g. M = 10) thus leading to a higher level of film swelling/snap-off, resulting in local oil cluster bypassing and trapping, and hence a poorer oil recovery. This deeper coupled viscous mechanism is the underlying reason why the microscopic displacement efficiency is lower for higher M cases in water imbibition processes. Additional results are presented from the dynamic model on the corresponding effluent fractional flows (fw

Parametric study of the physical properties of hydrate-bearing sand, silt, and clay sediments: 1. Electromagnetic properties

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, J.Y.; Santamarina, J.C.; Ruppel, C.

2010-01-01

The marked decrease in bulk electrical conductivity of sediments in the presence of gas hydrates has been used to interpret borehole electrical resistivity logs and, to a lesser extent, the results of controlled source electromagnetic surveys to constrain the spatial distribution and predicted concentration of gas hydrate in natural settings. Until now, an exhaustive laboratory data set that could be used to assess the impact of gas hydrate on the electromagnetic properties of different soils (sand, silt, and clay) at different effective stress and with different saturations of hydrate has been lacking. The laboratory results reported here are obtained using a standard geotechnical cell and the hydrate-formed tetrahydrofuran (THF), a liquid that is fully miscible in water and able to produce closely controlled saturations of hydrate from dissolved phase. Both permittivity and electrical conductivity are good indicators of the volume fraction of free water in the sediment, which is in turn dependent on hydrate saturation. Permittivity in the microwave frequency range is particularly predictive of free water content since it is barely affected by ionic concentration, pore structure, and surface conduction. Electrical conductivity (or resistivity) is less reliable for constraining water content or hydrate saturation: In addition to fluid-filled porosity, other factors, such as the ionic concentration of the pore fluid and possibly other conduction effects (e.g., surface conduction in high specific surface soils having low conductivity pore fluid), also influence electrical conductivity.

Hydroxyapatite clay for gap filling and adequate bone ingrowth.

Science.gov (United States)

Maruyama, M; Terayama, K; Ito, M; Takei, T; Kitagawa, E

1995-03-01

In uncemented total hip arthroplasty, a complete filling of the gap between femoral prosthesis and the host bone is difficult and defects would remain, because the anatomy of the reamed intramedullary canal cannot fit the prosthesis. Therefore, it seems practical to fill the gap with a clay containing hydroxyapatite (HA), which has an osteoconductive character. The clay (HA clay) is made by mixing HA granules (size 0.1 mm or more) having a homogeneous pore distribution and a porosity of 35-48 vol%, and a viscous substance such as a saline solution of sodium alginate (SSSA). In the first experiment, the ratio of HA granules and sodium alginate in SSSA is set for the same handling properties of HA clay and polymethylmethacrylate bone cement (standard viscosity) before hardening. As a result, the ratio is set for 55 wt% of HA in the clay and 12.5 wt% of sodium alginate in SSSA (i.e., HA:sodium alginate:saline solution = 9.8:1:7). In the second study, the gap between the femoral stem and bone model is completely filled with HA clay. However, the gap is not filled only with HA granules or HA granules mixed with saline solution. In the third animal experiment, using an unloaded model, histology shows that HA clay has an osteoconductive property bridging the gap between the implant and the cortical bone without any adverse reaction. HA clay is considered a useful biomaterial to fill the gap with adequate bone ingrowth.

Cryo-FIB-SEM and MIP study of porosity and pore size distribution of bentonite and kaolin at different moisture contents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lubelli, B.; Winter, D.A.M. de; Post, J.A.; Hees, R.P.J. van; Drury, M.R.

2013-01-01

Clays often constitute the main component of poultices used for salt extraction from porous materials in conservation intervention. Knowledge of the evolution in porosity and pore size of clay based poultices, due to shrinkage during drying, is of crucial importance for the selection of the most

Differential equations governing slip-induced pore-pressure fluctuations in a water-saturated granular medium

Science.gov (United States)

Iverson, R.M.

1993-01-01

Macroscopic frictional slip in water-saturated granular media occurs commonly during landsliding, surface faulting, and intense bedload transport. A mathematical model of dynamic pore-pressure fluctuations that accompany and influence such sliding is derived here by both inductive and deductive methods. The inductive derivation shows how the governing differential equations represent the physics of the steadily sliding array of cylindrical fiberglass rods investigated experimentally by Iverson and LaHusen (1989). The deductive derivation shows how the same equations result from a novel application of Biot's (1956) dynamic mixture theory to macroscopic deformation. The model consists of two linear differential equations and five initial and boundary conditions that govern solid displacements and pore-water pressures. Solid displacements and water pressures are strongly coupled, in part through a boundary condition that ensures mass conservation during irreversible pore deformation that occurs along the bumpy slip surface. Feedback between this deformation and the pore-pressure field may yield complex system responses. The dual derivations of the model help explicate key assumptions. For example, the model requires that the dimensionless parameter B, defined here through normalization of Biot's equations, is much larger than one. This indicates that solid-fluid coupling forces are dominated by viscous rather than inertial effects. A tabulation of physical and kinematic variables for the rod-array experiments of Iverson and LaHusen and for various geologic phenomena shows that the model assumptions commonly are satisfied. A subsequent paper will describe model tests against experimental data. ?? 1993 International Association for Mathematical Geology.

Chemical modelling of trace elements in pore water from PFBC residues containing ammonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karlsson, L.G.; Brandberg, F.

1993-01-01

Ammonia is added to the PFBC process with the purpose to reduce the emissions of NO x in the stack gases. The design of the system for cleaning the stack gases will lead to an increased adsorption of ammonia and an accumulation of soluble ammonium salts in the cyclone ash from PFBC processes. This can be an environmental problem since the amounts will increase over the coming years and there will be a need to dispose the residues. When infiltrating rainwater penetrates the disposed residues ammonia and ammonium salts result in a contamination of the pore water with ammonia in the disposed residues. This entail the solubility of several trace elements in the residues that form soluble complexes with ammonia will increase and cause an increased contamination of groundwater and surface water. In this study the increased solubilities is calculated for the trace elements cadmium, cobalt, copper, mercury, nickel, silver and zinc in the residues using thermodynamical data. The calculations have been performed with probable solid phases of the trace elements at oxidizing and reducing conditions as a function of pH and at varying concentration of ammonia in the pore water. The thermodynamic calculations have been performed with the geochemical code EQ3NR. The results from the calculations show that as a concentration of 17 mg NH 3 /l in the pore water of the residues increases the solubilities for copper and silver. If the concentration of ammonia increases to 170 mg NH 3 /l will the solubilities increase also for cadmium, nickel and zinc. (12 refs., 39 figs.)

Iodide uptake by negatively charged clay interlayers?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, Andrew; Kruichak, Jessica; Mills, Melissa; Wang, Yifeng

2015-01-01

Understanding iodide interactions with clay minerals is critical to quantifying risk associated with nuclear waste disposal. Current thought assumes that iodide does not interact directly with clay minerals due to electrical repulsion between the iodide and the negatively charged clay layers. However, a growing body of work indicates a weak interaction between iodide and clays. The goal of this contribution is to report a conceptual model for iodide interaction with clays by considering clay mineral structures and emergent behaviors of chemical species in confined spaces. To approach the problem, a suite of clay minerals was used with varying degrees of isomorphic substitution, chemical composition, and mineral structure. Iodide uptake experiments were completed with each of these minerals in a range of swamping electrolyte identities (NaCl, NaBr, KCl) and concentrations. Iodide uptake behaviors form distinct trends with cation exchange capacity and mineral structure. These trends change substantially with electrolyte composition and concentration, but do not appear to be affected by solution pH. The experimental results suggest that iodide may directly interact with clays by forming ion-pairs (e.g., NaI (aq) ) which may concentrate within the interlayer space as well as the thin areas surrounding the clay particle where water behavior is more structured relative to bulk water. Ion pairing and iodide concentration in these zones is probably driven by the reduced dielectric constant of water in confined space and by the relatively high polarizability of the iodide species. - Highlights: • Iodide sorption experiments were completed with a diverse array of clay minerals. • Iodide uptake trended with CEC and swamping electrolyte identity and concentration. • Results can be explained by considering the formation of ion pairs in clay interlayers

Fifteen years of microbiological investigation in Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leupin, O.X. [National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (NAGRA), Wettingen (Switzerland); Bernier-Latmani, R.; Bagnoud, A. [Swiss Federal Office of Technology EPFL, Lausanne (Switzerland); Moors, H.; Leys, N.; Wouters, K. [Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN, Mol (Belgium); Stroes-Gascoyne, S. [University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon (Canada)

2017-04-15

Microbiological studies related to the geological disposal of radioactive waste have been conducted at the Mont Terri rock laboratory in Opalinus Clay, a potential host rock for a deep geologic repository, since 2002. The metabolic potential of microorganisms and their response to excavation-induced effects have been investigated in undisturbed and disturbed claystone cores and in pore- (borehole) water. Results from nearly 15 years of research at the Mont Terri rock laboratory have shown that microorganisms can potentially affect the environment of a repository by influencing redox conditions, metal corrosion and gas production and consumption under favourable conditions. However, the activity of microorganisms in undisturbed Opalinus Clay is limited by the very low porosity, the low water activity, and the largely recalcitrant nature of organic matter in the claystone formation. The presence of microorganisms in numerous experiments at the Mont Terri rock laboratory has suggested that excavation activities and perturbation of the host rock combined with additional contamination during the installation of experiments in boreholes create favourable conditions for microbial activity by providing increased space, water and substrates. Thus effects resulting from microbial activity might be expected in the proximity of a geological repository i.e., in the excavation damaged zone, the engineered barriers, and first containments (the containers). (authors)

Fifteen years of microbiological investigation in Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leupin, O.X.; Bernier-Latmani, R.; Bagnoud, A.; Moors, H.; Leys, N.; Wouters, K.; Stroes-Gascoyne, S.

2017-01-01

Microbiological studies related to the geological disposal of radioactive waste have been conducted at the Mont Terri rock laboratory in Opalinus Clay, a potential host rock for a deep geologic repository, since 2002. The metabolic potential of microorganisms and their response to excavation-induced effects have been investigated in undisturbed and disturbed claystone cores and in pore- (borehole) water. Results from nearly 15 years of research at the Mont Terri rock laboratory have shown that microorganisms can potentially affect the environment of a repository by influencing redox conditions, metal corrosion and gas production and consumption under favourable conditions. However, the activity of microorganisms in undisturbed Opalinus Clay is limited by the very low porosity, the low water activity, and the largely recalcitrant nature of organic matter in the claystone formation. The presence of microorganisms in numerous experiments at the Mont Terri rock laboratory has suggested that excavation activities and perturbation of the host rock combined with additional contamination during the installation of experiments in boreholes create favourable conditions for microbial activity by providing increased space, water and substrates. Thus effects resulting from microbial activity might be expected in the proximity of a geological repository i.e., in the excavation damaged zone, the engineered barriers, and first containments (the containers). (authors)

Measuring restoration progress using pore- and surface-water chemistry across a chronosequence of formerly afforested blanket bogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaffney, Paul P J; Hancock, Mark H; Taggart, Mark A; Andersen, Roxane

2018-08-01

During the restoration of degraded bogs and other peatlands, both habitat and functional recovery can be closely linked with nutrient cycling, which is reflected in pore- and surface-water chemistry. Several peatland restoration studies have shown that the time required for recovery of target conditions is slow (>10 years); for heavily-impacted, drained and afforested peatlands of northern Scotland, recovery time is unknown. We monitored pore- and surface-water chemistry across a chronosequence of formerly drained, afforested bog restoration sites spanning 0-17 years, using a space-for-time substitution, and compared them with open blanket bog control sites. Our aims were to measure rate of recovery towards bog conditions and to identify the best suite of water chemistry variables to indicate recovery. Our results show progress in recovery towards bog conditions over a 0-17 year period post-restoration. Elements scavenged by trees (Mg, Na, S) completely recovered within that period. Many water chemistry variables were affected by the restoration process itself, but recovered within 11 years, except ammonium (NH 4 + ), Zn and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) which remained elevated (when compared to control bogs) 17 years post restoration. Other variables did not completely recover (water table depth (WTD), pH), exhibiting what we term "legacy" effects of drainage and afforestation. Excess N and a lowered WTD are likely to slow the recovery of bog vegetation including key bog plants such as Sphagnum mosses. Over 17 years, we measured near-complete recovery in the chemistry of surface-water and deep pore-water but limited progress in shallow pore-water. Our results suggest that at least >17 years are required for complete recovery of water chemistry to bog conditions. However, we expect that newer restoration methods including conifer harvesting (stem plus brash) and the blocking of plough furrows (to increase the WTD) are likely to accelerate the restoration process

Iodide uptake by negatively charged clay interlayers?

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Andrew; Kruichak, Jessica; Mills, Melissa; Wang, Yifeng

2015-09-01

Understanding iodide interactions with clay minerals is critical to quantifying risk associated with nuclear waste disposal. Current thought assumes that iodide does not interact directly with clay minerals due to electrical repulsion between the iodide and the negatively charged clay layers. However, a growing body of work indicates a weak interaction between iodide and clays. The goal of this contribution is to report a conceptual model for iodide interaction with clays by considering clay mineral structures and emergent behaviors of chemical species in confined spaces. To approach the problem, a suite of clay minerals was used with varying degrees of isomorphic substitution, chemical composition, and mineral structure. Iodide uptake experiments were completed with each of these minerals in a range of swamping electrolyte identities (NaCl, NaBr, KCl) and concentrations. Iodide uptake behaviors form distinct trends with cation exchange capacity and mineral structure. These trends change substantially with electrolyte composition and concentration, but do not appear to be affected by solution pH. The experimental results suggest that iodide may directly interact with clays by forming ion-pairs (e.g., NaI(aq)) which may concentrate within the interlayer space as well as the thin areas surrounding the clay particle where water behavior is more structured relative to bulk water. Ion pairing and iodide concentration in these zones is probably driven by the reduced dielectric constant of water in confined space and by the relatively high polarizability of the iodide species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the porosity in Boom (Mol site, Belgium) and Opalinus (Mont Terri, Switzerland) clays - about the benefit of using ion beam milling tools and CRYO-SEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desbois, G.; Houben, M.E.; Sholokhova, Y.; Urai, J.L.; Kukla, P.A.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. clay-stones form seals for hydrocarbon accumulations, aquitards and chemical barriers. The sealing capacity is controlled either by the rock microstructure or by chemical interactions between minerals and the permeating fluid. A detailed knowledge about the sealing characteristics is of particular interest in the storage of anthropogenic carbon dioxide and radioactive waste in geologic formations. A key factor to understanding the sealing by clay-stones is a detailed understanding of the morphology of the pore space. The morphology of porosity has a strong effect on many mechanical and transport properties of clay-stones. Though the bulk expression of these properties are relatively well known for a number of clay-stones, the relation between nanostructures and macro-properties are poorly studied for a complete understanding of the fluid-rock interactions. There is a considerable body of literature on the characterization of porosity in clay-stones using many different techniques (metal injection porosimetry; magnetic susceptibility measurement; SEM; TEM; neutron scattering; NMR spectroscopy, CT scanner; ESEM...). However, the pore space characterization has been mostly indirect until now. To investigate directly the meso-porosity (from mm to about ten nm in pore size) in clay-stones, SEM imaging is certainly the most direct approach but, in one hand, it is limited by the poor quality of the investigated surfaces (mainly broken or mechanically polished surfaces including the decoration of porosity by colored resin embedment), which make observation difficult, and the interpretation of the microstructures complicated; and on the other hand, most of conventional methods require dried samples in which the natural structure of pores could be damaged due to the desiccation and dehydration of the clay minerals. Some recently developed alternatives are able to solve these problems of sample preparation suitable for SEM

Microbial metabolism alters pore water chemistry and increases consolidation of oil sands tailings.

Science.gov (United States)

Arkell, Nicholas; Kuznetsov, Petr; Kuznetsova, Alsu; Foght, Julia M; Siddique, Tariq

2015-01-01

Tailings produced during bitumen extraction from surface-mined oil sands ores (tar sands) comprise an aqueous suspension of clay particles that remain dispersed for decades in tailings ponds. Slow consolidation of the clays hinders water recovery for reuse and retards volume reduction, thereby increasing the environmental footprint of tailings ponds. We investigated mechanisms of tailings consolidation and revealed that indigenous anaerobic microorganisms altered porewater chemistry by producing CO and CH during metabolism of acetate added as a labile carbon amendment. Entrapped biogenic CO decreased tailings pH, thereby increasing calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) cations and bicarbonate (HCO) concentrations in the porewater through dissolution of carbonate minerals. Soluble ions increased the porewater ionic strength, which, with higher exchangeable Ca and Mg, decreased the diffuse double layer of clays and increased consolidation of tailings compared with unamended tailings in which little microbial activity was observed. These results are relevant to effective tailings pond management strategies. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Study of smectite clays of the city Pedra Lavrada - PB for use in water-based drilling fluids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, I.A. da; Costa, J.M.R.; Cardoso, M.A.F.; Neves, G.A.; Ferreira, H.C.

2011-01-01

Paraiba has large reserves of bentonite clays, with the largest deposits in Boa Vista, PB. Recently new deposits were discovered in the cities of Cubati and Pedra Lavrada-PB, creating great expectations for further expansion of reserves for industrial production. The aim of this work is the study of smectite clays from the city of Pedra Lavrada, PB for use in drilling fluids water based. The characterization was made by the diffraction of laser (AG), thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TGA and DTA), chemical composition by X-ray fluorescence (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), exchange capacity of cations (ECC) and surface area (SA). The results obtained so far showed that the samples presented at its mineral composition smectite, kaolinite and quartz. In relation to rheological properties showed that the bentonite clay sample Dark presents promising features for use in water based drilling fluids. (author)