rock salt brine: Topics by WorldWideScience.org

Sample records for rock salt brine

Radioactive waste isolation in salt: geochemistry of brine in rock salt in temperature gradients and gamma-radiation fields - a selective annotated bibliography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hull, A.B.; Williams, L.B.

1985-07-01

Evaluation of the extensive research concerning brine geochemistry and transport is critically important to successful exploitation of a salt formation for isolating high-level radioactive waste. This annotated bibliography has been compiled from documents considered to provide classic background material on the interactions between brine and rock salt, as well as the most important results from more recent research. Each summary elucidates the information or data most pertinent to situations encountered in siting, constructing, and operating a mined repository in salt for high-level radioactive waste. The research topics covered include the basic geology, depositional environment, mineralogy, and structure of evaporite and domal salts, as well as fluid inclusions, brine chemistry, thermal and gamma-radiation effects, radionuclide migration, and thermodynamic properties of salts and brines. 4 figs., 6 tabs
Radioactive waste isolation in salt: geochemistry of brine in rock salt in temperature gradients and gamma-radiation fields - a selective annotated bibliography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hull, A.B.; Williams, L.B.

1985-07-01

Evaluation of the extensive research concerning brine geochemistry and transport is critically important to successful exploitation of a salt formation for isolating high-level radioactive waste. This annotated bibliography has been compiled from documents considered to provide classic background material on the interactions between brine and rock salt, as well as the most important results from more recent research. Each summary elucidates the information or data most pertinent to situations encountered in siting, constructing, and operating a mined repository in salt for high-level radioactive waste. The research topics covered include the basic geology, depositional environment, mineralogy, and structure of evaporite and domal salts, as well as fluid inclusions, brine chemistry, thermal and gamma-radiation effects, radionuclide migration, and thermodynamic properties of salts and brines. 4 figs., 6 tabs.
Coupled modelling of convergence, steel corrosion, gas production and brine flow in a rock salt repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, D.A.; Hirsekorn, R.P.

2013-01-01

This poster presents the global simulation of the behaviour of thick-walled steel containers piled up in a borehole in a rock salt repository. The simulation takes into account: the convergence by the creeping of rock salt, the backfill and waste compaction, the porosity dependent flow resistance, the anaerobic corrosion (iron to magnetite transformation, gas production, brine consumption, water consumption and salt precipitation) and pressure development. Mechanical influence of corrosion has not yet been taken into account in the integrated code LOPOS
Pressure-driven brine migration in a salt repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Y.; Chambre, P.L.; Pigford, T.H.; Lee, W.W.L.

1989-01-01

The traditional view is that salt is the ideal rock for isolation of nuclear waste because it is ''dry'' and probably ''impermeable.'' The existence of salt through geologic time is prima facie evidence of such properties. Experiments and experience at potential salt sites for geologic repositories have indicated that while porosity and permeability of salt are low, the salt may be saturated with brine. If this hypothesis is correct, then it is possible to have brine flow due to pressure differences within the salt. If there is pressure-driven brine migration in salt repositories then it is paramount to know the magnitude of such flow because inward brine flow would affect the corrosion rate of nuclear waste containers and outward brine flow might affect radionuclide transport rates. Brine exists in natural salt as inclusions in salt crystals and in grain boundaries. Brine inclusions in crystals move to nearby grain boundaries when subjected to a temperature gradient, because of temperature-dependent solubility of salt. Brine in grain boundaries moves under the influence of a pressure gradient. When salt is mined to create a waste repository, brine from grain boundaries will migrate into the rooms, tunnels and boreholes because these cavities are at atmospheric pressure. After a heat-emitting waste package is emplaced and backfilled, the heat will impose a temperature gradient in the surrounding salt that will cause inclusions in the nearby salt to migrate to grain boundaries within a few years, adding to the brine that was already present in the grain boundaries. The formulation of brine movement with salt as a thermoelastic porous medium, in the context of the continuum theory of mixtures, has been described. In this report we show the mathematical details and discuss the results predicted by this analysis
Thermal-gradient migration of brine inclusions in salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagnik, S.K.

1982-02-01

It has been proposed that the high level nuclear waste be buried deep underground in a suitable geologic formation. Natural salt deposits have been under active consideration as one of the geologic formations where a nuclear waste repository may be built in future. The salt deposits, however, are known to contain a small amount (about 0.5 vol.%) of water in the form of brine inclusions which are dispersed throughout the medium. The temperature gradients imposed by the heat generating nuclear waste will mobilize these brine inclusions. It is important to know the rate and the amount of brine accumulating at the waste packages to properly evaluate the performance of a nuclear waste repository. An extensive experimental investigation of the migration velocities of brine inclusions in synthetic single crystals of NaCl and in polycrystalline natural salt crystals has been conducted. The results show that in a salt repository the brine inclusions within a grain would move with the diffusion controlled velocities. The brine reaching a grain boundary may be swept across, if the thermal gradient is high enough. Grain boundaries in polycrystalline rock salt are apparently quite weak and open up due to drilling the hole for a waste canister and to the thermal stresses which accompany the thermal gradient produced by the heat generating waste. The enhanced porosity allows the water reaching the grain boundary to escape by a vapor transport process
State-of-the-art review of brine migration studies in salt. Technical memorandum report RSI-0075

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gnirk, P.F.; Krause, W.B.; Fossum, A.F.

1981-09-01

This report provides a state-of-the-art review of brine migration studies in rock salt. Emphasis is placed on the review of literature relating to brine migration phenomena around nuclear waste canisters. This review includes experimental work which has been conducted in the laboratory and in the field. In addition to the literature review, some additional thoughts on brine migration are given and a series of laboratory experiments is proposed. The proposed laboratory experiments are designed to determine whether or not a relationship exists between brine migration and temperature, temperature gradient and stress in rock salt. 34 references, 9 figures, 3 tables
Evolution of hydrologic systems and brine geochemistry in a deforming salt medium: Data from WIPP brine seeps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deal, D.E.; Roggenthen, W.M.

1991-01-01

The Brine Sampling and Evaluation Program (BSEP) is a formalized continuation of studies that began in 1982 as part of the Site Validation Program. The program was established in 1985. The mission was to document and investigate the origins, hydraulic characteristics, extent, and composition of brine occurrences in the Permian Salado Formation and the seepage of that brine into the WIPP excavations. This document focuses on the cumulative data obtained from the BSEP. The overall activities of the BSEP described and quantified the brine. It includes documentation and study of brine inflow into boreholes in the facility. The BSEP investigated the occurrence and development of brine weeps, crusts, and brine geochemistry. The presence of salt-tolerant bacteria in the workings was recorded and their possible interactions with experiments and operations, was assessed. The formation properties associated with the occurrence of brine was characterized. The determination of formation properties included the water content of various geologic units, direct examination of these units in boreholes using a video camera system, and measurement of electrical properties relatable to the brine contents. Modeling examined the interaction of salt deformation near the workings and the flow of brine through the deforming rocks. 34 refs
Migration of brine inclusions in salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pigford, T.H.

1982-01-01

Theories of the migration of brine inclusions in salt are interpreted as simple physical processes, and theories by Russian and U.S. workers are shown to yield the same results. The migration theory is used to predict threshold temperature gradients below which migration of brine inclusions should not occur. The predicted threshold gradients are compared with the temperature gradients expected at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. The theory of a threshold gradient helps explain the existence of brine inclusions in natural salt deposits
Brine flow in heated geologic salt.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuhlman, Kristopher L.; Malama, Bwalya

2013-03-01

This report is a summary of the physical processes, primary governing equations, solution approaches, and historic testing related to brine migration in geologic salt. Although most information presented in this report is not new, we synthesize a large amount of material scattered across dozens of laboratory reports, journal papers, conference proceedings, and textbooks. We present a mathematical description of the governing brine flow mechanisms in geologic salt. We outline the general coupled thermal, multi-phase hydrologic, and mechanical processes. We derive these processes governing equations, which can be used to predict brine flow. These equations are valid under a wide variety of conditions applicable to radioactive waste disposal in rooms and boreholes excavated into geologic salt.
Origin of the yellow brine and the black brine in Sichuan Basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Dongsheng

1988-01-01

The spring water, geothermal water and Cretaceous brine in the outer zone of the Sichuan Basin has the Craig relationship, and they are cycling waters. The brine in the inner zone is mainly metasedimentary water. A basic feature of them is poor in 2 H, but rich in 18 O. The δD-values of the yellow brine in Jurassic and Upper Triassic aquifer of continental facies varies from -62.25 to -22.4, and the δ 18 O-values are -6.72 - +6.02. The δD-values of the black brine in marine aquifer (T 2 ,T 1 ,P,C,O and so on) varies from -49 to -25.1, and the 18 O values are +3.89 - +6.14. The δD of yellow brine is similar to that of meteoric water, and the δD of the black brine is around that of crystallization water expelled from gypsum by anhydritization. Increases of salinity in Jurassic yellow brine result primarily from the evapotranspiration process. The salinity in Upper Triassic yellow brine in Aa sub-area originated from underlying rock salt which was leached by paleometeoric water. Triassic black brine derived from the mixing of the crystallization water leached from rock salt with the residual sea water after salt crystallization. In Zhigong, the composition of yellow brine has mainly been changed by the mixing of the yellow brine with the black brine. (author). 2 refs, 2 figs, 2 tabs
Modeling Episodic Ephemeral Brine Lake Evaporation and Salt Crystallization on the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, T.; Harman, C. J.; Kipnis, E. L.; Bowen, B. B.

2017-12-01

Public concern about apparent reductions in the areal extent of the Bonneville Salt Flat (BSF) and perceived changes in inundation frequency has motivated renewed interest in the hydrologic and geochemical behavior of this salt playa. In this study, we develop a numerical modeling framework to simulate the relationship between hydrometeorologic variability, brine evaporation and salt crystallization processes on BSF. The BSF, locates in Utah, is the remnant of paleo-lake Bonneville, and is capped by up to 1 meter of salt deposition over a 100 km2 area. The BSF has two distinct hydrologic periods each year: a winter wet periods with standing surface brine and the summer dry periods when the brine is evaporated, exposing the surface salt crust. We develop a lumped non-linear dynamical models coupling conservation expressions from water, dissolved salt and thermal energy to investigate the seasonal and diurnal behavior of brine during the transition from standing brine to exposed salt at BSF. The lumped dynamic models capture important nonlinear and kinetic effects introduced by the high ionic concentration of the brine, including the pronounced effect of the depressed water activity coefficient on evaporation. The salt crystallization and dissolution rate is modeled as a kinetic process linearly proportional to the degree of supersaturation of brine. The model generates predictions of the brine temperature and the solute and solvent masses controlled by diurnal net radiation input and aerodynamic forcing. Two distinct mechanisms emerge as potential controls on salt production and dissolution: (1) evapo-concentration and (2) changes in solubility related to changes in brine temperature. Although the evaporation of water is responsible for ultimate disappearance of the brine each season ,variation in solubility is found to be the dominant control on diurnal cycles of salt precipitation and dissolution in the BSF case. Most salt is crystallized during nighttime, but the
Expected brine movement at potential nuclear waste repository salt sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCauley, V.S.; Raines, G.E.

1987-08-01

The BRINEMIG brine migration code predicts rates and quantities of brine migration to a waste package emplaced in a high-level nuclear waste repository in salt. The BRINEMIG code is an explicit time-marching finite-difference code that solves a mass balance equation and uses the Jenks equation to predict velocities of brine migration. Predictions were made for the seven potentially acceptable salt sites under consideration as locations for the first US high-level nuclear waste repository. Predicted total quantities of accumulated brine were on the order of 1 m 3 brine per waste package or less. Less brine accumulation is expected at domal salt sites because of the lower initial moisture contents relative to bedded salt sites. Less total accumulation of brine is predicted for spent fuel than for commercial high-level waste because of the lower temperatures generated by spent fuel. 11 refs., 36 figs., 29 tabs
Fluid and ionic transport properties of deformed salt rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peach, C.J.; Spiers, C.J.; Tankink, A.J.; Zwart, H.J.

1987-01-01

This is a final report on work done on the transport properties of salt during the period 1 January 1984 to 30 June 1985. This work was directed largely at the measurement of creep-induced permeability in salt rock, at determining the permeability persistence/decay characteristics of creep-dilated salt rock under hydrostatic conditions, and at ion migration/retention experiments on both deformed and undeformed material. The permeability work was carried out using both gas (argon) and brine, and involved the design and construction of corresponding permeametry systems for use in conjunction with dilatometric triaxial testing apparatus. Ion migration/retention studies involved the use of contaminant species such as Sr 2+ , Cs + , Fe 3+ and TcO 4
Expected environment for waste packages in a salt repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pederson, L.R.; Clark, D.E.; Hodges, F.N.; McVay, G.L.; Rai, D.

1983-01-01

This paper discusses results of recent efforts to define the very near-field (within approximately 2 m) environmental conditions to which waste packages will be exposed in a salt repository. These conditions must be considered in the experimental design for waste package materials testing, which includes corrosion of barrier materials and leaching of waste forms. Site-specific brine compositions have been determined, and standard brine compositions have been selected for testing purposes. Actual brine compositions will vary depending on origin, temperature, irradiation history, and contact with irradiated rock salt. Results of irradiating rock salt, synthetic brines, rock salt/brine mixtures, and reactions of irradiated rock salt with brine solutions are reported. 38 references, 3 figures, 2 tables
Permeability of salt-crystal interfaces to brine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilpatrick, L.O.; Baes, C.F. Jr.; Shor, A.J.; Canonico, C.M.

1982-06-01

To investigate the movement of brine along grain boundaries in polycrystalline salt, measurements have been made of the radial flow of brine through the interface between cylindrical salt crystals under axial stresses to 140 bar and temperatures to 80 0 C. For constant conditions, the total flow of brine showed a linear dependence on the logarithm of time, and the reciprocal permeability increased linearly with time. Loss of salt from the interface by pressure solution effects was more than enough to account for the decrease in the apparent thickness of the interface (i.e., that which may be estimated for an interface of the same permeability formed by plane parallel surfaces). This apparent thickness, initially as large as 10 μm, decreased to as little as 0.2 μm with exposure to stress and flowing brine. It decreased quickly with sudden increases in axial stress and usually increased, though not reversibly, with decreases in stress. The rate of increase in the reciprocal permeability with time was roughly proportional to the stress and to the square of the hydraulic pressure drop. Assuming similar apparent thicknesses for the grain boundaries in polycrystalline salt, permeabilities are predicted that are quite consistent with the low values reported for stressed core specimens
Thermal-gradient migration of brine inclusions in salt crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagnik, S.K.

1982-09-01

It has been proposed that high-level nuclear waste be disposed in a geologic repository. Natural-salt deposits, which are being considered for this purpose, contain a small volume fraction of water in the form of brine inclusions distributed throughout the salt. Radioactive-decay heating of the nuclear wastes will impose a temperature gradient on the surrounding salt which mobilizes the brine inclusions. Inclusions filled completely with brine migrate up the temperature gradient and eventually accumulate brine near the buried waste forms. The brine may slowly corrode or degrade the waste forms which is undesirable. In this work, thermal gradient migration of both all-liquid and gas-liquid inclusions was experimentally studied in synthetic single crystals of NaCl and KCl using a hot-stage attachment to an optical microscope which was capable of imposing temperature gradients and axial compressive loads on the crystals. The migration velocities of the inclusions were found to be dependent on temperature, temperature gradient, and inclusion shape and size. The velocities were also dictated by the interfacial mass transfer resistance at brine/solid interface. This interfacial resistance depends on the dislocation density in the crystal, which in turn, depends on the axial compressive loading of the crystal. At low axial loads, the dependence between the velocity and temperature gradient is non-linear.At high axial loads, however, the interfacial resistance is reduced and the migration velocity depends linearly on the temperature gradient. All-liquid inclusions filled with mixed brines were also studied. For gas-liquid inclusions, three different gas phases (helium, air and argon) were compared. Migration studies were also conducted on single crystallites of natural salt as well as in polycrystalline natural salt samples. The behavior of the inclusions at large angle grain boundaries was observed. 35 figures, 3 tables
Thermal gradient migration of brine inclusions in salt crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagnik, S.K.

1982-01-01

Natural salt deposits, which are being considered for high-level nuclear wastes repositories, contain a small volume fraction of water in the form of brine inclusions distributed throughout the salt. Radioactive decay heating of the nuclear wastes will impose a temperature gradient on the surrounding salt which mobilizes the brine inclusions. Inclusions filled completely with brine (the all-liquid inclusions) migrate up the temperature gradient and eventually accumulate brine near the buried waste forms. The brine may slowly corrode or degrade the waste forms which is undesirable. In the present work, thermal gradient migration of both all-liquid and gas-liquid inclusions was experimentally studied in synthetic single crystals of NaCl and KCl using a hot-stage attachment to an optical microscope which was capable of imposing temperature gradients and axial compressive loads on the crystals. The migration velocities of the inclusions were found to be dependent on temperature, temperature gradient, and inclusion shape and size. The velocities were also dictated by the interfacial mass transfer resistance at brine/solid interface. This interfacial resistance depends on the dislocation density in the crystal, which in turn, depends on the axial compressive loading of the crystal. At low axial loads, the dependence between the velocity and temperature gradient is nonlinear. At high axial loads, however, the interfacial resistance is reduced and the migration velocity depends linearly on the temperature gradient. All-liquid inclusions filled with mixed brines were also studied. For gas-liquid inclusions, three different gas phases (helium, air and argon) were compared. Migration studies were also conducted on single crystallites of natural salt as well as in polycrystalline natural salt samples. The behavior of the inclusions at large angle grain boudaries was observed
Long term mineralogical changes in salt formations due to water and brine interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herbert, H.J.; Brewitz, W.

1996-01-01

Four very common long term mineralogical changes in salt formations are discussed in the view of the safety considerations for underground repositories. Two of these processes, the 'Hartsalz' and 'Carnallite' dissolution were studied in two scale in situ experiments. The results are presented and compared with the results of the geochemical modelling with the computer code EQ3/6. Furthermore the reactions leading to the formation of the gypsum cap rock on the top of the Zechstein salt formations and to the polyhalitization of anhydrite are discussed. Geological field observations and mineral assemblages agree well with the results of the geochemical modelling employing the Pitzer formalism along with the Harvie, Moller and Weare database. We conclude that once the mechanisms of the chemical reactions are well understood it becomes possible to evaluate realistically whether such processes, when encountered in the repository, are still active or whether they are finished. It also becomes possible to estimate the volume changes associated with the reactions and thus the impact of these reactions on the integrity and the geomechanical stability of the salt formation. The intimate knowledge of the reaction mechanisms of the short and long term changes in the mineralogical assemblages and the associated brine chemistry is a first prerequisite for the correct evaluation of the origin of brines. Thus, it is essential for the correct assessment of the hazards which brine inflows may pose for the safety of a repository in salt formations. (authors). 8 refs., 14 figs., 8 tabs
In situ brine migration experiments at the Avery Island salt mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krause, W.B.; Van Sambeek, L.L.; Stickney, R.G.

1980-01-01

An in situ brine movement study was conducted at the Avery Island Salt Mine of the International Salt Company in southwestern Louisiana. The objective of the in situ experiments was to relate field measurements to previously determined laboratory and analytical results for the purpose of determining the rate and amount of brine movement through dome salt when subjected to heating. The heating in the experiments was provided by electrical heaters emplaced in the salt mine floor. An understanding of thermally induced brine movement is essential from the standpoint of identifying conditions which may influence the physical integrity of the nuclear waste canisters or impede the functional performance of the waste package system in a nuclear waste repository in geologic salt. 28 refs
Near-field environment research at PNL relevant to brine migration phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pederson, L.R.; Gray, W.J.; Hodges, F.N.

1987-01-01

Heat and radiation resulting from emplacement of a high level nuclear waste package in a repository in salt will cause physical and chemical changes in the host rock and any brines present. These changes may alter the performance of waste package materials. Gamma radiolysis decomposes water into hydrogen and oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, and various other free radical and ionic species. Gamma ray irradiation of rock salt decomposes that salt to sodium metal colloids and neutral chlorine (unknown form), changing both its physical and chemical properties. Sodium metal will react, if contacted by water, to form sodium hydroxide plus hydrogen gas, while chlorine will react to form hydrochloric plus hypochlorous acids. If irradiated salts are completely dissolved, little impact on the chemical environment is expected because the acids and bases formed will neutralize each other. Heat from the waste package can alter the chemistry of the host rock. Changes in temperature can also alter the chemistry of brines by precipitation of phases with retrograde solubility, addition of more soluble salt components to the brine, and by reaction with clays and other impurities in the salt. Some of these reactions could be accompanied by significant shifts in the pH. In experiments to date, no important changes in chemistry have been observed when typical Permian Basin intrusion or inclusion brines were heated up to 150 0 C with no excess site-specific salt present. When excess salt was included, acidic shifts were noted, increasing with brine-salt interaction time and temperature

Study of thermal-gradient-induced migration of brine inclusions in salt. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olander, D.R.

1984-08-01

Natural salt deposits, which are being considered for high-level waste disposal, contain a small volume fraction of water in the form of brine inclusions distributed throughout the salt. Radioactive decay heating of the nuclear wastes will impose a temperature gradient on the surrounding salt which mobilizes the brine inclusions. Inclusions filled completely with brine (the all-liquid inclusions) migrate up the temperature gradient and eventually accumulate brine near the buried waste forms. The brine may slowly corrode or degrade the waste forms, which is undesirable. Therefore it is important to consider the migration of brine inclusions in salt under imposed temperature gradients to properly evaluate the performance of a future salt repository for nuclear wastes. The migration velocities of the inclusions were found to be dependent on temperature, temperature gradient, and inclusion shape and size. The velocities were also dictated by the interfacial mass transfer resistance at brine/solid interface. This interfacial resistance depends on the dislocation density in the crystal, which in turn, depends on the axial compressive loading of the crystal. At low axial loads, the dependence between the velocity and temperature gradient is nonlinear. At high axial loads, the interfacial resistance is reduced and the migration velocity depends linearly on the temperature gradient. All-liquid inclusions filled with mixed brines were also studied. For gas-liquid inclusions, helium, air and argon were compared. Migration studies were also conducted on single crystallites of natural salt as well as in polycrystalline natural salt samples. The behavior of the inclusions at large-ange grain boundaries was observed
Study of thermal-gradient-induced migration of brine inclusions in salt. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olander, D.R.

1984-08-01

Natural salt deposits, which are being considered for high-level waste disposal, contain a small volume fraction of water in the form of brine inclusions distributed throughout the salt. Radioactive decay heating of the nuclear wastes will impose a temperature gradient on the surrounding salt which mobilizes the brine inclusions. Inclusions filled completely with brine (the all-liquid inclusions) migrate up the temperature gradient and eventually accumulate brine near the buried waste forms. The brine may slowly corrode or degrade the waste forms, which is undesirable. Therefore it is important to consider the migration of brine inclusions in salt under imposed temperature gradients to properly evaluate the performance of a future salt repository for nuclear wastes. The migration velocities of the inclusions were found to be dependent on temperature, temperature gradient, and inclusion shape and size. The velocities were also dictated by the interfacial mass transfer resistance at brine/solid interface. This interfacial resistance depends on the dislocation density in the crystal, which in turn, depends on the axial compressive loading of the crystal. At low axial loads, the dependence between the velocity and temperature gradient is nonlinear. At high axial loads, the interfacial resistance is reduced and the migration velocity depends linearly on the temperature gradient. All-liquid inclusions filled with mixed brines were also studied. For gas-liquid inclusions, helium, air and argon were compared. Migration studies were also conducted on single crystallites of natural salt as well as in polycrystalline natural salt samples. The behavior of the inclusions at large-ange grain boundaries was observed.
Brine migration in salt and its implications in the geologic disposal of nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenks, G.H.; Claiborne, H.C.

1981-12-01

This report respresents a comprehensive review and analysis of available information relating to brine migration in salt surrounding radioactive waste in a salt repository. The topics covered relate to (1) the characteristics of salt formations and waste packages pertinent to considerations of rates, amounts, and effects of brine migration, (2) experimental and theoretical information on brine migration, and (3) means of designing to minimize any adverse effects of brine migration. Flooding, brine pockets, and other topics were not considered, since these features will presumably be eliminated by appropriate site selection and repository design. 115 references
Thermomigration of fluid inclusions in rock salt. Implications for the disposal of nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noack, W.; Runge, K.

1984-01-01

A mathematical model has been suggested to predict the time-dependent accumulation of brine at nuclear waste packages emplaced in a rock salt repository owing to thermomigration of brine inclusions. The model is based mainly on a description of the migration rate as a function of the temperature, temperature gradient, inclusion size and gas/liquid ratio of inclusions. Other factors are treated merely as disturbing quantities with respect to the migration rate. (author)
Migration rates of brine inclusions in single crystals of NaCl

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, I.M.

1982-01-01

Rock-salt deposits have been considered as a possible medium for the permanent storage of high-level radioactive wastes and spent fuel. Brine inclusions present in natural salt can migrate toward the waste if the temperature and the temperature gradients in the vicinity of the radioactive waste are large enough. This migration is due to the dissolution of salt at the hot side of the salt-brine interface, ion diffusion through the brine droplet, and the precipitation of salt at the cold side of the salt brine interface. In order to quantify the problem, the migration rate of these brine inclusions must be estimated under various repository conditions. This paper estimates migration rates for all-liquid brine inclusions in single crystals of NaCl by utilizing recent data for brines and the model of Anthony and Cline [T.R. Anthony and H.E. Cline, J. Appl. Phys., 42, pp. 3380-387 (1971)]. The predictions are compared with experimentally measured migration rates. 4 figures, 6 tables
Brine Transport Experiments in Granular Salt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jordan, Amy B. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Boukhalfa, Hakim [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Caporuscio, Florie Andre [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Stauffer, Philip H. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2016-06-06

To gain confidence in the predictive capability of numerical models, experimental validation must be performed to ensure that parameters and processes are correctly simulated. The laboratory investigations presented herein aim to address knowledge gaps for heat-generating nuclear waste (HGNW) disposal in bedded salt that remain after examination of prior field and laboratory test data. Primarily, we are interested in better constraining the thermal, hydrological, and physicochemical behavior of brine, water vapor, and salt when moist salt is heated. The target of this work is to use run-of-mine (RoM) salt; however during FY2015 progress was made using high-purity, granular sodium chloride.
Brine migration test - Asse salt mine, Federal Republic of Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothfuchs, T.; Wieczorek, K.; Feddersen, H.K.; Staupendahl, G.; Coyle, A.J.; Kalia, H.; Eckert, J.

1988-03-01

This document is the final report on the Cooperative German-American 'Brine Migration Tests' that were performed at the Asse Salt Mine in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI), Columbus, Ohio, and the Institut fuer Tieflagerung (IfT), Braunschweig, of the Gesellschaft fuer Strahlen- und Umweltforschung mbH Muenchen (GSF). Final test and equipment design as well as manufacturing and installation was carried out by Westinghouse Electric Corporation. The tests were designed to simulate a nuclear waste repository to measure the effects of heat and gamma radiation on brine migration, salt decrepitation, disassociation of brine, and gases collected. The thermal mechanical behavior of salt, such as room closure, stresses and changes of the properties of salt are measured and compared with predicted behavior. The performance of an array of candidate waste package materials, test equipment and procedures under repository conditions will be evaluated with a view towards future in-depth testing of potential repository sites. (orig./RB)
Threshold temperature gradient effect on migration of brine inclusions in salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pigford, T.H.

1987-01-01

Theories of the migration of brine inclusions in salt were interpreted as simple physical processes, and theories by Russian and US workers were shown to yield the same results. The migration theory was used to predict threshold temperature gradients below which migration of brine inclusions should not occur. The predicted threshold gradients were compared with the temperature gradients expected at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. The theory of threshold gradients helps explain the existence of brine inclusions in natural salt deposits
Uranium-thorium series radionuclides in brines and reservoir rocks from two deep geothermal boreholes in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field, southeastern California

Science.gov (United States)

Zukin, Jeffrey G.; Hammond, Douglas E.; Teh-Lung, Ku; Elders, Wilfred A.

1987-10-01

Naturally occurring U and Th series radionuclides have been analyzed in high temperature brines (~300°C, 25 wt% dissolved solids) and associated rocks from two deep geothermal wells located on the northeastern margin of the Salton Sea Geothermal Field (SSGF). These data are part of a study of the SSGF as a natural analog of possible radionuclide behavior near a nuclear waste repository constructed in salt beds, and permit evaluation of some characteristics of water-rock interaction in the SSGF. Rock/Brine concentration ratios ( Rc = (dpm/ g) rock/(dpm/ g) brine) were found to vary from near unity for isotopes of Ra, Pb and Rn to about 5 × 10 5 for 232Th. The high sorptivity of 232Th is closely followed by that of 238U and 234U ( Rc ~ 5 × 10 4), suggesting that U is retained in the +4 oxidation state by the reducing conditions in the brines. The relatively high solubility of 210Pb and 212Pb is attributed to formation of chloride complexes, while the high Ra solubility is attributed to chloride complexing, a lack of suitable adsorption sites due to the high brine salinity and temperature, and the reducing conditions that prevent MnO 2 and RaSO 4 from forming. The 228Ra /226Ra ratios in the brines are approximately equal to those of their parents ( 232Th /230Th ) in associated rocks, indicating that Ra equilibration in the brine-rock system is achieved within the mean life of 228Ra (8.3 years). The 224Ra /228Ra ratios in these brines are about 0.7, indicating that either (1) brine composition is not homogeneous and 224Ra decays in fracture zones deficient in Ra and Th as the brine travels to the wellhead or (2) Ra equilibration in the brine-host rock system is not complete within the mean life of 224Ra (5.2 days) because the desorption of 224Ra from the solid phase is impeded. The 228Ac /228Ra activity ratio in the SSGF brines studied is <0.1, and from this ratio the residence time of 228Ac in the brine before sorption onto solid surfaces is estimated to be <70
Effects of brine migration on waste storage systems. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaffney, E.S.; Nickell, R.E.

1979-01-01

Processes which can lead to mobilization of brine adjacent to spent fuel or nuclear waste canisters and some of the thermomechanical consequences have been investigated. Velocities as high as 4 x 10 -7 m s -1 (13 m y -1 ) are calculated at the salt/canister boundary. As much as 40 liters of pure NaCl brine could accumulate around each canister during a 10-year storage period. Accumulations of bittern brines would probably be less, in the range of 2 to 5 liters. With 0.5% water, NaCl brine accumulation over a 10-year storage cycle around a spent fuel canister producing 0.6 kW of heat is expected to be less than 1 liter for centimeter-size inclusions and less than 0.5 liter for millimeter-size inclusions. For bittern brines, about 25 years would be required to accumulate 0.4 liter. The most serious mechanical consequence of brine migration would be the increased mobility of the waste canister due to pressure solution. In pressure solution enhanced deformation, the existence of a thin film of fluid either between grains or between media (such as between a canister and the salt) provides a pathway by which the salt can be redistributed leading to a marked increase in strain rates in wet rock relative to dry rock. In salt, intergranular water will probably form discontinuous layers rather than films so that they would dominate pressure solution. A mathematical model of pressure solution indicates that pressure solution will not lead to appreciable canister motions except possibly in fine grained rocks (less than 10 -4 m). In fine grained salts, details of the contact surface between the canister and the salt bed may lead to large pressure solution motions. A numerical model indicates that heat transfer in the brine layer surrounding a spent fuel canister is not conduction dominated but has a significant convective component
Modeling Coupled THM Processes and Brine Migration in Salt at High Temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rutqvist, Jonny; Blanco-Martin, Laura; Molins, Sergi; Trebotich, David; Birkholzer, Jens

2015-01-01

In this report, we present FY2015 progress by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) related to modeling of coupled thermal-hydrological-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in salt and their effect on brine migration at high temperatures. This is a combined milestone report related to milestone Salt R&D Milestone ''Modeling Coupled THM Processes and Brine Migration in Salt at High Temperatures'' (M3FT-15LB0818012) and the Salt Field Testing Milestone (M3FT-15LB0819022) to support the overall objectives of the salt field test planning.
Modeling Coupled THM Processes and Brine Migration in Salt at High Temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rutqvist, Jonny [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Blanco-Martin, Laura [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Molins, Sergi [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Trebotich, David [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Birkholzer, Jens [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2015-09-01

In this report, we present FY2015 progress by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) related to modeling of coupled thermal-hydrological-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in salt and their effect on brine migration at high temperatures. This is a combined milestone report related to milestone Salt R&D Milestone “Modeling Coupled THM Processes and Brine Migration in Salt at High Temperatures” (M3FT-15LB0818012) and the Salt Field Testing Milestone (M3FT-15LB0819022) to support the overall objectives of the salt field test planning.
Pressure-induced brine migration in consolidated salt in a repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Y.; Chambre, P.L.; Lee, W.W.L.; Pigford, T.H.

1987-06-01

This report describes a mathematical model for brine migration through intact salt near a radioactive waste package emplaced in salt. Solutions indicate limited movement following ten years emplacement
Protein removal from waste brines generated during ham salting through acidification and centrifugation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutiérrez-Martínez, Maria del Rosario; Muñoz-Guerrero, Hernán; Alcaína-Miranda, Maria Isabel; Barat, José Manuel

2014-03-01

The salting step in food processes implies the production of large quantities of waste brines, having high organic load, high conductivity, and other pollutants with high oxygen demand. Direct disposal of the residual brine implies salinization of soil and eutrophication of water. Since most of the organic load of the waste brines comes from proteins leaked from the salted product, precipitation of dissolved proteins by acidification and removal by centrifugation is an operation to be used in waste brine cleaning. The aim of this study is optimizing the conditions for carrying out the separation of proteins from waste brines generated in the pork ham salting operation, by studying the influence of pH, centrifugal force, and centrifugation time. Models for determining the removal of proteins depending on the pH, centrifugal force, and time were obtained. The results showed a high efficacy of the proposed treatment for removing proteins, suggesting that this method could be used for waste brine protein removal. The best pH value to be used in an industrial process seems to be 3, while the obtained results indicate that almost 90% of the proteins from the brine can be removed by acidification followed by centrifugation. A further protein removal from the brine should have to be achieved using filtrating techniques, which efficiency could be highly improved as a consequence of the previous treatment through acidification and centrifugation. Waste brines from meat salting have high organic load and electrical conductivity. Proteins can be removed from the waste brine by acidification and centrifugation. The total protein removal can be up to 90% of the initial content of the waste brine. Protein removal is highly dependent on pH, centrifugation rate, and time. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®
Fluid inclusion brine compositions from Palo Duro Basin salt sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moody, J.B.

1987-01-01

The fluid inclusion analyses were done on salt samples from Lower San Andres Cycle 4 and 5. The stable isotope composition of the fluid inclusion brines was measured on duplicate samples taken from the same fluid inclusion brine for correlation of geochemical content with the stable isotopic content. The analyzed Palo Duro Basin salt fluid inclusions are predominantly one phase, i.e., the presence of a fluid only. However, many of the larger fluid inclusions do have a small vapor bubble. This liquid/vapor ratio is so high in these vapor-containing fluid inclusions that their behavior in a thermal gradient would be almost identical to that of all liquid inclusions. Closely associated with the fluid inclusions are cryptomelane where some fibers penetrate into halite host crystal. The fluid inclusions have a wide variability in content for those components that were analyzed, even within the same salt type. The fluid inclusion brines are also acidic, ranging from 3 to 6 as measured with pH test papers
Domal salt brine migration experiments at Avery Island, Louisiana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krause, W.B.; Gnirk, P.F.

1981-01-01

Three in-situ brine migration experiments were performed in domal salt in the Avery Island mine located in southwestern Louisiana. The primary measurements included temperature, moisture collection, and pre- and post-test permeability at the experimental sites. Experimental data are discussed and compared with calculations based on the single-crystal brine migration theory. Comparisons indicate reasonable agreement between experiment and theory
Possible salt mine and brined cavity sites for radioactive waste disposal in the northeastern southern peninsula of Michigan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landes, K.K.; Bourne, H.L.

1976-01-01

A reconnaissance report on the possibilities for disposal of radioactive waste covers Michigan only, and is more detailed than an earlier one involving the northeastern states. Revised ''ground rules'' for pinpointing both mine and dissolved salt cavern sites for waste disposal include environmental, geologic, and economic factors. The Michigan basin is a structural bowl of Paleozoic sediments resting on downwarped Precambrian rocks. The center of the bowl is in Clare and Gladwin Counties, a short distance north of the middle of the Southern Peninsula. The strata dip toward this central area, and some stratigraphic sequences, including especially the salt-containing Silurian section, increase considerably in thickness in that direction. Lesser amounts of salt are also present in the north central part of the Lower Peninsula. Michigan has been an oil and gas producing state since 1925 and widespread exploration has had two effects on the selection of waste disposal sites: (1) large areas are leased for oil and gas; and (2) the borehole concentrations, whether producing wells, dry holes, or industrial brine wells that penetrated the salt section, should be avoided. Two types of nuclear waste, low level and high level, can be stored in man-made openings in salt beds. The storage facilities are created by (1) the development of salt mines where the depths are less than 3000 ft, and (2) cavities produced by pumping water into a salt bed, and bringing brine back out. The high level waste disposal must be confined to mines of limited depth, but the low level wastes can be accommodated in brine cavities at any depth. Seven potential prospects have been investigated and are described in detail
Thermal gradient brine inclusion migration in salt study: gas-liquid inclusions, preliminary model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olander, D.R.; Machiels, A.J.

1979-10-01

Natural salt deposits contain small cubical inclusions of brine distributed through the salt. Temperature gradients, resulting from storing heat-generating wastes in the salt, can cause the inclusions to move through the salt. Prediction of the rate and amount of brine-inclusion migration is necessary for the evaluation of bedded or domed salts as possible media for waste repositories. Inclusions filled exclusively with liquid migrate up the temperature gradient towards the heat source. The solubility of salt in the brine inclusion increases with temperature. Consequently, salt dissolves into the inclusion across the hot surface and crystallizes out at the cold surface. Diffusion of salt within the liquid phase from the hot to the cold faces causes the inclusions to move in the opposite direction. In so doing, they change shape and eventually become rectangular parallelipipeds with a width (dimension perpendicular to the thermal gradient) much larger than the thickness (dimension in the direction of the thermal gradient). The inclusions may also contain a gas phase predominantly consisting of water vapor. These entities are termed two-phase or gas-liquid inclusions. The two-phase inclusions usually migrate down the temperature gradient away from the heat source remaining more-or-less cubical. A two-phase inclusion also forms when an all-liquid inclusion reaches the waste package; upon opening up at the salt-package interface, the brine partially evaporates and the inclusion reseals with some insoluble gas trapped inside. These gas-liquid inclusions proceed to move down the temperature gradient, in the opposite sense of the all-liquid inclusions. The gas-liquid inclusions phenomenon provides a pathway by which radionuclides leached from the wasteform by the brine can be transported away from the waste package and thus might have greater access to the biosphere
Brine reuse in ion-exchange softening: salt discharge, hardness leakage, and capacity tradeoffs.

Science.gov (United States)

Flodman, Hunter R; Dvorak, Bruce I

2012-06-01

Ion-exchange water softening results in the discharge of excess sodium chloride to the aquatic environment during the regeneration cycle. In order to reduce sodium chloride use and subsequent discharge from ion-exchange processes, either brine reclaim operations can be implemented or salt application during regeneration can be reduced. Both result in tradeoffs related to loss of bed volumes treated per cycle and increased hardness leakage. An experimentally validated model was used to compare concurrent water softening operations at various salt application quantities with and without the direct reuse of waste brine for treated tap water of typical midwestern water quality. Both approaches were able to reduce salt use and subsequent discharge. Reducing salt use and discharge by lowering the salt application rate during regeneration consequently increased hardness leakage and decreased treatment capacity. Single or two tank brine recycling systems are capable of reducing salt use and discharge without increasing hardness leakage, although treatment capacity is reduced.
In situ measurements of rock salt permeability changes due to nearby excavation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stormont, J.C.; Howard, C.L.; Daemen, J.J.K.

1991-07-01

The Small-Scale Mine-By was an in situ experiment to measure changes in brine and gas permeability of rock salt as a result of nearby excavation. A series of small-volume pressurized brine- and gas-filled test intervals were established 8 m beneath the floor of Room L1 in the WIPP underground. The test intervals were isolated in the bottom of the 4.8-cm diameter monitoring boreholes with inflatable rubber packers, and are initially pressurized to about 2 MPa. Both brine- and gas-filled test intervals were located 1.25, 1.5, 2, 3, and 4 r from the center of a planned large-diameter hole, where r is the radius of the large-diameter hole. Prior to the drilling of the large-diameter borehole, the responses of both the brine- and gas-filled test intervals were consistent with the formation modeled as a very low permeability, low porosity porous medium with a significant pore (brine) pressure and no measurable gas permeability. The drilling of the mine-by borehole created a zone of dilated, partially saturated rock out to about 1.5 r. The formation pressure increases from near zero at 1.5 r to the pre-excavation value at 4 r. Injection tests reveal a gradient of brine permeabilities from 5 x 10 -18 m 2 at 1.25 r to about the pre-excavation value (10 -21 m 2 ) by 3 r. Gas-injection tests reveal measurable gas permeability is limited to within 1.5 r. 17 refs., 24 figs., 6 tabs

Brine Migration in Heated Salt: Lessons Learned from Field Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Kuhlman, K. L.; Matteo, E. N.; Mills, M.

2017-12-01

We summarize several interesting brine migration related phenomena hinted at in field experiments from field testing related to salt radioactive waste repositories in Germany and the US. Past heater tests in salt have shown 1) thermal-hydrological-mechanical coupling is quite strong during both heating and cooling; 2) chemical composition of brine evolves during heating, and comprises a mix of several water sources; and 3) acid gas (HCl) generation has been observed during past heater tests and may have multiple mechanisms for formation. We present a heated brine migration test design, formulated with these complexities in mind. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc. for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.
The Synthesis of Calcium Salt from Brine Water by Partial Evaporation and Chemical Precipitation

Science.gov (United States)

Lalasari, L. H.; Widowati, M. K.; Natasha, N. C.; Sulistiyono, E.; Prasetyo, A. B.

2017-02-01

In this study would be investigated the effects of partial evaporation and chemical precipitation in the formation of calcium salt from brine water resources. The chemical reagents used in the study was oxalate acid (C2H2O4), ammonium carbonate (NH4)2CO3) and ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) with reagent concentration of 2 N, respectively. The procedure was 10 liters brine water evaporated until 20% volume and continued with filtration process to separate brine water filtrate from residue (salt). Salt resulted from evaporation process was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) techniques. Filtrate then was reacted with C2H2O4, (NH4)2CO3 and NH4OH reagents to get salt products in atmospheric condition and variation ratio volume brine water/chemicals (v/v) [10/1; 10/5; 10/10; 10/20; 10/30; 10:50; 20/1; 20/5; 20/10; 20/20; 20/30; 20:50]. The salt product than were filtered, dried, measured weights and finally characterized by SEM/EDS and XRD techniques. The result of experiment showed the chemical composition of brine water from Tirta Sanita, Bogor was 28.87% Na, 9.17% Mg, 2.94% Ca, 22.33% O, 0.71% Sr, 30.02% Cl, 1.51% Si, 1.23% K, 0.55% S, 1.31% Al. The chemical composition of salt resulted by partial evaporation was 53.02% Ca, 28.93%O, 9.50% Na, 2.10% Mg, 1.53% Sr, 1.20% Cl, 1.10% Si, 0.63% K, 0.40% S, 0.39% Al. The salt resulted by total evaporation was indicated namely as NaCl. Whereas salt resulted by partial evaporation was CaCO3 with a purity of 90 % from High Score Plus analysis. In the experiment by chemical precipitation was reported that the reagents of ammonium carbonate were more reactive for synthesizing calcium salt from brine water compared to reagents of oxalate acid and ammonium hydroxide. The salts precipitated by NH4OH, (NH4)2CO3, and H2C2O4 reagents were indicated as NaCl, CaCO3 and CaC2O4.H2O, respectively. The techniques of partial evaporation until 20% volume sample of brine water and
Consolidation and permeability of salt in brine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shor, A.J.; Baes, C.F. Jr.; Canonico, C.M.

1981-07-01

The consolidation and loss of permeability of salt crystal aggregates, important in assessing the effects of water in salt repositories, has been studied as a function of several variables. The kinetic behavior was similar to that often observed in sintering and suggested the following expression for the time dependence of the void fraction: phi(t) = phi(0) - (A/B)ln(1 + Bt/z(0) 3 ), where A and B are rate constants and z(0) is initial average particle size. With brine present, A and phi(0) varied linearly with stress. The initial void fraction was also dependent to some extent on the particle size distribution. The rate of consolidation was most rapid in brine and least rapid in the presence of only air as the fluid. A brine containing 5 m MgCl 2 showed an intermediate rate, presumably because of the greatly reduced solubility of NaCl. A substantial wall effect was indicated by an observed increase in the void fraction of consolidated columns with distance from the top where the stress was applied and by a dependence of consolidation rate on the column height and radius. The distance through which the stress fell by a factor of phi was estimated to change inversely as the fourth power of the column diameter. With increasing temperature (to 85 0 C), consolidation proceeded somewhat more rapidly and the wall effect was reduced. The permeability of the columns dropped rapidly with consolidation, decreasing with about the sixth power of the void fraction. In general, extrapolation of the results to repository conditions confirms the self-sealing properties of bedded salt as a storage medium for radioactive waste
Kinetics of radioisotope exchange between brine and rock in a geothermal system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammond, D.E.; Zukin, J.G.; Teh-Lung Ku

1988-01-01

A wide range of isotopes in the /sup 238/U, /sup 235/U, and /sup 232/Th decay chains was measured in geothermal brines collected from two production zones at 1898 and 3220 m in the Salton Sea Scientific Drilling Project well. High concentrations of radium, radon, and lead isotopes are generated and maintained by the input of these isotopes from solid phases into brine by both recoil and leaching processes, by the high chloride content of the brine which complexes radium and lead, and by the apparent absence of suitable unoccupied adsorption sites. In contrast, uranium, thorium, actinium, bismuth, and polonium isotopes all have low concentrations due to their efficient sorption from brine to rock. Measurements of short-lived isotopes in these decay series yield insights regarding the mechanisms controlling radioisotope exchange, and they permit estimation of rates of brine-rock interaction. For example, the /sup 228/Ac//sup 228/Ra activity ratio of 0.2 in brines indicates that the mean residence time of actinium in solution before sorption onto solid surfaces is less than 2.5 hours
Investigating the sealing capacity of a seal system in rock salt (DOPAS project)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jantschik, Kyra; Moog, Helge C.; Czaikowski, Oliver; Wieczorek, Klaus [Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) gGmbH, Braunschweig (Germany)

2016-11-15

This paper describes research and development work on plugging and sealing repositories, an issue of fundamental importance for the rock salt option which represents one of the three European repository options, besides the clay rock and the crystalline rock options. The programme aims at providing experimental data needed for the theoretical analysis of the long-term sealing capacity of concrete- based sealing materials. In order to demonstrate hydro-mechanical material stability under representative load scenarios, a comprehensive laboratory testing programme is carried out. This comprises investigation of the sealing capacity of the combined seal system and impact of the so-called excavation-damaged zones (EDZ) as well as investigation of the hydro-chemical long-term stability of the seal in contact with different brines under diffusive and advective conditions. This paper presents experimental approaches and preliminary results from laboratory investigations on salt concrete and combined systems as obtained to date.
The Brine Sampling and Evaluation Program (PSEP) at WIPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deal, D.E.; Roggenthen, W.M.

1989-01-01

The Permian salt beds of the WIPP facility are virtually dry. The amount of water present in the rocks exposed in the excavations that is free to migrate under pressure gradients was estimated by heating salt samples to 95 degrees C and measuring weight loss. Clear balite contains about 0.22 weight percent water and the more argillaceous units average about 0.75 percent. Measurements made since 1984 as part of the Brine Sampling and Evaluation Program (BSEP) indicate that small amounts of this brine can migrate into the excavations and does accumulate in the underground environment. Brine seepage into drillholes monitored since thy were drilled show that brine seepage decreases with time and that many have dried up entirely. Weeping of brine from the walls of the repository excavations also decreases after two or more years. Chemical analyses of brines shows that they are sodium-chloride saturated and magnesium-rich
Effects of temperature, temperature gradients, stress, and irradiation on migration of brine inclusions in a salt repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenks, G.H.

1979-07-01

Available experimental and theoretical information on brine migration in bedded salt are reviewed and analyzed. The effects of temperature, thermal gradients, stress, irradiation, and pressure in a salt repository are among the factors considered. The theoretical and experimental (with KCl) results of Anthony and Cline were used to correlate and explain the available data for rates of brine migration at temperatures up to 250 0 C in naturally occurring crystals of bedded salt from Lyons and Hutchinson, Kansas. Considerations of the effects of stressing crystals of bedded salt on the migratin properties of brine inclusions within the crystals led to the conclusion that the most probable effects are a small fractional increase in the solubility of the salt within the liquid and a concomitant and equal fractional increase in the rate of the thermal gradient-induced migration of the brine. The greatest uncertainty relative to the prediction of rates of migration of brine into a waste emplacement cavity in bedded salt is associated with questions concerning the effects of the grain boundaries (within the aggregates of single crystals which comprise a bedded salt deposit) on brine migration through the deposit. The results of some of the estimates of rates and total amounts of brine inflow to HLW and SURF waste packages emplaced in bedded salt were included to illustrate the inflow volumes which might occur in a repository. The results of the brine inflow estimates for 10-year-old HLW emplaced at 150 kW/acre indicated inflow rates starting at 0.7 liter/year and totaling 12 liters at 30 years after emplacement. The results of the estimates for 10-year-old PWR SURF emplaced at 60 kW/acre indicated a constant inflow of 0.035 liter/year for the first 35 years after emplacement
Rock salt as a medium for long-term isolation of radioactive wastes - a reassessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaturvedi, L.

1985-01-01

Rock salt has been regarded as a suitable medium for the permanent disposal of high and medium level radioactive wastes since the National Academy of Sciences recommended it in 1957. As a result of detained site-specific studies conducted for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) project in New Mexico, however, several potential problems which are unique to bedded salt deposits have emerged. These include 1) the need to delineate the extent and rate of past dissolution and projections for the future, 2) the origin and significance of brines often found underlying the salt beds, 3) the rate and volume of migration of brine from the salt crystals towards the heat producing waste canisters, 4) the creep rates and implications for retrievability, and 5) the existence of potash and oil and gas resources with implications of human intrusion in the future. These questions will also be faced for sites in salt domes with added complications due to more complex structure and hydrology. The experience at WIPP shows that the site characterization process for high level waste repositories in bedded or dome salt should aim at identifying the important issues of site suitability early in the process and a clear program should be established to address these issues
Qualitative and quantitative changes in detrital reservoir rocks caused by CO2-brine-rock interactions during first injection phases (Utrillas sandstones, northern Spain)

Science.gov (United States)

Berrezueta, E.; Ordóñez-Casado, B.; Quintana, L.

2016-01-01

The aim of this article is to describe and interpret qualitative and quantitative changes at rock matrix scale of lower-upper Cretaceous sandstones exposed to supercritical (SC) CO2 and brine. The effects of experimental injection of CO2-rich brine during the first injection phases were studied at rock matrix scale, in a potential deep sedimentary reservoir in northern Spain (Utrillas unit, at the base of the Cenozoic Duero Basin).Experimental CO2-rich brine was exposed to sandstone in a reactor chamber under realistic conditions of deep saline formations (P ≈ 7.8 MPa, T ≈ 38 °C and 24 h exposure time). After the experiment, exposed and non-exposed equivalent sample sets were compared with the aim of assessing possible changes due to the effect of the CO2-rich brine exposure. Optical microscopy (OpM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) aided by optical image analysis (OIA) were used to compare the rock samples and get qualitative and quantitative information about mineralogy, texture and pore network distribution. Complementary chemical analyses were performed to refine the mineralogical information and to obtain whole rock geochemical data. Brine composition was also analyzed before and after the experiment.The petrographic study of contiguous sandstone samples (more external area of sample blocks) before and after CO2-rich brine injection indicates an evolution of the pore network (porosity increase ≈ 2 %). It is probable that these measured pore changes could be due to intergranular quartz matrix detachment and partial removal from the rock sample, considering them as the early features produced by the CO2-rich brine. Nevertheless, the whole rock and brine chemical analyses after interaction with CO2-rich brine do not present important changes in the mineralogical and chemical configuration of the rock with respect to initial conditions, ruling out relevant precipitation or dissolution at these early stages to rock-block scale. These results
Salting by Vacuum Brine Impregnation in Nitrite-Free Lonza: Effect on Enterobacteriaceae.

Science.gov (United States)

Serio, Annalisa; Chaves-López, Clemencia; Rossi, Chiara; Pittia, Paola; Rosa, Marco Dalla; Paparella, Antonello

2017-01-24

Lonza is a traditional Italian meat product made from whole pork muscles, which is typically cured by dry salting. In this work, we study the effects of vacuum brine impregnation (VBI) as an alternative salting method on the survival of Enterobacteriaceae, in presence and in absence of nitrites. In comparison with the traditional brining process, VBI contributed to reducing the Enterobacteriaceae population on product surface but induced contamination of the inner muscle tissues. Our results suggest that the species isolated became adapted to processing conditions, and salt tolerance was species- or strain-dependent. This result is of particular importance for future applications of VBI in lonza manufacturing.
Salting by vacuum brine impregnation in nitrite-free lonza: effect on Enterobacteriaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annalisa Serio

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Lonza is a traditional Italian meat product made from whole pork muscles, which is typically cured by dry salting. In this work, we study the effects of vacuum brine impregnation (VBI as an alternative salting method on the survival of Enterobacteriaceae, in presence and in absence of nitrites. In comparison with the traditional brining process, VBI contributed to reducing the Enterobacteriaceae population on product surface but induced contamination of the inner muscle tissues. Our results suggest that the species isolated became adapted to processing conditions, and salt tolerance was species- or straindependent. This result is of particular importance for future applications of VBI in lonza manufacturing.
Uranium-thorium series radionuclides in brines and reservoir rocks from two deep geothermal boreholes in the Salton Sea geothermal field, southeastern California

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zukin, J.G.; Hammond, D.E.; Ku, Tehlung; Elders, W.A.

1987-01-01

Naturally occurring U and Th series radionuclides have been analyzed in high temperature brines (∼ 300 degree C, 25 wt% dissolved solids) and associated rocks from two deep geothermal wells located on the northeastern margin of the Salton Sea Geothermal Field (SSGF). These data are part of a study of the SSGF as a natural analog of possible radionuclide behavior near a nuclear waste repository constructed in salt beds, and permit evaluation of some characteristics of water-rock interaction in the SSGF
Comparison of antimicrobial activities of brine salting, Chlorinated ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Chemical preservatives can be used to reduce the overall microbial populations in fish and fish products. This study was set to determine the antimicrobial activities of brine salting, chlorinated solution, and Moringa oleifera plant extracts treatments on enteric bacteria in Rastrineobola argentea and Oreochromis niloticus fish ...
Brine: a computer program to compute brine migration adjacent to a nuclear waste canister in a salt repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duckworth, G.D.; Fuller, M.E.

1980-01-01

This report presents a mathematical model used to predict brine migration toward a nuclear waste canister in a bedded salt repository. The mathematical model is implemented in a computer program called BRINE. The program is written in FORTRAN and executes in the batch mode on a CDC 7600. A description of the program input requirements and output available is included. Samples of input and output are given
Lithology, microstructures, fluid inclusions, and geochemistry of rock salt and of the cap-rock contact in Oakwood Dome, East Texas: significance for nuclear waste storage. Report of investigations No. 120

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dix, O.R.; Jackson, M.P.A.

1982-01-01

Oakwood salt dome in Leon and Freestone Counties, Texas, has a core composed of a diapiric salt stock at a depth of 355 m. A vertical borehole in the center of the salt stock yielded 57.3 m of continuous rock-salt core overlain by 137 m of anhydrite-calcite cap rock. The lower 55.3 m of rock salt exhibits a strong, penetrative schistosity and parallel cleavage dipping at 30 to 40 0 and more than 60 variably dipping layers of disseminated anhydrite. Anhydrite constitutes 1.3 +- 0.7 percent of the rock-salt core. The upper 2 m of rock salt is unfoliated, comprising a lower 1.4-m interval of medium-grained granoblastic rock salt and an upper 0.6-m interval of coarse-grained granoblastic rock salt. An abrupt, cavity-free contact separates rock salt from laminated cap rock consisting of granoblastic-polygonal anhydrite virtually devoid of halite or pore space. Microstructures and concentration gradients of fluid inclusions suggest that the unfoliated rock salt at the crest of the salt stock was once strongly foliated, but that this fabric was destroyed by solid-state recrystallization. Downward movement of brine from the rock-salt - cap-rock contact was apparently accompanied by two recrystallization fronts. Dissolution of halite at the contact released disseminated anhydrite that presumably accumulated as sand on the floor of the dissolution cavity. Renewed rise of the salt stock closed the cavity, and the anhydrite sand was accreted against the base of the cap rock. Much, if not all, of the lamination in the 80 m of anhydrite cap rock may result from cycles of dissolution, recrystallization, and upward movement in the salt stock, followed by accretion of anhydrite residuum as laminae against the base of the cap rock. These processes, which are strongly influenced by fluids, act both to breach waste repositories and to geologically isolate them
Origin of salt giants in abyssal serpentinite systems

Science.gov (United States)

Scribano, Vittorio; Carbone, Serafina; Manuella, Fabio C.; Hovland, Martin; Rueslåtten, Håkon; Johnsen, Hans-K.

2017-10-01

Worldwide marine salt deposits ranging over the entire geological record are generally considered climate-related evaporites, derived from the precipitation of salts (mainly chlorides and sulfates) from saturated solutions driven by solar evaporation of seawater. This explanation may be realistic for a salt thickness ≤100 m, being therefore inadequate for thicker (>1 km) deposits. Moreover, sub-seafloor salt deposits in deep marine basins are difficult to reconcile with a surface evaporation model. Marine geology reports on abyssal serpentinite systems provide an alternative explanation for some salt deposits. Seawater-driven serpentinization consumes water and increases the salinity of the associated aqueous brines. Brines can be trapped in fractures and cavities in serpentinites and the surrounding `country' rocks. Successive thermal dehydration of buried serpentinites can mobilize and accumulate the brines, forming highly saline hydrothermal solutions. These can migrate upwards and erupt onto the seafloor as saline geysers, which may form salt-saturated water pools, as are currently observed in numerous deeps in the Red Sea and elsewhere. The drainage of deep-seated saline brines to seafloor may be a long-lasting, effective process, mainly occurring in areas characterized by strong tectonic stresses and/or igneous intrusions. Alternatively, brines could be slowly expelled from fractured serpentinites by buoyancy gradients and, hence, separated salts/brines could intrude vertically into surrounding rocks, forming salt diapirs. Serpentinization is an ubiquitous, exothermic, long-lasting process which can modify large volumes of oceanic lithosphere over geological times. Therefore, buried salt deposits in many areas of the world can be reasonably related to serpentinites.
A comparison between evaporation ponds and evaporation surfaces as a source of the concentrated salt brine for salt gradient maintenance at Tajoura solar pond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramadan, Abdulghani M.; Agha, Khairy R.; Abughres, M.

2012-01-01

One of the main problems that negatively affect the operation of salt gradient solar ponds and influence its thermal stability is the maintenance of salt gradient profile. Evaporation pond (EP) is designed to generate the salt which lost upward salt diffusion from the lower convective zone (LCZ) of the solar pond. Another attractive method is the evaporation surface facility (ES). Regions with moderate to high precipitation favor Evaporation Surface over Evaporation Ponds. Dry climates will generally favor Evaporation Ponds for the brine re-concentration. In previous studies [1-3], the authors have shown that the (EP) of Tajoura's Experimental Solar Pond (TESP) is under sized and can provide only about 30% of the salt required by a Salt Gradient Solar Pond (SGSP). The anticipated size of (EP) was estimated and presented in those studies under different design conditions, including Summer, Autumn and Spring designs, while the winter design was excluded due to the low rates of net evaporation during the winter season. In addition, the results presented were predicted for the first three years of operation. The daily variations of brine concentration in the (EP) of (TESP) and those based on different designs were predicted and discussed under different scenarios. The quantities of brine provided by the evaporation pond and that required by SGSP were predicted for both cases of surface water flushing (fresh water and sea-water) under the different design conditions as shown in Table 1. This paper investigates the differences between (EP) and (ES) both as a source for salt brine generation by evaporation. The effect of (EP) depth on the area ratio and daily variations of salt concentrations for three years of operation is shown. Results show that evaporation can be a reasonable method for salt brine generation. Reducing the depth of (EP) improves the capability of (EP) for brine re-concentration. It also increases the (EP) surface area for the same quantity of
Brine migrations in the Athabasca Basin platform, alteration and associated fluid-rock exchanges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mercadier, J.; Cathelineau, M.; Richard, A.; Boiron, M.Ch.; Cuney, M.; Milesi, J.P.

2009-01-01

Uranium deposits of Athabasca Basin (Saskatchewan, Canada) are considered as the richest in the world. They result from massive percolation of basin brines in the underlying platform. The authors describe the brine movements and how structures and micro-fractures promoted this percolation until very important depths (hundreds of meters under the discordance), and their chemical modifications as they interacted with platform rocks, thus promoting the transformation of an initially sodic brine into a uranium-enriched calcic brine which is essential to the formation of discordance-type deposit
Mass transport in bedded salt and salt interbeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Y.; Pigford, T.H.; Chambre, P.L.; Lee, W.W.L.

1989-08-01

Salt is the proposed host rock for geologic repositories of nuclear waste in several nations because it is nearly dry and probably impermeable. Although experiments and experience at potential salt sites indicate that salt may contain brine, the low porosity, creep, and permeability of salt make it still a good choice for geologic isolation. In this paper we summarize several mass-transfer and transport analyses of salt repositories. The mathematical details are given in our technical reports
Test procedures for salt rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dusseault, M.B.

1985-01-01

Potash mining, salt mining, design of solution caverns in salt rocks, disposal of waste in salt repositories, and the use of granular halite backfill in underground salt rock mines are all mining activities which are practised or contemplated for the near future. Whatever the purpose, the need for high quality design parameters is evident. The authors have been testing salt rocks in the laboratory in a number of configurations for some time. Great care has been given to the quality of sample preparation and test methodology. This paper describes the methods, presents the elements of equipment design, and shows some typical results

Effects of gaseous radioactive nuclides on the design and operation of repositories for spent LWR fuel in rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenks, G.H.

1979-12-01

Information relating to the identities and amounts of gaseous radionuclides present in spent LWR fuel and to their release from canistered spent fuel under plausible storage and disposal conditions was assembled, reviewed, and analyzed. Information was also reviewed and analyzed on several other subjects that relate to the integrity of the carbon steel canister in which the spent fuel is to be encapsulated and to the expected rates of transfer of gaseous radionuclides through crushed salt backfill within a disposal room in a reference repository in rock salt. The advantages and disadvantages were considered for several different canister-backfill materials, and recommendations were made regarding preferred materials. Other recommendations relate to encapsulation procedures and specifications and to needs for additional experimental studies. The objective of this work was to provide reference information, conclusions, and recommendations that could be used to establish design and operating conditions and procedures for a bedded salt repository for spent LWR fuel and that could also be used to help evaluate the safety of the repository. The results of this work will also generally apply to spent fuel repositories in domal salt. However, because the domal salt may have little or no brine inclusions within it, there may be little or no possibility that brine will migrate into open spaces around an emplaced canister. Addordingly, some of the concerns that result from the possible occurrence of brine migration in bedded salt may be of no importance in domal salt
Meltability and Stretchability of White Brined Cheese: Effect of Emulsifier Salts

OpenAIRE

Khaled Abu-Alruz; Ayman S. Mazahreh; Ali F. Al-Shawabkeh; Amer A. Omari; Jihad M. Quasem

2009-01-01

Problem statement: This study was based on the hypothesis that by adding low concentrations of emulsifier salts, may specifically act on the cross linking bonds of the protein matrix, to the original brine (storage medium) it would be possible to induce meltability and stretchability in white brined cheese. Approach: A new apparatus for measuring the actual stretchability was designed and constructed; measurements on different cheese samples proved its validity and reliability to measure stre...
Mass transfer and transport in salt repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pigford, T.H.; Chambre, P.L.; Lee, W.W.L.

1989-02-01

Salt is a unique rock isolation of nuclear waste because it is ''dry'' and nearly impermeable. In this paper we summarize some mass-transfer and transport analyses of salt repositories. First we analyses brine migration. Heating by high-level waste can cause brine in grain boundaries to move due to pressure-gradients. We analyze brine migration treating salt as a thermoelastic solid and found that brine migration is transient and localized. We use previously developed techniques to estimate release rates from waste packages by diffusion. Interbeds exist in salt and may be conduits for radionuclide migration. We analyze steady-state migration due to brine flow in the interbed, as a function of the Peclet number. Then we analyze transient mass transfer, both into the interbed and directly to salt, due only to diffusion. Finally we compare mass transfer rates of a waste cylinder in granite facing a fracture and in salt facing an interbed. In all cases, numerical illustrations of the analytic solution are given. 10 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs
Brine migration test report: Asse Salt Mine, Federal Republic of Germany: Technical report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coyle, A.J.; Eckert, J.; Kalia, H.

1987-01-01

This report presents a summary of Brine Migration Tests which were undertaken at the Asse mine of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) under a bilateral US/FRG agreement. This experiment simulates a nuclear waste repository at the 800-m (2624-ft) level of the Asse salt mine in the Federal Republic of Germany. This report describes the Asse salt mine, the test equipment, and the pretest properties of the salt in the mine and in the vicinity of the test area. Also included are selected test data (for the first 28 months of operation) on the following: brine migration rates, thermomechaical behavior of the salt (including room closure, stress reading, and thermal profiles), borehole gas pressures, and borehole gas analyses. In addition to field data, laboratory analyses of pretest salt properties are included in this report. The operational phase of these experiments was completed on October 4, 1985, with the commencement of cooldown and the start of posttest activities. 7 refs., 68 figs., 48 tabs
Long-term rheological and transport properties of dry and wet salt rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spiers, C.J.; Peach, C.J.; Brzesowsky, R.H.; Schutjens, P.M.T.M.; Liezenberg, J.L.; Zwart, H.J.

1988-01-01

This report forms a final report on Aims 1 to 3 of Contract No FI1W-0051-NL. It is opened in Section 2 with a consideration of the theoretical background necessary for a state-of-the-art treatment of compaction creep in granular salt and backfill materials (Aim 3). Fundamental experimental work on compaction creep in wet and dry salt aggregates is presented in Sections 3 and 4 respectively. In Section 5 this is extended to investigate the influence of backfill variables (such as brine content, grain-size distribution, and additives content) on the compaction creep behaviour of granular salt, and to develop a generally applicable constitutive law for salt backfill and cement materials. In Section 6 an optimal (i.e. fast-compaction/retention-efficient) backfill recipe is proposed. Experiments designed to test/verify the applicability of our general constitutive law to this recipe, to determine its permeability versus porosity characteristics, and to clarify the very long term properties and microstructure of both backfill and cement, are also reported. The conclusions drawn complete our work on backfill. Section 7 deals with work done on the long-term constitutive behaviour of salt rock (Aim 1) and on creep-induced dilatancy (Aim 2). Investigations into the permeability characteristics of dilated salt and (fractured) anhydrite rock are reported in Section 8. The report is terminated in Section 9 with an overall summary of results and conclusions
Mineral resource of the month: salt

Science.gov (United States)

Kostick, Dennis S.

2010-01-01

The article presents information on various types of salt. Rock salt is either found from underground halite deposits or near the surface. Other types of salt include solar salt, salt brine, and vacuum pan salt. The different uses of salt are also given including its use as a flavor enhancer, as a road deicing agent, and to manufacture sodium hydroxide.
Corrosion behaviour of selected high-level waste packaging materials under gamma irradiation and in-situ disposal conditions in rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smailos, E.; Schwarzkopf, W.; Koester, R.

1988-07-01

Corrosion studies performed until now on a number of materials have shown that unalloyed steels, Hastelloy C4 and Ti 99.8-Pd are the most promising materials for a long-term resistant packaging to be used in high-level waste (HLW) canister disposal in rock salt formations. To characterize their corrosion behaviour in more detail, additional studies have been performed. The influence has been examined which is exerted by the gamma dose rate (1 Gy/h to 100 Gy/h) on the corrosion of three preselected steels and Hastelloy C4 at 90 0 C in a salt brine (Q-brine) rich in MgCl 2 , i.e., conditions relevant to accident scenarios in a repository. In addition, in-situ corrosion experiments have been carried out in the Asse salt mine at elevated temperatures (120 0 C to 210 0 C) in the absence and in the presence of a gamma radiation field of 3 x 10 2 Gy/h, within the framework of the German/US Brine Migration Test. Under the test conditions the gamma radiation did not exert a significant influence on the corrosion of the steels investigated, whereas Hastelloy C4, exposed to dose rates of 10 Gy/h and 100 Gy/h, underwent pitting and crevice corrosion (20 μm/a at the maximum).The low amounts of migrated salt brine (140 ml after 900 days) in the in-situ- experiment did not produce noticeable corrosion of the materials. (orig./RB) [de
Forward Osmosis Brine Drying

Science.gov (United States)

Flynn, Michael; Shaw, Hali; Hyde, Deirdre; Beeler, David; Parodi, Jurek

2015-01-01

The Forward Osmosis Brine Drying (FOBD) system is based on a technique called forward osmosis (FO). FO is a membrane-based process where the osmotic potential between brine and a salt solution is equalized by the movement of water from the brine to the salt solution. The FOBD system is composed of two main elements, the FO bag and the salt regeneration system. This paper discusses the results of testing of the FO bag to determine the maximum water recovery ratio that can be attained using this technology. Testing demonstrated that the FO bag is capable of achieving a maximum brine water recovery ratio of the brine of 95%. The equivalent system mass was calculated to be 95 kg for a feed similar to the concentrated brine generated on the International Space Station and 86 kg for an Exploration brine. The results have indicated that the FOBD can process all the brine for a one year mission for between 11% to 10% mass required to bring the water needed to make up for water lost in the brine if not recycled. The FOBD saves 685 kg and when treating the International Space Station brine and it saves 829 kg when treating the Exploration brine. It was also demonstrated that saturated salt solutions achieve a higher water recovery ratios than solids salts do and that lithium chloride achieved a higher water recovery ratio than sodium chloride.
Amorphous salts formed from rapid dehydration of multicomponent chloride and ferric sulfate brines: Implications for Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Sklute, Elizabeth C.; Rogers, A. Deanne; Gregerson, Jason C.; Jensen, Heidi B.; Reeder, Richard J.; Dyar, M. Darby

2018-03-01

Salts with high hydration states have the potential to maintain high levels of relative humidity (RH) in the near subsurface of Mars, even at moderate temperatures. These conditions could promote deliquescence of lower hydrates of ferric sulfate, chlorides, and other salts. Previous work on deliquesced ferric sulfates has shown that when these materials undergo rapid dehydration, such as that which would occur upon exposure to present day Martian surface conditions, an amorphous phase forms. However, the fate of deliquesced halides or mixed ferric sulfate-bearing brines are presently unknown. Here we present results of rapid dehydration experiments on Ca-, Na-, Mg- and Fe-chloride brines and multicomponent (Fe2(SO4)3 ± Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Cl, HCO3) brines at ∼21 °C, and characterize the dehydration products using visible/near-infrared (VNIR) reflectance spectroscopy, mid-infrared attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. We find that rapid dehydration of many multicomponent brines can form amorphous solids or solids with an amorphous component, and that the presence of other elements affects the persistence of the amorphous phase under RH fluctuations. Of the pure chloride brines, only Fe-chloride formed an amorphous solid. XRD patterns of the multicomponent amorphous salts show changes in position, shape, and magnitude of the characteristic diffuse scattering observed in all amorphous materials that could be used to help constrain the composition of the amorphous salt. Amorphous salts deliquesce at lower RH values compared to their crystalline counterparts, opening up the possibility of their role in potential deliquescence-related geologic phenomena such as recurring slope lineae (RSLs) or soil induration. This work suggests that a wide range of aqueous mixed salt solutions can lead to the formation of amorphous salts and are possible for Mars; detailed studies of the formation mechanisms, stability and transformation
Amorphous salts formed from rapid dehydration of multicomponent chloride and ferric sulfate brines: Implications for Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Sklute, Elizabeth C.; Rogers, A. Deanne; Gregerson, Jason C.; Jensen, Heidi B.; Reeder, Richard J.; Dyar, M. Darby

2018-01-01

Salts with high hydration states have the potential to maintain high levels of relative humidity (RH) in the near subsurface of Mars, even at moderate temperatures. These conditions could promote deliquescence of lower hydrates of ferric sulfate, chlorides, and other salts. Previous work on deliquesced ferric sulfates has shown that when these materials undergo rapid dehydration, such as that which would occur upon exposure to present day Martian surface conditions, an amorphous phase forms. However, the fate of deliquesced halides or mixed ferric sulfate-bearing brines are presently unknown. Here we present results of rapid dehydration experiments on Ca–, Na–, Mg– and Fe–chloride brines and multi-component (Fe2 (SO4)3 ± Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Cl, HCO3) brines at ∼21°C, and characterize the dehydration products using visible/near-infrared (VNIR) reflectance spectroscopy, mid-infrared attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. We find that rapid dehydration of many multicomponent brines can form amorphous solids or solids with an amorphous component, and that the presence of other elements affects the persistence of the amorphous phase under RH fluctuations. Of the pure chloride brines, only Fe–chloride formed an amorphous solid. XRD patterns of the multicomponent amorphous salts show changes in position, shape, and magnitude of the characteristic diffuse scattering observed in all amorphous materials that could be used to help constrain the composition of the amorphous salt. Amorphous salts deliquesce at lower RH values compared to their crystalline counterparts, opening up the possibility of their role in potential deliquescence-related geologic phenomena such as recurring slope lineae (RSLs) or soil induration. This work suggests that a wide range of aqueous mixed salt solutions can lead to the formation of amorphous salts and are possible for Mars; detailed studies of the formation mechanisms, stability and
Amorphous salts formed from rapid dehydration of multicomponent chloride and ferric sulfate brines: Implications for Mars.

Science.gov (United States)

Sklute, Elizabeth C; Rogers, A Deanne; Gregerson, Jason C; Jensen, Heidi B; Reeder, Richard J; Dyar, M Darby

2018-03-01

Salts with high hydration states have the potential to maintain high levels of relative humidity (RH) in the near subsurface of Mars, even at moderate temperatures. These conditions could promote deliquescence of lower hydrates of ferric sulfate, chlorides, and other salts. Previous work on deliquesced ferric sulfates has shown that when these materials undergo rapid dehydration, such as that which would occur upon exposure to present day Martian surface conditions, an amorphous phase forms. However, the fate of deliquesced halides or mixed ferric sulfate-bearing brines are presently unknown. Here we present results of rapid dehydration experiments on Ca-, Na-, Mg- and Fe-chloride brines and multi-component (Fe 2 (SO 4 ) 3 ± Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Cl, HCO 3 ) brines at ∼21°C, and characterize the dehydration products using visible/near-infrared (VNIR) reflectance spectroscopy, mid-infrared attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. We find that rapid dehydration of many multicomponent brines can form amorphous solids or solids with an amorphous component, and that the presence of other elements affects the persistence of the amorphous phase under RH fluctuations. Of the pure chloride brines, only Fe-chloride formed an amorphous solid. XRD patterns of the multicomponent amorphous salts show changes in position, shape, and magnitude of the characteristic diffuse scattering observed in all amorphous materials that could be used to help constrain the composition of the amorphous salt. Amorphous salts deliquesce at lower RH values compared to their crystalline counterparts, opening up the possibility of their role in potential deliquescence-related geologic phenomena such as recurring slope lineae (RSLs) or soil induration. This work suggests that a wide range of aqueous mixed salt solutions can lead to the formation of amorphous salts and are possible for Mars; detailed studies of the formation mechanisms, stability and transformation
Biochemical solubilization of toxic salts from residual geothermal brines and waste waters

Science.gov (United States)

Premuzic, Eugene T.; Lin, Mow S.

1994-11-22

A method of solubilizing metal salts such as metal sulfides in a geothermal sludge using mutant Thiobacilli selected for their ability to metabolize metal salts at high temperature is disclosed, The method includes the introduction of mutated Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and Thiobacillus thiooxidans to a geothermal sludge or brine. The microorganisms catalyze the solubilization of metal salts, For instance, in the case of metal sulfides, the microorganisms catalyze the solubilization to form soluble metal sulfates.
A Dual-Continuum Model for Brine Migration in Salt Associated with Heat-Generating Nuclear Waste: Fully Coupled Thermal-Hydro-Mechanical Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, M.; Rutqvist, J.

2017-12-01

The disposal of heat-generating nuclear waste in salt host rock establishes a thermal gradient around the waste package that may cause brine inclusions in the salt grains to migrate toward the waste package. In this study, a dual-continuum model is developed to analyze such a phenomenon. This model is based on the Finite Volume Method (FVM), and it is fully thermal-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupled. For fluid flow, the dual-continuum model considers flow in the interconnected pore space and also in the salt grains. The mass balance of salt and water in these two continua is separately established, and their coupling is represented by flux associated with brine migration. Together with energy balance, such a system produces a coupled TH model with strongly nonlinear features. For mechanical analysis, a new formulation is developed based on the Voronoi tessellated mesh. By relating each cell to several connected triangles, first-order approximation is constructed. The coupling between thermal and mechanical fields is only considered in terms of thermal expansion. And the coupling between the hydraulic and mechanical fields in terms of pore-volume effects is consistent with Biot's theory. Therefore, a fully coupled THM model is developed. Several demonstration examples are provided to verify the model. Last the new model is applied to analyze coupled THM behavior and the results are compared with experimental data.
Salted herring brine as a coating or additive for herring (Clupea harengus) products — A source of natural antioxidants?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albertos, Irene; Gringer, Nina; Rico, Daniel

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to characterise herring brine and assess its use as natural antioxidant in herring preservation. Herring brines from different marinated products (brine from fillet-ripened spice-cured herring SC, traditional barrel-salted spice-cured herring TSp and brine from...
Review: Water recovery from brines and salt-saturated solutions: operability and thermodynamic efficiency considerations for desalination technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Vane, Leland M

2017-03-08

When water is recovered from a saline source, a brine concentrate stream is produced. Management of the brine stream can be problematic, particularly in inland regions. An alternative to brine disposal is recovery of water and possibly salts from the concentrate. This review provides an overview of desalination technologies and discusses the thermodynamic efficiencies and operational issues associated with the various technologies particularly with regard to high salinity streams. Due to the high osmotic pressures of the brine concentrates, reverse osmosis, the most common desalination technology, is impractical. Mechanical vapor compression which, like reverse osmosis, utilizes mechanical work to operate, is reported to have the highest thermodynamic efficiency of the desalination technologies for treatment of salt-saturated brines. Thermally-driven processes, such as flash evaporation and distillation, are technically able to process saturated salt solutions, but suffer from low thermodynamic efficiencies. This inefficiency could be offset if an inexpensive source of waste or renewable heat could be used. Overarching issues posed by high salinity solutions include corrosion and the formation of scales/precipitates. These issues limit the materials, conditions, and unit operation designs that can be used.
Rock salt constitutive modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nickell, R.E.

1980-01-01

The Serata model is the best operational model available today because it incorporates: (1) a yield function to demarcate between viscoelastic and viscoplastic behavior of rock salt; (2) a pressure and temperature dependence for yield stresses; and (3) a standard linear solid, which can be readily extended into the non-linear regime, to represent creep behavior. Its only deficiencies appear to be the lack of secondary creep behavior (a free dashpot) and some unsettling arbitrariness about the Poisson's ratio (ν → 0.5) argument for viscoplasticity. The Sandia/WIPP model will have good primary and secondary creep capability, but lacks the viscoplastic behavior. In some cases, estimated inelastic strains may be underpredicted. If a creep acceleration mechanism associated with brine inclusions is observed, this model may require extensive revision. Most of the other models available (SAI, RE-SPEC, etc.) are only useful for short-term calculations, because they employ temporal power law (t/sup n/) primary creep representations. These models are unsatisfactory because they cannot represent dual mechanisms with differing characteristic times. An approach based upon combined creep and plasticity is recommended in order to remove the remaining deficiency in the Serata model. DOE/Sandia/WIPP should be encouraged to move aggressively in this regard
Freshwater-Brine Mixing Zone Hydrodynamics in Salt Flats (Salar de Atacama)

Science.gov (United States)

Marazuela, M. A.; Vázquez-Suñé, E.; Custodio, E.; Palma, T.; García-Gil, A.

2017-12-01

The increase in the demand of strategic minerals for the development of medicines and batteries require detailed knowledge of the salt flats freshwater-brine interface to make its exploitation efficient. The interface zone is the result of a physical balance between the recharged and evaporated water. The sharp interface approach assumes the immiscibility of the fluids and thus neglects the mixing between them. As a consequence, for miscible fluids it is more accurate and often needed to use the mixing zone concept, which results from the dynamic equilibrium of flowing freshwater and brine. In this study, we consider two and three-dimensional scale approaches for the management of the mixing zone. The two-dimensional approach is used to understand the dynamics and the characteristics of the salt flat mixing zone, especially in the Salar de Atacama (Atacama salt flat) case. By making use of this model we analyze and quantify the effects of the aquitards on the mixing zone geometry. However, the understanding of the complex physical processes occurring in the salt flats and the management of these environments requires the adoption of three-dimensional regional scale numerical models. The models that take into account the effects of variable density represent the best management tool, but they require large computational resources, especially in the three-dimensional case. In order to avoid these computational limitations in the modeling of salt flats and their valuable ecosystems, we propose a three-step methodology, consisting of: (1) collection, validation and interpretation of the hydrogeochemical data, (2) identification and three-dimensional mapping of the mixing zone on the land surface and in depth, and (3) application of a water head correction to the freshwater and mixed water heads in order to compensate the density variations and to transform them to brine water heads. Finally, an evaluation of the sensibility of the mixing zone to anthropogenic and
Comparison of disposal concepts for rock salt and hard rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papp, R.

1998-01-01

The study was carried out in the period 1994-1996. The goals were to prepare a draft on spent fuel disposal in hard rock and additionally a comparison with existing disposal concepts for rock salt. A cask for direct disposal of spent fuel and a repository for hard rock including a safeguards concept were conceptually designed. The results of the study confirm, that the early German decision to employ rock salt was reasonable. (orig.)
Salt Attack on Rocks and Expansion of Soils on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Vaniman, D. T.; Bish, D. L.; Chipera, S. J.; Carey, J. W.

2004-12-01

Salt-rich sediments observed by the MER rover Opportunity at Meridiani Planum show that brines have been present on Mars in the past, but a role for groundwater in widespread rock weathering and soil formation is uncertain. Experiments by several groups suggest instead the action of acid fog over long time spans, with episodic input of volcanic gases, as a more significant agent of Mars weathering. Salt minerals formed in these acid weathering experiments consistently include gypsum and alunogen, with epsomite or hexahydrite forming where olivine provides a source of Mg. Analogous to the martian acid fog scenario are terrestrial acid rain or acid fog attacks on building and monument stone by chemical action and mechanical wedging through growth of gypsum, anhydrite, epsomite, hexahydrite, kieserite, and other sulfate minerals. Physical effects can be aggressive, operating by both primary salt growth and hydration of anhydrous or less-hydrous primary salts. In contrast, soils evolve to states where chemical attack is lessened and salt mineral growth leads to expansion with cementation; in this situation the process becomes constructive rather than destructive. We have made synthetic salt-cemented soils (duricrusts) from clays, zeolites, palagonites and other media mixed with ultrapure Mg-sulfate solutions. Although near-neutral in pH, these solutions still exchange or leach Ca from the solids to form cements containing gypsum as well as hexahydrite. At low total P (1 torr) and low RH (duricrust expands by formation of a complex mixture of Mg-sulfate phases with various hydration states. The expanded form is retained even if the duricrust is again dehydrated, suggesting that soil porosity thus formed is difficult to destroy. These processes can be considered in the context of Viking, Pathfinder, and MER evidence for differing salt components in the weathered surfaces of rocks versus duricrust-like materials in soils. The divergent chemical trends indicate that soil
Corrosion of candidate materials for canister: applications in rock salt formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azkarate, I.; Madina, V.; Barrio, A. del; Macarro, J.M.

1994-01-01

Previous corrosion studies carried out on various metallic materials in typical salt rock environments show that carbon steel and titanium alloys are the most promising candidates for canister applications in this geological formation. Although carbon steels have a low corrosion resistance, they are considered acceptable as corrosion-allowance materials for a thick walled container due to their practical immunity to the localized corrosion phenomena such as stress corrosion cracking, pitting or crevice corrosion. Aiming to improve the performances of these materials, studies on the effect of small additions of Ni and V on the general corrosion are in process. The improvement in the resistance to general corrosion should not be accompanied by a sensitivity to stress corrosion cracking. On the contrary, alfa titanium alloys are considered the most resistant materials to general corrosion in salt brines. However, pitting, are potential deficiencies of this corrosion-resistant materials for a thin walled container. (Author)

The influence of fluid-rock interaction on the rheology of salt rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spiers, C.J.; Urai, J.L; Lister, G.S.; Boland, J.N.; Zwart, H.J.

1986-01-01

This report documents work done on the rheological and dilatant properties of dry and wet salt during the period 1 November 1981 to 31 December 1983. The report opens with a review of previous evidence and theoretical models for water weakening effects in the long-term creep of salt. The programme was largely designed to look for such effects experimentally. Sections 3 and 4 describe the experimental apparatus and techniques used. Section 5 reports detailed characterization work on the experimental starting material (Speisesalz, Asse, Federal Republic of Germany). Section 6 deals with experiments on the rheological/dilatant properties of dry salt at about 20 0 C. The results show that even under worst case conditions, creep-induced dilatancy is almost completely suppressed at hydrostatic pressures > 15 MPa. Experiments on the influence of brine are reported in Sections 7 and 8. These show that small amounts of brine (e.g. 0.05 wt% - inherent or added) can cause a significant decrease in the creep strength of salt at low strain rates. This is related to a change in deformation mechanisms from dislocation glide/creep (at normal laboratory rates) to creep involving fluid-assisted recrystallization and diffusional creep (at low rates). The results imply that generally accepted creep laws for salt cannot necessarily be extrapolated to predict long-term behaviour under natural conditions
Antioxidative low molecular weight compounds in marinated herring (Clupea harengus) salt brine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gringer, Nina; Safafar, Hamed; du Mesnildot, Axelle

2016-01-01

salt brines contain LMWC holding ABTS-radical scavenging activity, reducing power and iron chelating activity. Generally, a strong correlation between TPC and ABTSradical scavenging was found. In contrast, reducing power and iron chelating activity seemed to be caused by peptides. Protein...
Geochemistry and petrology of surface samples, six boreholes and brines from the Salton Sea geothermal field: A natural analog of a nuclear waste repository in salt: Report No. 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-05-01

Cuttings from six wells in the Salton Sea geothermal field, and rocks at outcrop that are correlative in age with those encountered at depth in the wells were analyzed in detail. Mineralogy, petrography, x-ray diffraction, electron microprobe, instrumental neutron activation analysis, fission track radiography, oxygen and stable carbon isotopic, uranium-thorium series disequilibrium, and fluid inclusion analyses are reported. Where fluids were being produced from wells, brine chemistry as well as stable isotope and uranium-thorium series analyses are reported. Particular attention has been paid to defining zones of fluid-rock interaction in which analyses of coexisting geothermal reservoir brine and hydrothermally altered sediments could be acquired. A wide span of temperatures, from surficial to greater than 300/degree/C, and salinities ranging from relatively dilute ground waters up to brines of 25 wt% total dissolved solids, span a range of environments that might be encountered in a waste repository in salt. Progressive hydrothermal alteration, mineral formation and element mobility are documented in the data presented. 52 refs., 25 figs., 49 tabs
Lithium recovery from salt lake brine by H2TiO3.

Science.gov (United States)

Chitrakar, Ramesh; Makita, Yoji; Ooi, Kenta; Sonoda, Akinari

2014-06-21

The details of the ion exchange properties of layered H2TiO3, derived from the layered Li2TiO3 precursor upon treatment with HCl solution, with lithium ions in the salt lake brine (collected from Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia) are reported. The lithium adsorption rate is slow, requiring 1 d to attain equilibrium at room temperature. The adsorption of lithium ions by H2TiO3 follows the Langmuir model with an adsorptive capacity of 32.6 mg g(-1) (4.7 mmol g(-1)) at pH 6.5 from the brine containing NaHCO3 (NaHCO3 added to control the pH). The total amount of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium adsorbed from the brine was lithium ions from the brine containing competitive cations such as sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium in extremely large excess. The results indicate that the selectivity order Li(+) ≫ Na(+), K(+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+) originates from a size effect. The H2TiO3 can be regenerated and reused for lithium exchange in the brine with an exchange capacity very similar to the original H2TiO3.
The distribution of soluble radionuclide-relevant trace elements between salt minerals and saline solutions; Die Verteilung loeslicher Radionuklid-relevanter Spurenelemente zwischen Salzmineralen und salinaren Loesungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Voss, Ina

2015-07-16

The research platform ENTRIA (Disposal options for radioactive residues Interdisciplinary analyses and development of evaluation principles) includes the sub-project ''Final disposal in deep geological formations without any arrangements for retrieval''. This approach considers rock salt (beside clay and granite) as host rock formation for disposal of heat-producing long-live waste. Most rock salt formations contain Mg-rich brines derived from highly evolved sea water evaporation processes now included in the rock salt mass. If such brines get access to metal-canister corrosion will allow release of soluble nuclides to the brine. In this scenario, it cannot be excluded that contaminated brines leave the deep seated disposal area and move along geological or technical migration pathways towards the rock salt/cap rock contact. The temperature of the brine will drop from near 80 C to 25 or 30 C. The deceasing temperature of the brine causes precipitation of magnesian chloride and sulfate phase in equilibrium with the brine. In order to understand the salt precipitation and the retention mechanism of dissolved trace elements experiments have been set up which allow formation of sylvite, carnallite, kainite, and hydrous Mg-sulphates under controlled conditions. The retention capacity of crystallizing salt minerals based occurring in magnesian brine solutions at decreasing temperature within a salt dome is best measured as the distribution coefficient D. This concept assumes incorporation of trace elements into the lattice of salt minerals. The distribution coefficients of the trace elements, Rb, Cs, Co, Ni, Zn, Li and B between sylvite, carnallite, kainite, and MgSO{sub 4} phases have been determined at experimental temperatures of 25, 35, 55 and 83 C. The results clearly indicate the following range of distribution coefficients (D): Sylvite D > 1 Rb and Br, D < 1 Co, Ni, Zn, Li and B, Carnallite D > 1 Rb and Cs, D < 1 Co, Ni, Zn, Li and B, Kainite D
Synthetic Rock Analogue for Permeability Studies of Rock Salt with Mudstone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongwu Yin

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Knowledge about the permeability of surrounding rock (salt rock and mudstone interlayer is an important topic, which acts as a key parameter to characterize the tightness of gas storage. The goal of experiments that test the permeability of gas storage facilities in rock salt is to develop a synthetic analogue to use as a permeability model. To address the permeability of a mudstone/salt layered and mixed rock mass in Jintan, Jiangsu Province, synthetic mixed and layered specimens using the mudstone and the salt were fabricated for permeability testing. Because of the gas “slippage effect”, test results are corrected by the Klinkenberg method, and the permeability of specimens is obtained by regression fitting. The results show that the permeability of synthetic pure rock salt is 6.9 × 10−20 m2, and its porosity is 3.8%. The permeability of synthetic mudstone rock is 2.97 × 10−18 m2, with a porosity 17.8%. These results are close to those obtained from intact natural specimens. We also find that with the same mudstone content, the permeability of mixed specimens is about 40% higher than for the layered specimens, and with an increase in the mudstone content, the Klinkenberg permeability increases for both types of specimens. The permeability and mudstone content have a strong exponential relationship. When the mudstone content is below 40%, the permeability increases only slightly with mudstone content, whereas above this threshold, the permeability increases rapidly with mudstone content. The results of the study are of use in the assessment of the tightness of natural gas storage facilities in mudstone-rich rock salt formations in China.
Corrosion testing of selected packaging materials for disposal of high-level waste glass in rock salt formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smailos, E.; Schwarzkopf, W.; Koester, R.; Fiehn, B.; Halm, G.

1990-05-01

In previous corrosion studies performed in salt brines, unalloyed steels, Ti 99.8-Pd and Hastelloy C4 have proved to be the most promising materials for long-term resistant packagings to be used in heat-generating waste (vitrified HLW, spent fuel) disposal in rock-salt formations. To characterise the corrosion behaviour of these materials in more detail, further in-depth laboratory-scale and in-situ corrosion studies have been performed in the present study. Besides the above-mentioned materials, also some in-situ investigations of the iron-base materials Ni-Resist D2 and D4, cast iron and Si-cast iron have been carried out in order to complete the results available to date. (orig.) [de
Modeling Coupled THMC Processes and Brine Migration in Salt at High Temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rutqvist, Jonny; Blanco Martin, Laura; Mukhopadhyay, Sumit; Houseworth, Jim; Birkholzer, Jens

2014-08-14

In this report, we present FY2014 progress by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) related to modeling of coupled thermal-hydrological-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in salt and their effect on brine migration at high temperatures. LBNL’s work on the modeling of coupled THMC processes in salt was initiated in FY2012, focusing on exploring and demonstrating the capabilities of an existing LBNL modeling tool (TOUGH-FLAC) for simulating temperature-driven coupled flow and geomechanical processes in salt. This work includes development related to, and implementation of, essential capabilities, as well as testing the model against relevant information and published experimental data related to the fate and transport of water. we provide more details on the FY2014 work, first presenting updated tools and improvements made to the TOUGH-FLAC simulator, and the use of this updated tool in a new model simulation of long-term THM behavior within a generic repository in a salt formation. This is followed by the description of current benchmarking and validations efforts, including the TSDE experiment. We then present the current status in the development of constitutive relationships and the dual-continuum model for brine migration. We conclude with an outlook for FY2015, which will be much focused on model validation against field experiments and on the use of the model for the design studies related to a proposed heater experiment.
Characteristics of dry- and brine-salted salmon later treated with liquid smoke flavouring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. MARTINEZ

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The use of smoke flavourings for the processing of salmon has begun to substitute traditional smoking methods. This review examines the quality issues associated with salted salmon smoked by this technique along the salting and smoking steps. Firstly, the evidence is examined to determine whether dry or brine salting is better for salmon flesh destined to be treated by liquid smoking. Secondly, influence of liquid smoking on the sensorial, physicochemical and textural characteristics of the flesh are described, as are its effects on potential spoilage organisms.;
Monitoring of Miit glass solution interactions by brine analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sassoon, R.E.; Gong, M.; Adel-Hadadi, M.; Brandys, M.; Barkatt, A.; Macedo, P.B.

1989-01-01

Analyses of brine samples taken from borehole MIIT=8 at the WIPP site were carried out in order to study the leaching behavior of the brine in this system. The standard addition method was used with the analytical techniques of AA, DCP and ICP-MS to determine the concentration of the components in the brine. The changes in the concentration of the major components, Na, Mg and K can be explained by reactions of the brine with the rock salt walls of the borehole. From the data obtained for the other components no leaching of the SRL-Y glass discs in the test could be observed. It was however possible to determine an upper limit for leaching of the glass from isotope ratio studies made on Li which yielded a value for the leach rate of lithium from the glass of 0.117 g m -2 d -1
Electrochemical corrosion studies of the TStE 355 fine-grained structural steel in sulfide containing brine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farvaque-Bera, A.M.; Berg, H. von.

1994-04-01

Previous corrosion studies have shown that the unalloyed fine-grained steel TStE 355 (Material No. 1.0566) is a promising material for the manufacturing of long-lived high-level waste (HLW) containers that could act as a barrier in a rock-salt repository. Considering this fact, further electrochemical corrosion tests were performed in order to determine the influence of sulfide ions (1 -200 ppm), present as salt impurities in disposal relevant NaCl-brine (T = 55 -90 C), on the corrosion behaviour of this steel grade. For comparison, tests were carried out in the sulfide-free brine, too. (orig.) [de
On the physico-chemical characteristics of brines

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Shirodkar, P.V.; Rao, P.V.S.S.D.P.; Singbal, S.Y.S.

Analyses of the natural brines form the salt lakes, salt pans and the artificial brines obtained after the solar desalination of seawater respectively, showed wide differences in their physico-chemical characteristics. The natural brines are markEd...
Mechanism of groundwater inrush hazard caused by solution mining in a multilayered rock-salt-mining area: a case study in Tongbai, China

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Bin; Shi, Tingting; Chen, Zhihua; Xiang, Liu; Xiang, Shaopeng; Yang, Muyi

2018-01-01

The solution mining of salt mineral resources may contaminate groundwater and lead to water inrush out of the ground due to brine leakage. Through the example of a serious groundwater inrush hazard in a large salt-mining area in Tongbai County, China, this study mainly aims to analyse the source and channel of the inrushing water. The mining area has three different types of ore beds including trona (trisodium hydrogendicarbonate dihydrate, also sodium sesquicarbonate dihydrate, with the formula Na2CO3 × NaHCO3 × 2H2O, it is a non-marine evaporite mineral), glauber (sodium sulfate, it is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2SO4 as well as several related hydrates) and gypsum (a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with chemical formula CaSO4 × 2H2O). Based on characterisation of the geological and hydrogeological conditions, the hydrochemical data of the groundwater at different points and depths were used to analyse the pollution source and the pollutant component from single or mixed brine by using physical-chemical reaction principle analysis and hydrogeochemical simulation method. Finally, a possible brine leakage connecting the channel to the ground was discussed from both the geological and artificial perspectives. The results reveal that the brine from the trona mine is the major pollution source; there is a NW-SE fissure zone controlled by the geological structure that provides the main channels through which brine can flow into the aquifer around the water inrush regions, with a large number of waste gypsum exploration boreholes channelling the polluted groundwater inrush out of the ground. This research can be a valuable reference for avoiding and assessing groundwater inrush hazards in similar rock-salt-mining areas, which is advantageous for both groundwater quality protection and public health.
Brine migration test performed in the older Halite Na2β formation at the Asse salt mine. Temperature-test field No4(TTF4)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothfuchs, T.; Schwarzianek, P.; Feddersen, H.

1984-01-01

A so-called brine migration test was performed in the Older Halite Na2β formation at the Asse salt mine. The test was designed to investigate the rate of thermally induced brine or crystalline water release into a heated borehole. The heat source simulates heat-producing high level radioactive waste. As a heat source a heater of 5,4 m length and 200 mm diameter was used in a 15 m deep vertical borehole. The initial heater power was 9000 Watt. Due to corrosion the heater power decreased during the experiment. The following measuring results were obtained: maximum salt temperature on heating day 137 = 280 0 C; average temperature gradient at the borehole wall on heating day 137 = 49 0 C/7,5 cm; accumulated water release on heating day 688 = 3386 g; pH-value of the condensate in the cool trap = 3; analysis of the borehole atmosphere: - no Cl 2 , SO 2 , HCl, H 2 S; - O 2 max 4%, CO max 0,3%, CO 2 max 12% and CH 4 max 1,3%. In addition to the investigation of the borehole atmosphere measurements of the local principle stresses and of the rock deformations were performed
Zechstein salt Denmark. Vol. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyngsie Jacobsen, F.; Soenderholm, M.; Springer, N.; Gutzon Larsen, J.; Lagoni, P.; Fabricius, J.

1984-01-01

The Salt Research Project EFP-81 has mainly been aiming upon an elucidation of the stratigraphy of the Danish Zechstein evaporites. Also an attempt to clarify the connection between the fabric and the strength of the strongly deformed domal rock salt is performed. The unravelling of the stratigraphy is carried out by means of renewed interpretations of new and old data from all the wells drilling in the Danish Permian basin in connection with a revaluation of the core descriptions. By means of trace elements analysis it is possible to some extent to distinguish between Zestein 1 and 2 ''grey salt''. A description of the transition zone between Zechstein 1 and 2 is carried out. New methods of fabric analyses are introduced and the strength measurements of the rock salt are treated statistically in connection with new defined rock salt parameters. An investigation of fluid inclusions in halite and quartz crystals from dome salt has resulted in the determination of salinity and chemical composition of the brines present in the salt. Temperatures and corresponding pressures during the evolution of the salt pillow and salt dome have been established. The dehydration conditions of natural carnallite in situ are clarified. (author)
Establishment of a permeability/porosity equation for salt grit and damming materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fein, E.; Mueller-Lyda, I.; Storck, R.

1996-09-01

The flow resistance of stowing and sealing materials hinder the transport of brines in an ultimate storage site in salt rock strata. This effect can be seen when brines flow into the storage areas and when contaminated brines are pressed out of the underground structure. The main variable determining flow resistance is permeability. The convergence process induced by rock pressure reduces the size of the available residual cavern and also the permeability of the stowing and sealing materials. In the long-term safety analyses carried out so far, the interdependence between porosity and permeability in the case of salt grit was commonly described by a power function. The present investigation uses the data available until the end of 1994 to derive an improved relation between permeability and porosity for salt grit stowing material. The results obtained show that the power function used until now is still applicable with only a slight modification of parameters. In addition, the statistical distribution functions of the correlated parameters of the permeability/porosity relation were determined for the first time for a probabilistic safety analysis. (orig./DG) [de
Environmental impacts of oil and gas brine applications for dust and ice control in New York : final report.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-04-01

Transportation agencies are required to treat roads for dust and ice control to ensure adequate safety for travelers. This is commonly achieved through application of solid and liquid chemicals. These materials can be conventional rock salt, brine fr...
Salton Sea geothermal field as a natural analog for the near-field in a salt high-level nuclear waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elders, W.A.; Moody, J.B.; Battelle Memorial Inst., Columbus, OH)

1984-01-01

The Salton Sea Geothermal Field (SSGF), on the delta of the Colorado River in southern California, is being studied as a natural analog for the near-field environment of proposed nuclear waste repositories in salt. A combination of mineralogical and geochemical methods is being employed to develop a three-dimenisonal picture of temperature, salinity, lithology, mineralogy, and chemistry of reactions between the reservoir rocks and the hot brines. Our aim is to obtain quantitative data on mineral stabilities and on mobilities of the naturally occurring radionuclides of concern in Commercial High-Level Waste (CHLW). These data will be used to validate the EQ3/6 geochemical code under development to model the salt near-field repository behavior. Maximum temperatures encountered in wells in the SSGF equal or exceed peak temperatures expected in a salt repository. Brines produced from these wells have major element chemistry similar to brines from candidate salt sites. Relative to the rocks, these brines are enriched in Na, Mn, Sr, Ra, and Po, depleted in Ba, Si, Mg, Ti, and Al, and strongly depleted in U and Th. However, the unaltered rocks contain only about 2 to 3 ppm of U and 4 to 12 ppm of Th, largely in detrital epidotes and zircons. Samples of hydrothermally altered rocks from a wide range of temperature and salinity show rather similar uniform low concentrations of these elements, even when authigenic illite, chlorite, ipidote and feldspar are present. These observations suggest that U and Th are relatively immobile in these hot brines. However, Ra, Po, Cs, and Sr are relatively mobile. Work is continuing to document naturally occurring radionuclide partitioning between SSGF minears and brine over a range of temperature, salinity, and lithology. 8 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs
In-situ fracture mapping using geotomography and brine tracers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deadrick, F.J.; Ramirez, A.L.; Lytle, R.J.

1981-01-01

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is currently assessing the capabilities of high resolution geophysical methods to characterize geologic sites for the disposal of high level nuclear waste. A successful experiment has recently been performed in which salt water tracers and high frequency electromagnetic waves were utilized to map rock mass fracture zones in-situ. Multiple cross-borehole EM transmissions were used to generate a tomographic image of the fractured rock region between two boreholes. The tomographs obtained correlate well with conventional wireline geophysical logs which can be used to infer the location of fractured zones in the rock mass. This indirect data suggests that the geotomography and brine tracer technique may have merit in mapping fractured zones between boreholes
Model calculations of stresses and deformations in rock salt in the near field of heated borehols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pudewills, A.

1984-08-01

With the help of the finite element computer code ADINA thermally induced borehole closure and stress distribution in the salt were investigated by the example of the 'Temperature Test 3' performed in the Asse mine during which the temperature and the borehole closure were measured. The aim of the calculations has been the assessment of the capabilities of the ADINA code to solve complex thermomechanical problems and to verify the available thermomechanical material laws for rock salt. In these computations the modulus of elasticity and the creep law of salt were varied in order to assess the influence exerted by these material parameters. The computed borehole closures are in good agreement with the measured data. In second part the model computations of thermomechanical phenomena around a 300 m deep borehole are presented for a HLW repository with and without brine, respectively. The finite element investigations are carried out for a periodical and symmetrical disposal field configuration with an equivalent radius of 28 m of the cylindrical unit cell. The initial state of stress was assumed to be lithostatic. A hydrostatic fluid pressure of 12 MPa was chosen for the case of accidental flooding of the repository field shortly after emplacement of the waste canisters. The essential results of this thermomechanical analysis are the borehole closure and the stresses in rock salt in the near field of the repository borehole. (orig./HP) [de

Evaporative crystallization of salts from Electrodialysis concentrated brine at atmospheric and subatmospheric pressures

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dong; Du, Wei; Cheng, Penggao; Tang, Na; Wang, Xuekui

2018-02-01

A large amount of concentrated brine was produced as by-product during the process of the electrodialysis seawater desalination. In this study, the crystallization sequences of different salts from the brine through evaporative crystallization at both atmospheric and subatmospheric pressures were investigated in detail. The profile of the boiling temperature with density and the relationship between the boiling temperature and the pressure were recorded. The combination of Powder X-Ray Diffraction and the polarizing microscope was employed to identify the salts in the solid form. It can be inferred that NaCl crystallized out firstly and then MgSO4·6H2O and CaSO4 precipitate in order at both atmospheric and subatmospheric pressures, and it should be noticed that CaSO4 crystallized as anhydrate at 70°C and 90°C while as dihydrate at 50°C. At the end of all the experiments the precipitation rates of CaSO4 and NaCl have reached to more than 95% while MgSO4 only reached to about 60%.
Design calculations for a combined ventilation and brine injection experiment at the Grimsel Rock Laboratory, Switzerland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finsterle, S.; Pruess, K.

1993-07-01

A combined ventilation and brine injection test is planned at the Grimsel Test Site. The objective of the experiment is to study the transport of liquid and gas in the vicinity of a ventilated drift in order to evaluate the impact of the drying process on the characterization of the rock matrix. The proposed test sequence includes a desaturation-resaturation cycle. In addition, brine and fresh water will be injected from a borehole as trace electrolytes in order to better track the propagation of the individual phases. Results of design calculations using the TOUGH2 code show that injection of brine may significantly influence the unsaturated flow behavior by changing the pressure and saturation distribution around the borehole. Transport velocity is predicted to be very slow, requiring several months for the brine to reach the draft wall. However, the presence of preferential flow paths may reduce travel time and alter brine content and saturation distribution so that certain sensors may respond earlier or not at all
Sulphate removal from sodium sulphate-rich brine and recovery of barium as a barium salt mixture.

Science.gov (United States)

Vadapalli, Viswanath R K; Zvimba, John N; Mulopo, Jean; Motaung, Solly

2013-01-01

Sulphate removal from sodium sulphate-rich brine using barium hydroxide and recovery of the barium salts has been investigated. The sodium sulphate-rich brine treated with different dosages of barium hydroxide to precipitate barium sulphate showed sulphate removal from 13.5 g/L to less than 400 mg/L over 60 min using a barium to sulphate molar ratio of 1.1. The thermal conversion of precipitated barium sulphate to barium sulphide achieved a conversion yield of 85% using coal as both a reducing agent and an energy source. The recovery of a pure mixture of barium salts from barium sulphide, which involved dissolution of barium sulphide and reaction with ammonium hydroxide resulted in recovery of a mixture of barium carbonate (62%) and barium hydroxide (38%), which is a critical input raw material for barium salts based acid mine drainage (AMD) desalination technologies. Under alkaline conditions of this barium salt mixture recovery process, ammonia gas is given off, while hydrogen sulfide is retained in solution as bisulfide species, and this provides basis for ammonium hydroxide separation and recovery for reuse, with hydrogen sulfide also recoverable for further industrial applications such as sulfur production by subsequent stripping.
Radiation chemistry of salt-mine brines and hydrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenks, G.H.; Walton, J.R.; Bronstein, H.R.; Baes, C.F. Jr.

1981-07-01

Certain aspects of the radiation chemistry of NaCl-saturated MgCl 2 solutions and MgCl 2 hydrates at temperatures in the range of 30 to 180 0 C were investigated through experiments. A principal objective was to establish the values for the yields of H 2 [G(H 2 )] and accompanying oxidants in the gamma-ray radiolysis of concentrated brines that might occur in waste repositories in salt. We concluded that G(H 2 ) from gamma-irradiated brine solution into a simultaneously irradiated, deaerated atmosphere above the solution is between 0.48 and 0.49 over most of the range 30 to 143 0 C. The yield is probably somewhat lower at the lower end of this range, averaging 0.44 at 30 to 45 0 C. Changes in the relative amounts of MgCl 2 and NaCl in the NaCl-saturated solutions have negligible effects on the yield. The yield of O 2 into the same atmosphere averages 0.13, independent of the temperature and brine composition, showing that only about 50% of the radiolytic oxidant that was formed along with the H 2 was present as O 2 . We did not identify the species that compose the remainder of the oxidant. We concluded that the yield of H 2 from a gamma-irradiated brine solution into a simultaneously irradiated atmosphere containing 5 to 8% air in He may be greater than the yield in deaerated systems by amounts ranging from 0% for temperatures of 73 to 85 0 C, to about 30 and 40% for temperatures in the ranges 100 to 143 0 C and 30 to 45 0 C, respectively. We did not establish the mechanism whereby the air affected the yields of H 2 and O 2 . The values found in this work for G(H 2 ) in deaerated systems are in approximate agreement with the value of 0.44 for the gamma-irradiation yield of H 2 in pure H 2 O at room temperature. They are also in agreement with the values predicted by extrapolation from the findings of previous researchers for the value for G(H 2 ) in 2 M NaCl solutions at room temperature
Oil exudation and histological structures of duck egg yolks during brining.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, K M; Chung, W H; Jao, C L; Hsu, K C

2010-04-01

Changes in oil exudation and histological structures of salted duck egg yolks during brining up to 5 wk were investigated. During brining, the salt contents of albumen, exterior yolk (hardened portion), and interior yolk (soft or liquid portion) gradually increased accompanied by slight decreases in moisture content. The hardening ratio of salted egg yolks increased rapidly to about 60% during the first week of brining and then reached 100% at the end of brining. After brining, part of the lipids in salted egg yolk became free due to the structural changes of low-density lipoprotein induced by dehydration and increase of salt content, and more free lipids in salted egg yolk were released after the cooking process. With the brining time increased up to 5 wk, the outer region of the cooked salted yolk gradually changed into dark brown, brown, orange, and then dark brown, whereas the center region changed into light yellow, yellow, dark yellow, and then yellow again. The microstructures of cooked salted egg yolks showed that the yolk spheres in the outer and middle regions retained their original shape, with some shrinking and being packed more loosely when brining time increased, and the exuded oil filled the space between the spheres. Furthermore, the yolk spheres in the center region transformed to a round shape but still showed granulation after 4 wk of brining, whereas they were mostly disrupted after 2 to 5 wk of brining. One of the most important characteristics of cooked salted egg yolks, gritty texture, contributed to oil exudation and granulated yolk spheres were observed at the brining time of 4 wk.
Chemical analysis of the Assale (Ethiopia) rock salt deposit | Binega ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

contaminants) elements found in the Assale (Ethiopia) rock salt. The results showed that the rock salt is found to be the best natural common salt. This was proved by comparison with the chemical requirement and trace elements in common ...
Mechanism of groundwater inrush hazard caused by solution mining in a multilayered rock-salt-mining area: a case study in Tongbai, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Zeng

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The solution mining of salt mineral resources may contaminate groundwater and lead to water inrush out of the ground due to brine leakage. Through the example of a serious groundwater inrush hazard in a large salt-mining area in Tongbai County, China, this study mainly aims to analyse the source and channel of the inrushing water. The mining area has three different types of ore beds including trona (trisodium hydrogendicarbonate dihydrate, also sodium sesquicarbonate dihydrate, with the formula Na2CO3  ×  NaHCO3  ×  2H2O, it is a non-marine evaporite mineral, glauber (sodium sulfate, it is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2SO4 as well as several related hydrates and gypsum (a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with chemical formula CaSO4  ×  2H2O. Based on characterisation of the geological and hydrogeological conditions, the hydrochemical data of the groundwater at different points and depths were used to analyse the pollution source and the pollutant component from single or mixed brine by using physical–chemical reaction principle analysis and hydrogeochemical simulation method. Finally, a possible brine leakage connecting the channel to the ground was discussed from both the geological and artificial perspectives. The results reveal that the brine from the trona mine is the major pollution source; there is a NW–SE fissure zone controlled by the geological structure that provides the main channels through which brine can flow into the aquifer around the water inrush regions, with a large number of waste gypsum exploration boreholes channelling the polluted groundwater inrush out of the ground. This research can be a valuable reference for avoiding and assessing groundwater inrush hazards in similar rock-salt-mining areas, which is advantageous for both groundwater quality protection and public health.
Jarosite dissolution rates in perchlorate brine

Science.gov (United States)

Legett, Carey; Pritchett, Brittany N.; Elwood Madden, Andrew S.; Phillips-Lander, Charity M.; Elwood Madden, Megan E.

2018-02-01

Perchlorate salts and the ferric sulfate mineral jarosite have been detected at multiple locations on Mars by both landed instruments and orbiting spectrometers. Many perchlorate brines have eutectic temperatures bearing rocks and sediments may have been altered by perchlorate brines. Here we measured jarosite dissolution rates in 2 M sodium perchlorate brine as well as dilute water at 298 K to determine the effects of perchlorate anions on jarosite dissolution rates and potential reaction products. We developed a simple method for determining aqueous iron concentrations in high salinity perchlorate solutions using ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry that eliminates the risk of rapid oxidation reactions during analyses. Jarosite dissolution rates in 2 M perchlorate brine determined by iron release rate (2.87 × 10-12 ±0.85 × 10-12 mol m-2 s-1) were slightly slower than the jarosite dissolution rate measured in ultrapure (18.2 MΩ cm-1) water (5.06 × 10-12 mol m-2 s-1) using identical methods. No additional secondary phases were observed in XRD analyses of the reaction products. The observed decrease in dissolution rate may be due to lower activity of water (ɑH2O = 0.9) in the 2 M NaClO4 brine compared with ultrapure water (ɑH2O = 1). This suggests that the perchlorate anion does not facilitate iron release, unlike chloride anions which accelerated Fe release rates in previously reported jarosite and hematite dissolution experiments. Since dissolution rates are slower in perchlorate-rich solutions, jarosite is expected to persist longer in perchlorate brines than in dilute waters or chloride-rich brines. Therefore, if perchlorate brines dominate aqueous fluids on the surface of Mars, jarosite may remain preserved over extended periods of time, despite active aqueous processes.
3D mapping, hydrodynamics and modelling of the freshwater-brine mixing zone in salt flats similar to the Salar de Atacama (Chile)

Science.gov (United States)

Marazuela, M. A.; Vázquez-Suñé, E.; Custodio, E.; Palma, T.; García-Gil, A.; Ayora, C.

2018-06-01

Salt flat brines are a major source of minerals and especially lithium. Moreover, valuable wetlands with delicate ecologies are also commonly present at the margins of salt flats. Therefore, the efficient and sustainable exploitation of the brines they contain requires detailed knowledge about the hydrogeology of the system. A critical issue is the freshwater-brine mixing zone, which develops as a result of the mass balance between the recharged freshwater and the evaporating brine. The complex processes occurring in salt flats require a three-dimensional (3D) approach to assess the mixing zone geometry. In this study, a 3D map of the mixing zone in a salt flat is presented, using the Salar de Atacama as an example. This mapping procedure is proposed as the basis of computationally efficient three-dimensional numerical models, provided that the hydraulic heads of freshwater and mixed waters are corrected based on their density variations to convert them into brine heads. After this correction, the locations of lagoons and wetlands that are characteristic of the marginal zones of the salt flats coincide with the regional minimum water (brine) heads. The different morphologies of the mixing zone resulting from this 3D mapping have been interpreted using a two-dimensional (2D) flow and transport numerical model of an idealized cross-section of the mixing zone. The result of the model shows a slope of the mixing zone that is similar to that obtained by 3D mapping and lower than in previous models. To explain this geometry, the 2D model was used to evaluate the effects of heterogeneity in the mixing zone geometry. The higher the permeability of the upper aquifer is, the lower the slope and the shallower the mixing zone become. This occurs because most of the freshwater lateral recharge flows through the upper aquifer due to its much higher transmissivity, thus reducing the freshwater head. The presence of a few meters of highly permeable materials in the upper part of
Radiation effects in rock salt. A status report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gies, H.; Hild, W.; Kuehle, T.; Moenig, J.

1994-01-01

Knowledge of the irradiation defects and the accompanying energy storage in rock salt resulting from the absorption of ionizing radiation emitted by vitrified high level radioactive waste (HLW) disposed off in geological rock salt formations in an important prerequisite for a realistic assessment of possible consequences. Based on a critical review of the scientific status this report attempts to evaluate whether the available database is satisfactory and sufficiently reliable for the performance of such an assessment. Apart from a brief description of the radiation-and temperature-conditions prevailing in a HLW-repository, a detailed presentation is given of both the interaction of radiation with rock salt and the theories and models developed for their quantification
Salt resistance genes revealed by functional metagenomics from brines and moderate-salinity rhizosphere within a hypersaline environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvador eMirete

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Hypersaline environments are considered one of the most extreme habitats on earth and microorganisms have developed diverse molecular mechanisms of adaptation to withstand these conditions. The present study was aimed at identifying novel genes involved in salt resistance from the microbial communities of brines and the rhizosphere from the Es Trenc saltern (Mallorca, Spain. The microbial diversity assessed by pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene libraries revealed the presence of communities that are typical in such environments. Metagenomic libraries from brine and rhizosphere samples, were transferred to the osmosensitive strain Escherichia coli MKH13, and screened for salt resistance. As a result, eleven genes that conferred salt resistance were identified, some encoding for well known proteins previously related to osmoadaptation as a glycerol and a proton pump, whereas others encoded for proteins not previously related to this function in microorganisms as DNA/RNA helicases, an endonuclease III (Nth and hypothetical proteins of unknown function. Furthermore, four of the retrieved genes were cloned and expressed in Bacillus subtilis and they also exhibited salt resistance in this bacterium, broadening the spectrum of bacterial species where these genes can operate. This is the first report of salt resistance genes recovered from metagenomes of a hypersaline environment.
Assessment of Contaminated Brine Fate and Transport in MB139 at WIPP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuhlman, Kristopher L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Applied Systems Analysis and Research Dept.; Malama, Bwalya [Sandia National Lab., Carlsbad, NM (United States). Performance Assessment Dept.

2014-07-01

Following the radionuclide release event of February 14, 2014 at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), actinide contamination has been found on the walls and floor in Panel 7 as a result of a release in Room 7 of Panel 7. It has been proposed to decontaminate Panel 7 at the WIPP by washing contaminated surfaces in the underground with fresh water. A cost-effective cleanup of this contamination would allow for a timely return to waste disposal operations at WIPP. It is expected that the fresh water used to decontaminate Panel 7 will flow as contaminated brine down into the porosity of the materials under the floor – the run-of-mine (ROM) salt above Marker Bed 139 (MB139) and MB139 itself – where its fate will be controlled by the hydraulic and transport properties of MB139. Due to the structural dip of MB139, it is unlikely that this brine would migrate northward towards the Waste-Handling Shaft sump. A few strategically placed shallow small-diameter observation boreholes straddling MB139 would allow for monitoring the flow and fate of this brine after decontamination. Additionally, given that flow through the compacted ROM salt floor and in MB139 would occur under unsaturated (or two-phase) conditions, there is a need to measure the unsaturated flow properties of crushed WIPP salt and salt from the disturbed rock zone (DRZ).
Ice Control with Brine on Highways

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bolet, Lars

traffic flow the spread rate of pure sodium chloride (and thus the environmental impact) in the pre-salting operations was cut back by more than one third. Compared to neighbouring counties the use of salt is less than fifty percent per square meter. In addition, supply of brine from two mixer...... of interpreting this information. The improvements gained by the county of Funen were mainly due to the use of technologies (brine spreading with nozzles) giving a more precise spread pattern than the traditional gritting of pre-wetted salt. Major challenges in the process have been to verify the higher quality...... of the nozzles spread pattern, to ensure maximum utilization of volume of brine carried by the spreading vehicles and to control the mixing of brine without getting stratification in the mixture. Moreover, of course, to ensure political approval of abandoning a well-served technology and to organize...
Geochemistry of Salado formation brines recovered from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abitz, R.; Myers, J.; Drez, P.; Deal, D.

1990-01-01

Intergranular brines recovered from the repository horizon of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) have major- and trace-element compositions that reflect seawater evaporation and diagenetic processes. Brines obtained from repository drill holes are heterogeneous with respect to composition but their compositional fields are distinct from those obtained from fluid inclusions in WIPP halite. The heterogeneity of brine compositions within the drill-hole population indicates a lack of mixing and fluid homogenization within the salt at the repository level. Compositional differences between intergranular (drill hole) and intragranular (fluid inclusions) brines is attributed to isolation of the latter from diagenetic fluids that were produced from dehydration reactions involving gypsum and clay minerals. Modeling of brine-rock equilibria indicates that equilibration with evaporite minerals controls the concentrations of major elements in the brine. Drill-hole brines are in equilibrium with the observed repository minerals halite, anhydrite, magnesite, polyhalite and quartz. The equilibrium model supports the derivation of drill-hole brines from near-field fluid, rather than large-scale vertical migration of fluids from the overlying Rustler or underlying Castile Formations. 13 refs., 6 figs., 6 tabs
Geochemistry of Salado Formation brines recovered from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abitz, R.; Myers, J.; Drez, P.; Deal, D.

1990-01-01

Intergranular brines recovered from the repository horizon of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) have major- and trace-element compositions that reflect seawater evaporation and diagenetic processes. Brines obtained from repository drill holes are heterogenous with respect to composition, but their compositional fields are distinct from those obtained from fluid inclusions in WIPP halite. The heterogeneity of brine compositions within the drill-hole population indicates a lack of mixing and fluid homogenization within the salt at the repository level. Compositional differences between intergranular (drill hole) and intragranular (fluid inclusions) brines is attributed to isolation of the latter from diagenetic fluids that were produced from dehydration reactions involving gypsum and clay minerals. Modeling of brine-rock equilibria indicates that equilibration with evaporite minerals controls the concentrations of major elements in the brine. Drill-hole brines are in equilibrium with the observed repository minerals halite, anhydrite, magnesite, polyhalite and quartz. The equilibrium model supports the derivation of drill-hole brines from near-field fluid, rather than large-scale vertical migration of fluids from the overlying Rustler or underlying Castile Formations. 13 refs., 6 figs., 6 tabs
Geochemical evaluation of flowback brine from Marcellus gas wells in Pennsylvania, USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haluszczak, Lara O.; Rose, Arthur W.; Kump, Lee R.

2013-01-01

Large quantities of highly saline brine flow from gas wells in the Marcellus Formation after hydraulic stimulation (“fracking”). This study assesses the composition of these flowback waters from the Marcellus shale in Pennsylvania, USA. Concentrations of most inorganic components of flowback water (Cl, Br, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Sr, Ba, Ra, Fe, Mn, total dissolved solids, and others) increase with time from a well after hydraulic stimulation. Based on results in several datasets reported here, the greatest concentration of Cl − in flowback water is 151,000 mg/L. For total Ra (combined 226 Ra and 228 Ra) in flowback, the highest level reported is 6540 pCi/L. Flowback waters from hydraulic fracturing of Marcellus wells resemble brines produced from conventional gas wells that tap into other Paleozoic formations in the region. The Br/Cl ratio and other parameters indicate that both types of brine formed by the evaporation of seawater followed by dolomitization, sulfate reduction and subsurface mixing with seawater and/or freshwater. Trends and relationships in brine composition indicate that (1) increased salt concentration in flowback is not mainly caused by dissolution of salt or other minerals in rock units, (2) the flowback waters represent a mixture of injection waters with highly concentrated in situ brines similar to those in the other formations, and (3) these waters contain concentrations of Ra and Ba that are commonly hundreds of times the US drinking water standards.
Geotechnical investigations on backfill materials in the Asse salt mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kappei, G.

1986-01-01

The compression behaviour of rock salt grit is being investigated by compression tests at the Asse salt mine. The various test parameters are introduced and their results are discussed. The permeability of rock salt grit with saturated NaCl-brine in dependency upon the grain size and compactness, resp. the porosity, is being determined at the Asse salt mine. The test equipment and the results determined here are shown. In addition to laboratory tests, geotechnical investigations are taking place in a carnallitic chamber of the Asse salt mine which had been backfilled in earlier years. They chiefly concern measurements of the deformation rates in drifts - which were mined between the chambers in remaining pillars - as well as horizontal deformation measurements in the backfilling. (orig./DG)
Improvements of Spiers model for compaction creep of crushed rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poley, A.D.

1996-10-01

This report describes a number of improvements to the existing model for the process of compaction creep of rock salt developed by Spiers and co-workers. The process of compaction creep determines the behaviour of the seals of crushed rock salt, the last engineered barriers of a repository in rock salt for (radioactive) wastes. In Chapter 2 the derivation of the original model of Spiers and co-workers is followed except for some simplifying approximations. A comparison of the model results is made with experimental data and a number of model adjustments are suggested. In Chapter 3 one of these suggested model adjustments is explored, and an alternative model is developed. The results obtained with this model compare favourably with the experimental data without the use of adjustable shape functions as for the original model. Preliminary investigations of the impact of the new model on estimated releases to the geosphere of radionuclides form a repository in rock salt revealed striking differences: with the new model the compaction of the rock salt seals was so rapid that no releases could occur. The striking differences between the results - in terms of releases form a rock salt repository to the geosphere after groundwater intrusion - obtained using the two models clearly indicate the need for further experimental research into the end-compaction behaviour of rock salt backfill. (orig.)
Transport of radionuclides by concentrated brine in a porous medium with micropore-macropore structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassanizadeh, S.M.

1987-01-01

This work concerns itself with the study of effects of soil aggregation and high salt concentrations on the transport of radionuclides by concentrated brine flowing through an aggregated porous medium. The medium is considered to be composed of porous rock aggregates separated by macropores through which the brine flows and transport of salt and radionuclides takes place. The aggregates contain dead-end pores, cracks, and stationary pockets collectively called micropores. The micropore space does not contribute to the flow, but it serves as a storage for salt and radionuclides. Adsorption of radionuclides takes place at internal surfaces of aggregates where they assume that a linear equilibrium isotherm describes the process. A one-dimensional numerical model is developed which is based on two sets of equations: one set for the flow and transport of salt and another set for transport of radionuclides. Results of numerical experiments clearly indicate that the existence of high salt concentrations markedly reduces the peak of nuclides concentration and slows down their movement. Also, it is found that diffusive mass exchange between macropores and aggregates results in a pronounced lowering of the radionuclides concentration peaks. 9 references, 7 figures
Possible origin, nature, extent and tectomic position of joints and fracture in salt formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiss, H.M.

1984-01-01

The evaluation of about 500 bibliographic references for the safe ultimate storage in salt leds to the following results: fractures in rock salt and potash salt are formed in all types of storage, fractures are less numerous in a vertical storage than in a horizontal storage, nevertheless fissures are found in salt fomations containing liquids or gas undergoing rock pressures, fractures can be created during salt formation. Datation of formations by geologic methods and K-Ar method are considered. Deep formations (about 300m) are liquid and gas-tight, if homogenous and non perturbated. In all German permian formations are found indications of brine accumulation along fractures and tectonic zones

Self-Healing Characteristics of Damaged Rock Salt under Different Healing Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Li

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Salt deposits are commonly regarded as ideal hosts for geologic energy reservoirs. Underground cavern construction-induced damage in salt is reduced by self-healing. Thus, studying the influencing factors on such healing processes is important. This research uses ultrasonic technology to monitor the longitudinal wave velocity variations of stress-damaged rock salts during self-recovery experiments under different recovery conditions. The influences of stress-induced initial damage, temperature, humidity, and oil on the self-recovery of damaged rock salts are analyzed. The wave velocity values of the damaged rock salts increase rapidly during the first 200 h of recovery, and the values gradually increase toward stabilization after 600 h. The recovery of damaged rock salts is subjected to higher initial damage stress. Water is important in damage recovery. The increase in temperature improves damage recovery when water is abundant, but hinders recovery when water evaporates. The presence of residual hydraulic oil blocks the inter-granular role of water and restrains the recovery under triaxial compression. The results indicate that rock salt damage recovery is related to the damage degree, pore pressure, temperature, humidity, and presence of oil due to the sealing integrity of the jacket material.
Hydrologic environment of the Silurian salt deposits in parts of Michigan, Ohio, and New York

Science.gov (United States)

Norris, Stanley E.

1978-01-01

The aggregate thickness of evaporites (salt, gypsum, and anhydrite) in the Silurian Salina sequence in Michigan exceeds 1200 feet in areas near the periphery of the Michigan basin, where the salt beds are less than 3000 feet below land surface. In northeast Ohio the aggregate thickness of salt beds is as much as 200 feet in places, and in western New York it is more than 500 feet, where th beds are less than 3000 feet deep. The salt-bearing rocks dip regionally on the order of 50 feet per mile; those in Michigan dip toward the center of the Michigan basin, and those in Ohio and New York, in the Appalachian basin, dip generally southward. The rocks in both basins thicken downdip. Minor folds and faults occur in the salt-bearing rocks in all three states. Some of this defrmation has been attenuated or absorbed bo the salt beds. Occuring near the middle of thick sedimentary sequences, the salt beds are bounded aboe and below by beds containing water having dissolved-solids concentrations several times that seawter. The brines occur commonly in discrete zones of high permeability at specific places in the stratigraphic sequence. In northeast Ohio two prominent brine zones are recognized by the driller, the Devonian Oriskany Sandstone, or 'first water' zone, above the Salina Formation, and the Newburg or 'second water' zone below the Salina. In each aquifer there is a vertical component of hydraulic head, but little brine probably moves through the salt beds because their permeability is extremely low. Also, ther is little evidence of dissolution of the salt in areas distant from the outcrop, suggesting that if brine does move through the salt, movement is at a slow enough rate so that, in combination with the saturated or near-saturated condition of the water, it precludes significant dissolution. Principal brine movement is probably in the permeable zones in the direction of the hydraulic gradient. Two areas in Michigan and one area each in Ohio and New York appear
Evaluation of mapping results of the textural features of the Gorleben-Bank within the Gorleben salt dome, Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuehnlenz, Tatjana; Hammer, Joerg; Mingerzahn, Gerhard; Sassnowski, Marco; Kutowski, Joachim

2014-01-01

The ''Gorleben-Bank'' (z3OSM) is a marker horizon within the ''Orangesalz'' (z3OS) of the ''Leine-Folge'' (z3) in the Gorleben salt dome. In some areas the Gorleben-Bank and/or the surrounding rocks contain brines and gases. The occurrence of brines and gases could be hazardous for a repository. Therefore it is important to analyse the lithological and structural characteristics of the Gorleben-Bank. As part of the project ''Continuation of exploration of the Gorleben salt dome'', all exposures of the Gorleben-Bank in drifts, shafts and exploration boreholes were documented and incorporated within a database. Analogous to Baeuerle (2000), seven zones were identified within the Gorleben-Bank from bottom to top. The total thickness of the Gorleben-Bank and the thickness of the zones relevant for migration and storage of brines and gases were considered in this paper. The fissures and the zone of secondary mineralisation of the Gorleben-Bank (Zone IV), generated during the halotectonic processes, as well as brines in the Gorleben-Bank and its surrounding rocks, were analysed regarding their genesis and spatial distribution in the salt dome. These analyses allow conclusions about deformation behaviour of the Gorleben-Bank and its potential for storage of solutions and migration capability for brines and gases. With the program GEOravis some database contents e.g. the thickness of the Gorleben-Bank or location of brine adits were visualised in 3D space for better spatial understanding.
Comments on US approach to backfilling: Thermochemical characterization of crushed salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, S.; Hume, H.

1988-01-01

From recent studies and calculations, it has become apparent that expected brine in a United States salt repository would not seriously detract from the usefulness of rock salt as backfill. It also has been shown that adding clay to the salt might add to the pressure on the emplaced waste packages. Nevertheless, the Salt Repository Project has planned to evaluate a betonite/salt mixture during the next few years. The following items have also been discussed: advantages of backfilling, variables affecting crushed salt behavior, and the general approach to a preliminary testing program
Evidence of sealing and brine distribution at grain boundaries in natural fine-grained Halite (Qum Kuh salt fountain, Central Iran): implications for rheology of salt extrusions

Science.gov (United States)

Desbois, Guillaume; Urai, Janos L.; de Bresser, J. H. P.

2010-05-01

When grain boundary movement is stopped, surface energy related forces reassert themselves driving the system to its equilibrium conditions ([2], [6], [7], [8]). This could result in growth of islands and shrinking of channels and hence in healing the boundary by internal redistribution of fluid and solid in the contact region. Such islands are proposed to grow preferentially close to the contact rim and promote the healing of the grain-grain contact, which in turn prevents transport in or out the boundary region and thus traps the fluids in isolated inclusions. This contribution is focused on observation of grain boundary microstructures in natural mylonitic rocksalt collected from the distal part of Kum-Quh salt fountain (central Iran) in order to give unprecedented insight of grain boundary microstructures using argon-beam cross-sectioning to prepare high quality polished surfaces suitable for high-resolution SEM imaging. The possibility to use our SEM under cryogenic conditions allows also imaging the in-situ distribution of fluids. Results show that brine at grain boundaries occurs as thick layers (> µm in scale) corresponding to cross-sectioned wetted triple junction tubes, as filling at triple junction and as array of isolated fluids inclusions at grain-grain contacts. Close observations at islands contacts suggest the presence of a very thin fluid film (Journal of Structural Geology. [2] Ghoussoub J., and Leroy Y.M. (2001), Solid-fluid phase transformation within grain boundaries during compaction by pressure solution, J. Mech. Phys. Solids, 49, 737 2385-2430. 738 [3] Jackson, M.P.A., (1985). Natural strain in diapiric and glacial rock salt, with emphasis on Oakwood dome, East Texas, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas. [4] Schléder Z. and Urai J.L. (2007). Deformation and recrystallization mechanisms in mylonitic shear zones in naturally deformed extrusive Eocene-Oligocene rock salt from Eyvanekey plateau and Garmsar
Leaching of actinides and fission products from ILW embedded in cement and bitumen, and their mobility in natural salt rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flambard, A.R.; Keiling, C.; Fusban, H.U.; Marx, G.

1986-01-01

Real and simulated ILW embedded in cement and bitumen has been subjected to leaching through various binary brines. The resulting solutions containing americium, plutonium, cesium, antimony, ruthenium, cobalt, and strontium have been led through columns packed with the natural Na3γ salt rock from the Gorleben salt dome, in order to determine the mobility characteristics of these elements in the near-field range of a projected waste repository in the Gorleben salt dome, specifically for the case of water intrusion. Leaching data and experimental results are explained and discussed, special attention being given to the impact of the pH-value of the systems studied, and to the formation of carrier (or 'pseudo') colloids during radionuclide release. The paper also gives data obtained on the mobility of transuranium elements and fission products, together with information on differences in behaviour of the actinides and the fission products (ruthenium in particular). (orig.) [de
Organic geochemistry and brine composition in Great Salt, Mono, and Walker Lakes

Science.gov (United States)

Domagalski, Joseph L.; Orem, W.H.; Eugster, H.P.

1989-01-01

Samples of Recent sediments, representing up to 1000 years of accumulation, were collected from three closed basin lakes (Mono Lake, CA, Walker Lake, NV, and Great Salt Lake, UT) to assess the effects of brine composition on the accumulation of total organic carbon, the concentration of dissolved organic carbon, humic acid structure and diagenesis, and trace metal complexation. The Great Salt Lake water column is a stratified Na-Mg-Cl-SO4 brine with low alkalinity. Algal debris is entrained in the high density (1.132-1.190 g/cc) bottom brines, and in this region maximum organic matter decomposition occurs by anaerobic processes, with sulfate ion as the terminal electron acceptor. Organic matter, below 5 cm of the sediment-water interface, degrades at a very slow rate in spite of very high pore-fluid sulfate levels. The organic carbon concentration stabilizes at 1.1 wt%. Mono Lake is an alkaline (Na-CO3-Cl-SO4) system. The water column is stratified, but the bottom brines are of lower density relative to the Great Salt Lake, and sedimentation of algal debris is rapid. Depletion of pore-fluid sulfate, near l m of core, results in a much higher accumulation of organic carbon, approximately 6 wt%. Walker Lake is also an alkaline system. The water column is not stratified, and decomposition of organic matter occurs by aerobic processes at the sediment-water interface and by anaerobic processes below. Total organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon concentrations in Walker Lake sediments vary with location and depth due to changes in input and pore-fluid sulfate concentrations. Nuclear magnetic resonance studies (13C) of humic substances and dissolved organic carbon provide information on the source of the Recent sedimentary organic carbon (aquatic vs. terrestrial), its relative state of decomposition, and its chemical structure. The spectra suggest an algal origin with little terrestrial signature at all three lakes. This is indicated by the ratio of aliphatic to
Brine migration in hot-pressed polycrystalline sodium chloride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biggers, J.V.; Dayton, G.O.

1982-12-01

This report describes experiments designed to provide data on brine migration in polycrystalline salt. Polycrystalling samples of various grain sizes, density, and purity were prepared from several commercial-grade salts by hot-pressing. Three distinct experimental set-ups were used to place salt billets in an induced thermal gradient in contact with brine source. The test designs varied primarily in the way in which the thermal gradient was applied and monitored and the way in which brine migration was determined. All migration was in enclosed vessels which precluded visual observation of brine movement through the microstructure. Migration velocities were estimated either by the timed appearance of brine at the hot face of the sample, or by determination of the penetration distance of migration artifacts in the microstructure after tests of fixed duration. For various reasons both of these methods were subject to a large degree of error. Our results suggest, however, that the migration velocity in dense polycrystalline salt may be at least an order of magnitude greater than that suggested by single-crystal experiments. Microstructural analysis shows that brine prefers to migrate along paths of high crystalline activity such as grain and subgrain boundaries and is dispersed rather quickly in the microstructure. A series of tests were performed using various types of tracers in brine in order to flag migration paths and locate brine in the microstructure more decisively. These attempts failed and it appears that only the aqueous portion of the brine moves through the microstructure with the dissolved ions being lost and replaced rather quickly. This suggests the use of deuterium as a tracer in future work
Water-rock interaction and chemistry of groundwaters from the Canadian Shield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frape, S.K.; Fritz, P.; McNutt, R.H.

1984-01-01

The chemical and isotopic compositions of groundwaters in the crystalline rocks of the Canadian Shield reflect different degrees of rock-water interactions. The chemistry of the shallow, geochemically immature ground waters and especially of the major cations is controlled by local rock compositions, whereby dissolution reactions dominate. Conservative constituents, such as chloride and bromide, however, are not entirely a result of such reactions but appear to be readily added from leachable salts during the initial stages of the geochemical evolution of these waters. Their concentration changes little as major cations increase, until concentrations of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) reach 3000 to 5000 mg l -1 . The isotopic composition of these shallow waters reflects local, present day precipitations. In contrast to the shallow groundwaters, the isotopic and chemical compositions of the deep, saline waters and brines are determined by extensive, low-temperature rock-water interactions. This is documented in major ion chemistries, 18 O contents and strontium isotopic compositions. These data indicate that the deep brines have been contained in hydrologically isolated pockets. The almost total loss of primary compositions make discussions on the origin of these brines very speculative. However, all brines from across the Canadian Shield have a very similar chemical composition, which probably reflects a common geochemical history. (author)
USGS studies of physical--chemical relationships in salt repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stewart, D.B.

1977-01-01

The amount and physical properties of brine that can occur in salt repositories at elevated temperatures and pressures adjacent to waste-bearing cannisters will have considerable impact on the mechanical strength and stability of the repository. Brine will form readily from H 2 O absorbed on surfaces, diffusion along grain boundaries, movement of fluid inclusions, dehydration of hydrous minerals such as gypsum, polyhalite or clays, or even from leakage through failed shaft openings. A T-P diagram for NaCl--H 2 O shows the limits for coexisting solid-liquid-gas assemblages in salt repositories. Isobaric T-X diagrams are included to show compositional details at pressures below the critical point and above it. Properties of the fluid phases such as volume, density, heat capacity, enthalpy, viscosity, surface tension, osmotic coefficients, etc. can be well described (>0.01% to 2 O. Because aggregates of solids are mechanically weakened by interstitial liquid, determination of mechanical properties of brine-bearing aggregates is needed. A maximum of one third by weight of brine (not H 2 O), and probably much less, will destroy rock strength
Electrochemical corrosion studies on a selected carbon steel for application in nuclear waste disposal containers: Influence of chemical species in brines on corrosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farvaque-Bera, A.M.; Smailos, E.

1994-04-01

In previous corrosion studies, carbon steels were identified as promising materials for the manufacture of long-lived high-level waste containers that could act as an engineered barrier in a rock-salt repository. In this paper, the influence of chemical species, potentially present in salt brines, on the electrochemical corrosion behavior of the preselected fine-grained steel TStE 355 was studied. The steel was examined at 90 C in a disposal relevant NaCl-rich brine containing various species (Br - , I - , Cu 2+ , Mn 2+ , S 2- , B(OH )4 - and Fe 3+ ) at concentrations between 10 -5 M/I and 10 -1 M/I. (orig.) [de
In situ corrosion studies on selected high level waste packaging materials under simulated disposal conditions in rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smailos, E.; Schwarzkopf, W.; Koester, R.

1988-01-01

In order to qualify corrosion resistant materials for high level waste (HLW) packagings acting as a long-term barrier in a rock salt repository, the corrosion behavior of preselected materials is being investigated in laboratory-scale and in-situ experiments. This work reports about in-situ corrosion experiments on unalloyed steels, Ti 99.8-Pd, Hastelloy C4, and iron-base alloys, as nodular cast iron, Ni-Resist D4 and Si-cast iron, under simulated disposal conditions. The results of the investigations can be summarized as follows: (1) all materials investigated exhibited high resistance to corrosion under the conditions prevailing in the Brine Migration Test; (2) all materials and above all the materials with passivating oxide layers such as Ti 99.8-Pd and Hastelloy C4 which may corrode selectively already in the presence of minor amounts of brine had been resistant with respect to any type of local corrosion attack; the gamma-radiation of 3 · 10 2 Gy/h did not exert an influence on the corrosion behavior of the materials
Preliminary petrological and geochemical results from the Salton Sea Geothermal Field, California: A near-field natural analog of a radioactive waste repository in salt: Topical report No. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elders, W.A.; Cohen, L.H.; Williams, A.E.; Neville, S.; Collier, P.; Oakes, C.

1986-03-01

High concentrations of radionuclides and high temperatures are not naturally encountered in salt beds. For this reason, the Salton Sea Geothermal Field (SSGF) may be the best available geologic analog of some of the processes expected to occur in high level nuclear waste repositories in salt. Subsurface temperatures and brine concentrations in the SSGF span most of the temperature range and fluid inclusion brine range expected in a salt repository, and the clay-rich sedimentary rocks are similar to those which host bedded or domal salts. As many of the chemical processes observed in the SSGF are similar to those expected to occur in or near a salt repository, data derived from it can be used in the validation of geochemical models of the near-field of a repository in salt. This report describes preliminary data on petrology and geochemistry, emphasizing the distribution of rare earth elements and U and Th, of cores and cuttings from several deep wells chosen to span a range of temperature gradients and salinities. Subsurface temperature logs have been augmented by fluid inclusion studies, to reveal the effects of brines of varying temperature and salinity. The presence of brines with different oxygen isotopic signatures also indicate lack of mixing. Whole rock major, minor and trace element analyses and data on brine compositions are being used to study chemical migration in these sediments. 65 refs., 20 figs., 3 tabs
Experimental alteration of R7T7 glass in salt brines at 90 deg C and 150 deg C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godon, N.; Vernaz, E.; Gin, S.; Beaufort, D.; Thomassin, J.H.

1991-01-01

Static experiments have been developed to investigate the R7T7 glass corrosion in four natural salt brines (brines 1 and 3: pure halite, brines 2 and 4: high Mg, K fluid inclusions rich halite), at 90 deg C and 150 deg C with 0.7 cm -1 S/V ratio and at 11 different running times. Analysis of brines after alteration (pHmeter and ICP) added to a detailed study of the crystalline phases developed at the interface glass-brine (XRD,SEM and Microprobe), showed that the influence of the compositional difference is more important on the nature of the secondary phases formed than on the corrosion rate of the glass. After 91 days of alteration at 150 deg C stady states to be reached (after 40 days at 90 deg C). A long term experiment (1 year) is necessary to confirm this hypothesis. 7 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs
Rock-fluid chemical interactions at reservoir conditions: The influence of brine chemistry and extent of reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Anabaraonye, B. U.; Crawshaw, J.; Trusler, J. P. M.

2016-12-01

Following carbon dioxide injection in deep saline aquifers, CO2 dissolves in the formation brines forming acidic solutions that can subsequently react with host reservoir minerals, altering both porosity and permeability. The direction and rates of these reactions are influenced by several factors including properties that are associated with the brine system. Consequently, understanding and quantifying the impacts of the chemical and physical properties of the reacting fluids on overall reaction kinetics is fundamental to predicting the fate of the injected CO2. In this work, we present a comprehensive experimental study of the kinetics of carbonate-mineral dissolution in different brine systems including sodium chloride, sodium sulphate and sodium bicarbonate of varying ionic strengths. The impacts of the brine chemistry on rock-fluid chemical reactions at different extent of reactions are also investigated. Using a rotating disk technique, we have investigated the chemical interactions between the CO2-saturated brines and carbonate minerals at conditions of pressure (up to 10 MPa) and temperature (up to 373 K) pertinent to carbon storage. The changes in surface textures due to dissolution reaction were studied by means of optical microscopy and vertical scanning interferometry. Experimental results are compared to previously derived models.
Cataclastic effects in rock salt laboratory and in situ measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gramberg, J.; Roest, J.P.A.

1984-01-01

The aim of the research is the determination of eventual cataclastic effects in environmental rock salt of a heated part of a vertical deep test bore hole, a model for HLW disposal. Known cataclastic systems from hard rock mining and rock salt mines will form the starting point for the explanation of convergence of underground cavity walls. In rock salt, however, different elements seem to prevail: crystal plasticity and micro-cataclasis. The environmental measurements at the deep bore hole have to be carried out from a distance. To this end the acoustic micro-seismic method will be a suitable one. The appropriate equipment for micro-seismic cross hole measurement is designed, constructed and tested in the laboratory as well as underground. Acoustic velocity data form a crucial point. A micro-seismic acoustic P-wave model, adapted to the process of structural changes, is developed. P-wave velocity measurements in rock salt cubes in the laboratory are described. An underground cross hole measurement in the wall of a gallery with semi-circular section is treated and analysed. A conclusion was that, in this case, no macro-cataclasis (systematic large fractures) will be involved in the process of gallery convergence, but that the mechanism proved to be a combination of crystal plasticity and micro-cataclasis. The same mechanism might be expected to be present in the environmental rock salt of the HLW-disposal deep bore hole. As a result this environmental rock salt might be expected to be impermeable. A plan for the application of the developed equipment during the heating test on the ECN-deep-bore-hole is shown. A theory on ''disking'' or ''rim cracks'' is presented in an annex
Receding and advancing (CO_2 + brine + quartz) contact angles as a function of pressure, temperature, surface roughness, salt type and salinity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Yaseri, Ahmed Z.; Lebedev, Maxim; Barifcani, Ahmed; Iglauer, Stefan

2016-01-01

Highlights: • (Water + CO_2) contact angle on quartz increases substantially with pressure and salinity. • (Water + CO_2) contact angle on quartz increases slightly with temperature. • Surface roughness has only a minor influence on (water + CO_2 + quartz) contact angles. - Abstract: The wetting characteristics of CO_2 in rock are of vital importance in carbon geo-storage as they determine fluid dynamics and storage capacities. However, the current literature data has a high uncertainty, which translates into uncertain predictions in terms of containment security and economic project feasibility. We thus measured contact angles for the CO_2/water/quartz system at relevant reservoir conditions, and analysed the effects of pressure (0.1 to 20) MPa, temperature (296 to 343) K, surface roughness (56 to 1300) nm, salt type (NaCl, CaCl_2, and MgCl_2) and brine salinities (0 to 35) wt%. Water contact angles decreased with surface roughness, but increased with pressure, temperature, and brine salinity. Overall the contact angles were significantly increased at storage conditions (∼50°) when compared to ambient conditions (always 0°). Consequently quartz is weakly water-wet (not completely water-wet) at storage conditions, and structural and residual trapping capacities are reduced accordingly.
Separation and Fixation of Toxic Components in Salt Brines Using a Water-Based Process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franks, Carrie J.; Quach, Anh P.; Birnie, Dunbar P.; Ela, Wendell P.; Saez, Avelino E.; Zelinski, Brian J.; Smith, Harry D.; Smith, Gary Lynn L.

2004-01-01

Efforts to implement new water quality standards, increase water reuse and reclamation, and minimize the cost of waste storage motivate the development of new processes for stabilizing waste water residuals that minimize waste volume, water content and the long-term environmental risk from related by products. This work explores the use of an aqueous-based emulsion process to create an epoxy/rubber matrix for separating and encapsulating waste components from salt laden, arsenic contaminated, amorphous iron hydrate sludges. Such sludges are generated from conventional water purification precipitation/adsorption processes, used to convert aqueous brine streams to semi-solid waste streams, such as ion exchange/membrane separation, and from other precipitative heavy metal removal operations. In this study, epoxy and polystyrene butadiene (PSB) rubber emulsions are mixed together and then combined with a surrogate sludge. The surrogate sludge consists of amorphous iron hydrate with 1 part arsenic fixed to the surface of the hydrate per 10 parts iron mixed with sodium nitrate and chloride salts and water. The resulting emulsion is cured and dried at 80 C to remove water. Microstructure characterization by electron microscopy confirms that the epoxy/PSB matrix surrounds and encapsulates the arsenic laden amorphous iron hydrate phase while allowing the salt to migrate to internal and external surfaces of the sample. Salt extraction studies indicate that the porous nature of the resulting matrix promotes the separation and removal of as much as 90% of the original salt content in only one hours time. Long term leaching studies based on the use of the infinite slab diffusion model reveal no evidence of iron migration or, by inference, arsenic migration, and demonstrate that the diffusion coefficients of the unextracted salt yield leachability indices within regulations for non-hazardous landfill disposal. Because salt is the most mobile species, it is inferred that arsenic
Damage-induced nonassociated inelastic flow in rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, K.S.; Bodner, S.R.; Brodsky, N.S.; Fossum, A.F.; Munson, D.E.

1993-01-01

The multi-mechanism deformation coupled fracture model recently developed by CHAN, et al. (1992), for describing time-dependent, pressure-sensitive inelastic flow and damage evolution in crystalline solids was evaluated against triaxial creep experiments on rock salt. Guided by experimental observations, the kinetic equation and the flow law for damage-induced inelastic flow in the model were modified to account for the development of damage and inelastic dilatation in the transient creep regime. The revised model was then utilized to obtain the creep response and damage evolution in rock salt as a function of confining pressure and stress difference. Comparison between model calculation and experiment revealed that damage-induced inelastic flow is nonassociated, dilatational, and contributes significantly to the macroscopic strain rate observed in rock salt deformed at low confining pressures. The inelastic strain rate and volumetric strain due to damage decrease with increasing confining pressures, and all are suppressed at sufficiently high confining pressures
Evaluation of mapping results of the textural features of the Gorleben-Bank within the Gorleben salt dome, Germany

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuehnlenz, Tatjana; Hammer, Joerg; Mingerzahn, Gerhard [Bundesanstalt fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, Hannover (Germany); Sassnowski, Marco; Kutowski, Joachim [Deutsche Gesellschaft zum Bau und Betrieb von Endlagern fuer Abfallstoffe mbH, Peine (Germany)

2014-07-01

The ''Gorleben-Bank'' (z3OSM) is a marker horizon within the ''Orangesalz'' (z3OS) of the ''Leine-Folge'' (z3) in the Gorleben salt dome. In some areas the Gorleben-Bank and/or the surrounding rocks contain brines and gases. The occurrence of brines and gases could be hazardous for a repository. Therefore it is important to analyse the lithological and structural characteristics of the Gorleben-Bank. As part of the project ''Continuation of exploration of the Gorleben salt dome'', all exposures of the Gorleben-Bank in drifts, shafts and exploration boreholes were documented and incorporated within a database. Analogous to Baeuerle (2000), seven zones were identified within the Gorleben-Bank from bottom to top. The total thickness of the Gorleben-Bank and the thickness of the zones relevant for migration and storage of brines and gases were considered in this paper. The fissures and the zone of secondary mineralisation of the Gorleben-Bank (Zone IV), generated during the halotectonic processes, as well as brines in the Gorleben-Bank and its surrounding rocks, were analysed regarding their genesis and spatial distribution in the salt dome. These analyses allow conclusions about deformation behaviour of the Gorleben-Bank and its potential for storage of solutions and migration capability for brines and gases. With the program GEOravis some database contents e.g. the thickness of the Gorleben-Bank or location of brine adits were visualised in 3D space for better spatial understanding.

Performance assessment of confinements for medium-level and α-contaminated waste. PACOMA project. Rock salt option

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirsekorn, R.P; Nies, A.; Rausch, H.; Storck, R.

1991-03-01

The objective of the contribution to the PACOMA project is to develop and demonstrate procedures for radiological safety of repositories in salt domes. An analogue study is performed by the Netherlands Energy Research Foundation ECN, where alternative disposal concepts in different salt formations were investigated. It is discussed, how far appropriate choice of the repository design parameters can improve the whole systems. The research covers deterministic calculations for three scenarios, the normal evolution scenario with subrosion of the salt dome, the combined brine intrusion scenario with brine intrusion from brine pockets and via an anhydrite vein, and the human intrusion scenario of solution mining of a storage cavern. For the combined brine intrusion scenario alternative waste inventories, different disposal concepts, variants of the layout of dams and sealings are investigated, and results obtained from variations of parameter values are discussed. Additionally, comprehensive probabilistic calculations have been carried out with the help of a Monte-Carlo simulation. Results are discussed in form of an uncertainty analysis of the maximum dose and global sensitivity studies of system parameters. The assessments main result is, that the reference case, where the reference repository design and the reference disposal concept are applied, deterministic calculations with best estimate values as well as probabilistic calculations do not manifest unacceptable risk. Investigation of alternative concepts and design variants indicate a high potential for system optimization. (orig./HP)
Experimental investigation of CO2-brine-rock interactions at elevated temperature and pressure: Implications for CO2 sequestration in deep-saline aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenbauer, R.J.; Koksalan, T.; Palandri, J.L.

2005-01-01

Deep-saline aquifers are potential repositories for excess CO2, currently being emitted to the atmosphere from anthropogenic activities, but the reactivity of supercritical CO2 with host aquifer fluids and formation minerals needs to be understood. Experiments reacting supercritical CO2 with natural and synthetic brines in the presence and absence of limestone and plagioclase-rich arkosic sandstone showed that the reaction of CO2-saturated brine with limestone results in compositional, mineralogical, and porosity changes in the aquifer fluid and rock that are dependent on initial brine composition, especially dissolved calcium and sulfate. Experiments reacting CO2-saturated, low-sulfate brine with limestone dissolved 10% of the original calcite and increased rock porosity by 2.6%. Experiments reacting high-sulfate brine with limestone, both in the presence and absence of supercritical CO2, were characterized by the precipitation of anhydrite, dolomitization of the limestone, and a final decrease in porosity of 4.5%. However, based on favorable initial porosity changes of about 15% due to the dissolution of calcite, the combination of CO2 co-injection with other mitigation strategies might help alleviate some of the well-bore scale and formation-plugging problems near the injection zone of a brine disposal well in Paradox Valley, Colorado, as well as provide a repository for CO2. Experiments showed that the solubility of CO2 is enhanced in brine in the presence of limestone by 9% at 25 ??C and 6% at 120 ??C and 200 bar relative to the brine itself. The solubility of CO2 is enhanced also in brine in the presence of arkosic sandstone by 5% at 120 ??C and 300 bar. The storage of CO 2 in limestone aquifers is limited to only ionic and hydraulic trapping. However, brine reacted with supercritical CO2 and arkose yielded fixation and sequestration of CO2 in carbonate mineral phases. Brine desiccation was observed in all experiments containing a discrete CO2 phase
Rheological stratification of the Hormuz Salt Formation in Iran - microstructural study of the dirty and pure rock salts from the Kuh-e-Namak (Dashti) salt diapir

Science.gov (United States)

Závada, Prokop; Desbois, Guillaume; Urai, Janos; Schulmann, Karel; Rahmati, Mahmoud; Lexa, Ondrej; Wollenberg, Uwe

2014-05-01

Significant viscosity contrasts displayed in flow structures of a mountain namakier (Kuh-e-Namak - Dashti), between 'weak' terrestrial debris bearing rock salt types and 'strong' pure rock salt types are questioned for deformation mechanisms using detailed quantitative microstructural study including crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) mapping of halite grains. While the solid impurity rich ("dirty") rock salts contain disaggregated siltstone and dolomite interlayers, "clean" salts (debris free) reveal microscopic hematite and remnants of abundant fluid inclusions in non-recrystallized cores of porphyroclasts. Although flow in both, the recrystallized dirty and clean salt types is accommodated by combined mechanisms of pressure-solution creep (PS), grain boundary sliding (GBS) and dislocation creep accommodated grain boundary migration (GBM), their viscosity contrasts are explained by significantly slower rates of intergranular diffusion and piling up of dislocations at hematite inclusions in clean salt types. Porphyroclasts of clean salts deform by semi-brittle and plastic mechanisms with intra-crystalline damage being induced also by fluid inclusions that explode in the crystals at high fluid pressures. Boudins of clean salt types with coarse grained and original sedimentary microstructure suggest that clean rock salts are associated with dislocation creep dominated power law flow in the source layer and the diapiric stem. Rheological contrasts between both rock salt classes apply in general for the variegated and terrestrial debris rich ("dirty") Lower Hormuz and the "clean" rock salt forming the Upper Hormuz, respectively, and suggest that large strain rate gradients likely exist along horizons of mobilized salt types of different composition and microstructure.
Transport of barium through dolomite rocks under the presence of guar gum and brine salinities of hydraulic fracturing wastewater

Science.gov (United States)

Ebrahimi, P.; Vilcaez, J.

2017-12-01

Hydraulic fracturing wastewater (HFW) containing high concentrations of Ba, is commonly disposed into the deep saline aquifers. We investigate the effect of brine salinity, competing cations (Ca and Mg), and guar gum (most common fracturing viscosifier) on the sorption and transport of Ba through dolomite rocks. To this aim, we have conducted batch sorption and core-flooding experiments at both ambient (22°C) and deep subsurface (60°C) temperature conditions. The effect of mineral composition is assessed by comparing batch and core-flooding experimental results obtained with sandstone and dolomite rocks. Batch sorption experiments conducted using powdered dolomite rocks (500-600 µm particle size) revealed that Ba sorption on dolomite greatly decreases with increasing brine salinity (0 - 180,000 mg-NaCl/L), and that at brine salinities of HFW, chloro-complexation reactions between Ba and Cl ions and changes in pH (that results from dolomite dissolution) are the controlling factors of Ba sorption on dolomite. Organo-complexation reactions between Ba and guar gum, and competition of Ba with common cations (Ca and Mg) for hydration sites of dolomite, play a secondary role. This finding is in accordance with core-flooding experimental results, showing that the transport of Ba through synthetic dolomite rocks of high flow properties (25-29.6% porosity, 9.6-13.7 mD permeability), increases with increasing brine salinity (0-180,000 mg-NaCl/L), while the presence of guar gum (50-500 mg/L) does not affect the transport of Ba. On the other hand, core-flooding experiments conducted using natural dolomite core plugs (6.5-8.6% porosity, 0.06-0.3 mD permeability), indicates that guar gum can clog the pore throats of tight dolomite rocks retarding the transport of Ba. Results of our numerical simulation studies indicate that the mechanism of Ba sorption on dolomite can be represented by a sorption model that accounts for both surface complexation reactions on three distinct
Nuclear waste repository simulation experiments (brine migration), Asse Mine of the Federal Republic of Germany: Quarterly brine migration data report, October--December 1985

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckert, J.L.; Kalia, H.N.; Coyle, A.J.

1988-03-01

The tenth brine migration data report describes experiments simulating a nuclear waste repository at the 800-m (2624-ft) level of the Asse Salt Mine in the Federal Republic of Germany from May 1983 through December 1985. This report describes the test equipment, the Asse Salt Mine, and the pretest properties of the salt in the test gallery. This report includes test data for 31 months of operations on brine migration rates, borehole pressure, salt temperatures and thermomechanical behavior of the salt. 3 refs., 118 figs., 93 tabs
Fluid-Evaporation Records Preserved in Meridiani Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, M. N.; Nyquist, Laurence E.; Sutton, S. R.

2009-01-01

We have shown earlier that the high SO3/Cl ratios found in secondary mineral assemblages in shergottite GRIM glasses (Gas-Rich Impact-Melt) likely resulted from interactions of regolith materials with sulfate-rich (and Cl-poor) solutions. The low SO3/Cl ratios determined in secondary salts in nakhalite fracture-fillings presumably formed by rock interactions with chloride-rich (and SO4-poor) solutions near Mars surface. The SO3 and Cl abundances determined by APXS in abraded rocks (RAT) from Endurance, Fram and Eagle craters indicate that these salt assemblages likely formed by evaporative concentration of brine fluids at Meridiani. The SO3/Cl ratios in the abraded rocks are examined here, instead of their absolute abundances, because the abundance ratios might provide better guide-lines for tracking the evolution of evaporating fluids at Meridiani. The SO3/Cl ratios in these samples, in turn, might provide clues for the mobile element ratios of the altering fluids that infiltrated into the Meridiani rocks.
A Study of Analytical Solution for the Special Dissolution Rate Model of Rock Salt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Yang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available By calculating the concentration distributions of rock salt solutions at the boundary layer, an ordinary differential equation for describing a special dissolution rate model of rock salt under the assumption of an instantaneous diffusion process was established to investigate the dissolution mechanism of rock salt under transient but stable conditions. The ordinary differential equation was then solved mathematically to give an analytical solution and related expressions for the dissolved radius and solution concentration. Thereafter, the analytical solution was fitted with transient dissolution test data of rock salt to provide the dissolution parameters at different flow rates, and the physical meaning of the analytical formula was also discussed. Finally, the influential factors of the analytical formula were investigated. There was approximately a linear relationship between the dissolution parameters and the flow rate. The effects of the dissolution area and initial volume of the solution on the dissolution rate equation of rock salt were computationally investigated. The results showed that the present analytical solution gives a good description of the dissolution mechanism of rock salt under some special conditions, which may provide a primary theoretical basis and an analytical way to investigate the dissolution characteristics of rock salt.
Research on Dynamic Dissolving Model and Experiment for Rock Salt under Different Flow Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xinrong Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Utilizing deep rock salt cavern is not only a widely recognized energy reserve method but also a key development direction for implementing the energy strategic reserve plan. And rock salt cavern adopts solution mining techniques to realize building cavity. In view of this, the paper, based on the dissolving properties of rock salt, being simplified and hypothesized the dynamic dissolving process of rock salt, combined conditions between dissolution effect and seepage effect in establishing dynamic dissolving models of rock salt under different flow quantities. Devices were also designed to test the dynamic dissolving process for rock salt samples under different flow quantities and then utilized the finite-difference method to find the numerical solution of the dynamic dissolving model. The artificial intelligence algorithm, Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (PSO, was finally introduced to conduct inverse analysis of parameters on the established model, whose calculation results coincide with the experimental data.
Brine Sampling and Evaluation Program: 1988 report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deal, D.E.; Abitz, R.J.; Case, J.B.; Crawley, M.E.; Deshler, R.M.; Drez, P.E.; Givens, C.A.; King, R.B.; Myers, J.; Pietz, J.M.; Roggenthen, W.M.; Tyburski, J.R.; Belski, D.S.; Niou, S.; Wallace, M.G.

1989-12-01

The data presented in this report are the result of Brine Sampling and Evaluation Program (BSEP) activities at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) during 1988. These activities, which are a continuation and update of studies that began in 1982 as part of the Site Validation Program, were formalized as the BSEP in 1985 to document and investigate the origins, hydraulic characteristics, extent, and composition of brine occurrences in the Permian Salado Formation, and seepage of that brine into the excavations at the WIPP. Previous BSEP reports (Deal and Case, 1987; Deal and others, 1987) described the results of ongoing activities that monitor brine inflow into boreholes in the facility, moisture content of the Salado Formation, brine geochemistry, and brine weeps and crusts. The information provided in this report updates past work and describes progress made during the calendar year 1988. During 1988, BSEP activities focused on four major areas to describe and quantify brine activity: (1) monitoring of brine inflow parameters, e.g., measuring brines recovered from holes drilled upward from the underground drifts (upholes), downward from the underground drifts (downholes), and near-horizontal holes; (2) characterizing the brine, e.g., the geochemistry of the brine and the presence of bacteria and their possible interactions with experiments and operations; (3) characterizing formation properties associated with the occurrence of brine; e.g., determining the water content of various geologic units, examining these units in boreholes using a video camera system, and measuring their resistivity (conductivity); and (4) modeling to examine the interaction of salt deformation near the workings and brine seepage through the deforming salt. 77 refs., 48 figs., 32 tabs
Studies of mechanisms and processes of relevance to the safety of nuclear waste repositories, as carried out prior to, during and after flovelling of the Hope potash salt mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

Studies on the effects of a hypothetical accident involving water or brine intrusion into a waste repository in a salt mine are of special importance within the framework of safety assessments of salt formations as candidate sites for nuclear waste repositories. The measuring activities under review include the following: Physicochemical measurements for determining dissolution and recipitation of salts, transport mechanisms, temperature curves, natural build-up and efficiency of geochemical barriers in the brine. Geochemical measurements for obtaining information on the rock deformation prior to, during, and after flovelling. Geophysical measurements of microseismic behaviour of rock masses prior to, during, and after flovelling. Examination of an artificial barrier structure for the testing and assessment of technical barriers and their efficiency. (orig./HP) [de
Analysis of corrosion data for carbon steels in simulated salt repository brines and acid chloride solutions at high temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diercks, D.R.; Hull, A.B.; Kassner, T.F.

1988-03-01

Carbon steel is currently the leading candidate material for fabrication of a container for isolation of high level nuclear waste in a salt repository. Since brine entrapped in the bedded salt can migrate to the container by several transport processes, corrosion is an important consideration in the long-term performance of the waste package. A detailed literature search was performed to compile relevant corrosion data for carbon steels in anoxic acid chloride solutions, and simulated salt repository brines at temperatures between ∼ 20 and 400 0 C. The hydrolysis of Mg 2+ ions in simulated repository brines containing high magnesium concentrations causes acidification at temperatures above 25 0 C, which, in turn, influences the protective nature of the magnetite corrosion product layer on carbon steel. The corrosion data for the steels were analyzed, and an analytical model for general corrosion was developed to calculate the amount of penetration (i.e., wall thinning) as a function of time, temperature, and the pressure of corrosion product hydrogen than can build up during exposure in a closed system (e.g., a sealed capsule). Both the temperature and pressure dependence of the corrosion rate of steels in anoxic acid chloride solutions indicate that the rate-controlling partial reaction is the cathodic reduction of water to form hydrogen. Variations in the composition and microstructure of the steels or the concentration of the ionic species in the chloride solutions (provided that they do not change the pH significantly) do not appear to strongly influence the corrosion rate
Waste package designs for disposal of high-level waste in salt formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basham, S.J. Jr.; Carr, J.A.

1984-01-01

In the United States of America the selected method for disposal of radioactive waste is mined repositories located in suitable geohydrological settings. Currently four types of host rocks are under consideration: tuff, basalt, crystalline rock and salt. Development of waste package designs for incorporation in mined salt repositories is discussed. The three pertinent high-level waste forms are: spent fuel, as disassembled and close-packed fuel pins in a mild steel canister; commercial high-level waste (CHLW), as borosilicate glass in stainless-steel canisters; defence high-level waste (DHLW), as borosilicate glass in stainless-steel canisters. The canisters are production and handling items only. They have no planned long-term isolation function. Each waste form requires a different approach in package design. However, the general geometry and the materials of the three designs are identical. The selected waste package design is an overpack of low carbon steel with a welded closure. This container surrounds the waste forms. Studies to better define brine quantity and composition, radiation effects on the salt and brines, long-term corrosion behaviour of the low carbon steel, and the leaching behaviour of the spent fuel and borosilicate glass waste forms are continuing. (author)
Salt Repository Project: Data report on corrosion results obtained from excess-salt corrosion test Matrix 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haberman, J.H.; Westerman, R.E.

1987-05-01

The test discussed in this data report was directed at determining the response of the reference A216 grade WCA steel when it is exposed to anoxic excess-salt conditions at 150 0 C. The environment used in the test was intended to duplicate the intrusion brine scenario (i.e., the formation of brine by the intrusion of water from an outside source into the repository, with the formation of brine through dissolution of salt from the repository horizon). The salt-brine environment used in the test therefore reflected the expected gross salt composition of the repository horizon
Salton Sea Geothermal Field, California, as a near-field natural analog of a radioactive waste repository in salt

Science.gov (United States)

Elders, W. A.; Cohen, L. H.

1983-11-01

Since high concentrations of radionuclides and high temperatures are not normally encountered in salt domes or beds, finding an exact geologic analog of expected near-field conditions in a mined nuclear waste repository in salt will be difficult. The Salton Sea Geothermal Field, however, provides an opportunity to investigate the migration and retardation of naturally occurring U, Th, Ra, Cs, Sr and other elements in hot brines which have been moving through clay-rich sedimentary rocks for up to 100,000 years. The more than thirty deep wells drilled in this field to produce steam for electrical generation penetrate sedimentary rocks containing concentrated brines where temperatures reach 3650C at only 2 km depth. The brines are primarily Na, K, Ca chlorides with up to 25% of total dissolved solids; they also contain high conentrations of metals such as Fe, Mn, Li, Zn, and Pb. This report describes the geology, geophysics and geochemistry of this system as a prelude to a study of the mobility of naturally occurring radionuclides and radionuclide analogs within it.
Brine and Gas Flow Patterns Between Excavated Areas and Disturbed Rock Zone in the 1996 Performance Assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for a Single Drilling Intrusion that Penetrates Repository and Castile Brine Reservoir

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

ECONOMY,KATHLEEN M.; HELTON,JON CRAIG; VAUGHN,PALMER

1999-10-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), which is located in southeastern New Mexico, is being developed for the geologic disposal of transuranic (TRU) waste by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Waste disposal will take place in panels excavated in a bedded salt formation approximately 2000 ft (610 m) below the land surface. The BRAGFLO computer program which solves a system of nonlinear partial differential equations for two-phase flow, was used to investigate brine and gas flow patterns in the vicinity of the repository for the 1996 WIPP performance assessment (PA). The present study examines the implications of modeling assumptions used in conjunction with BRAGFLO in the 1996 WIPP PA that affect brine and gas flow patterns involving two waste regions in the repository (i.e., a single waste panel and the remaining nine waste panels), a disturbed rock zone (DRZ) that lies just above and below these two regions, and a borehole that penetrates the single waste panel and a brine pocket below this panel. The two waste regions are separated by a panel closure. The following insights were obtained from this study. First, the impediment to flow between the two waste regions provided by the panel closure model is reduced due to the permeable and areally extensive nature of the DRZ adopted in the 1996 WIPP PA, which results in the DRZ becoming an effective pathway for gas and brine movement around the panel closures and thus between the two waste regions. Brine and gas flow between the two waste regions via the DRZ causes pressures between the two to equilibrate rapidly, with the result that processes in the intruded waste panel are not isolated from the rest of the repository. Second, the connection between intruded and unintruded waste panels provided by the DRZ increases the time required for repository pressures to equilibrate with the overlying and/or underlying units subsequent to a drilling intrusion. Third, the large and areally extensive DRZ void volumes is a
Brine and Gas Flow Patterns Between Excavated Areas and Disturbed Rock Zone in the 1996 Performance Assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for a Single Drilling Intrusion that Penetrates Repository and Castile Brine Reservoir

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Economy, Kathleen M.; Helton, Jon Craig; Vaughn, Palmer

1999-01-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), which is located in southeastern New Mexico, is being developed for the geologic disposal of transuranic (TRU) waste by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Waste disposal will take place in panels excavated in a bedded salt formation approximately 2000 ft (610 m) below the land surface. The BRAGFLO computer program which solves a system of nonlinear partial differential equations for two-phase flow, was used to investigate brine and gas flow patterns in the vicinity of the repository for the 1996 WIPP performance assessment (PA). The present study examines the implications of modeling assumptions used in conjunction with BRAGFLO in the 1996 WIPP PA that affect brine and gas flow patterns involving two waste regions in the repository (i.e., a single waste panel and the remaining nine waste panels), a disturbed rock zone (DRZ) that lies just above and below these two regions, and a borehole that penetrates the single waste panel and a brine pocket below this panel. The two waste regions are separated by a panel closure. The following insights were obtained from this study. First, the impediment to flow between the two waste regions provided by the panel closure model is reduced due to the permeable and areally extensive nature of the DRZ adopted in the 1996 WIPP PA, which results in the DRZ becoming an effective pathway for gas and brine movement around the panel closures and thus between the two waste regions. Brine and gas flow between the two waste regions via the DRZ causes pressures between the two to equilibrate rapidly, with the result that processes in the intruded waste panel are not isolated from the rest of the repository. Second, the connection between intruded and unintruded waste panels provided by the DRZ increases the time required for repository pressures to equilibrate with the overlying and/or underlying units subsequent to a drilling intrusion. Third, the large and areally extensive DRZ void volumes is a
Quarterly brine migration data report, May-September 1983: Nuclear Waste Repository simulation experiments (brine migration), Asse Mine of the Federal Republic of Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coyle, A.J.; Kalia, H.N.; Eckert, J.L.

1987-04-01

The first quarterly brine migration data report describes experiments simulating a nuclear waste repository at the 800-m (2624-ft) level of the Asse Salt Mine in the Federal Republic of Germany from May 1983 through September 1983. This report describes the test equipment, the Asse Salt Mine, and the pretest properties of the salt in the test gallery. This report also includes test data for the first 4 months of operations on brine migration rates, borehole pressure, salt temperatures, and thermomechanical behavior of the salt. The duration of the experiments will be approximately 2 years, ending in December 1985. 83 figs., 55 tabs
Chemical implications of heat and radiation damage to rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pederson, L.R.

1984-11-01

Chemical changes induced in Palo Duro and Paradox Basin natural rock salts and in synthetic NaCl by heat and gamma radiation were investigated. Heating of unirradiated natural rock salts to 300 0 C resulted in HCl (most prevalent), SO 2 , CO 2 , and H 2 S evolution, and increased the base content of the remaining salt by not more than 10 microequivalents per gram; whereas, heating of synthetic NaCl gave no product. Gamma irradiation produced sodium colloids and neutral chlorine in amounts similar to the results of Levy and coworkers. When the irradiated salts were heated, three reactions were apparent: (1) radiation-induced defects recombined; (2) neutral chlorine was evolved; and (3) HCl, SO 2 , CO 2 , and H 2 S were evolved, similar to results for unirradiated salts. Because reaction (1) appeared to dominate over reaction (2), it is expected that the influence of radiation damage to salt on the near-field chemical environment will be minor. 4 figures, 1 table
Searching for brine on Mars using Raman spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fischer, E.

2016-07-01

In the last few years, water ice and perchlorate salts capable of melting this ice and producing liquid solutions have been discovered at the surface and shallow subsurface of Mars. In addition to via melting of ice, perchlorate salts may also form liquid solutions by absorbing water vapor when the relative humidity is above a certain threshold in a process known as deliquescence. Formed either by melting or deliquescence, liquid solutions (brine) are the most likely way of liquid water activity on the Martian surface and in the shallow subsurface and are therefore important to understand the habitability of Mars. Using Raman spectroscopy, we provide reference spectra of various mixing states of liquid water, water ice and calcium perchlorate, all of which can occur during brine formation. We focus on the perchlorate symmetric stretching band and the O-H stretching vibrational band to distinguish brine from crystalline salt and water ice. We show that perchlorate brines can be identified by analyzing the peaks and their widths in the decomposed Raman spectra of the investigated samples. This serves as an important reference for future in-situ Raman spectrometers on Mars, such as those on the ExoMars and Mars 2020 rovers and can aid in the detection of brine formation on Mars. (Author)
A natural analogue for near-field behaviour in a high level radioactive waste repository in salt: the Salton Sea geothermal field, California, USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elders, W.A.

1987-01-01

In the Salton Sea Geothermal Field (SSGF), in the sediments of the delta of the Colorado River, we are developing a three-dimensional picture of active water/rock reactions at temperatures of 0 C and salinities of 7 to 25 weight percent to produce quantitative data on mineral stabilities and mobilities of naturally-occurring radio-nuclides. The aim is to produce data to validate geochemical computer codes being developed to assess the performance of a Commercial High-Level Waste (CHLW) repository in salt. Among the findings to date are: (1) greenschist facies metamorphism is occurring; (2) brine compositions are fairly similar to those expected in candidate salt repository sites; (3) U and Th concentrations in the rocks are typical for sedimentary rocks; (4) the brines are enriched in Na, Mn, Zn, Sr, Ra Po and strongly depleted in U and Th relative to the rocks; (5) significant radioactive disequilibria exist in brines and solid phases of the SSGF. The disequilibria in the actinide series allow estimation of the rates of brine-rock interaction and understanding of hydrologic processes and radionuclide behaviour. Work is continuing emphasizing the reactions of authigenic clay minerals, epidotes, feldspars, chlorites and sulphates. So far, adapting geochemical codes to the necessary combination of high salinity and high temperature has lagged behind the natural analogue study of the SSGF so that validation is still in progress. In the future our data can be also used in validating performance assessment codes which couple geochemistry and transport processes, and in design of waste packages and back fill compositions. (author)

Internally Pressurized Spherical and Cylindrical Cavities in Rock Salt

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krenk, Steen

1978-01-01

-linear zone and the volume reduction. Results are given for cavities in rock salt, and a comparison with measured stress concentrations is used to support the assumption of a hydrostatic stress state in undisturbed salt formations. Finally a method to estimate convergence due to creep is outlined....
Modelling of the thermomechanical behaviour of salt rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albers, G.; Graefe, V.; Korthaus, E.; Pudewillis, A.; Prij, J.

1986-01-01

The modelling of the thermomechanical behaviour of salt rock is examined, with respect to the disposal of radioactive waste in salt formations. The calculation methods and programmes currently available for the modelling are described. Some examples are given of calculations carried out in parallel with tests. Some results of modelling calculations for a repository are presented by way of illustration. (U.K.)
Brine Sampling and Evaluation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deal, D.E.; Case, J.B.; Deshler, R.M.; Drez, P.E.; Myers, J.; Tyburski, J.R.

1987-12-01

The Brine Sampling and Evaluation Program (BSEP) Phase II Report is an interim report which updates the data released in the BSEP Phase I Report. Direct measurements and observations of the brine that seeps into the WIPP repository excavations were continued through the period between August 1986 and July 1987. That data is included in Appendix A, which extends the observation period for some locations to approximately 900 days. Brine observations at 87 locations are presented in this report. Although WIPP underground workings are considered ''dry,'' small amounts of brine are present. Part of that brine migrates into the repository in response to pressure gradients at essentially isothermal conditions. The data presented in this report is a continuation of moisture content studies of the WIPP facility horizon that were initiated in 1982, as soon as underground drifts began to be excavated. Brine seepages are manifested by salt efflorescences, moist areas, and fluid accumulations in drillholes. 35 refs., 6 figs., 11 tabs
Methodological developments and materials in salt-rock preparation for irradiation experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia Celma, A.; Van Wees, H.; Miralles, L.

1991-01-01

For the first time synthetic salt-rock samples have been produced. Production and preparation of those samples and of other types of rock-salt for experiments and observation require many special handlings. We applied technical knowledge already developed by the HPT Laboratory of the Geology Department of the Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht (high pressure techniques, salt-rock preparation), and by the workshops of the ECN, Petten, and FDO, Amsterdam (mechanical precision). Procedures have been applied and/or modified to solve specific problems. Many of them were never reported before. Moreover, new techniques have been developed. Rock-salt samples have been machined, sawn, ground, glued, etc., with a maximum of precision, a minimum of damage and in dry conditions (without water). Etching, peeling and thin section production has been carried out on irradiated and unirradiated samples. Valves, end pieces, jackets, etc. have been tested and/or produced. These handlings were directed to produce samples for the HAW experiment. Their development required not only knowledge, but also a lot of trial, failures and time. To avoid repetition of this effort, the procedures, materials, instruments and their characteristics are described in detail in this report
Engineering Review Group (ERG) and Geologic Review Group (GRG) report on brine migration at the Deaf Smith County site salt repository horizon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

In April 1986, ONWI requested the ERG and GRG to jointly address the status of current knowledge of, and ONWI approach to further characterization of, the geohydrology of the candidate repository horizon of the potential site in Deaf Smith County, Texas. Specifically, the ERG-GRG was asked to evaluate the status of understanding of the hydrogeology of the Lower San Andres Unit 4 (LSA-4) evaporite section and identify any major gaps in the data; evaluate the current understanding of the chemistry and movement of brines in the LSA-4 salt and associated interbeds; develop recommendations for estimating the upper limit quantity of brines, and modeling the brine movement, with respect to the emplaced HLW packages; and identify questions concerning the chemistry of the brines and recommend a technical approach to addressing these questions. 19 refs
Measured and calculated closures of open and brine filled shafts and deep vertical boreholes in salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munson, D.E.; DeVries, K.L.; Schiermeister, D.M.; DeYonge, W.F.; Jones, R.L.

1991-01-01

Shaft closure measurements are presented which are based on a rather unusual emplacement of very early time closure points. These data are in good agreement with calculations based on the prediction technique developed for underground rooms in salt using a complete stratigraphy. However, a simplified calculational mesh also gives good agreement, which permits this mesh to be used for parametric studies of long term closures of open and brine filled shafts and boreholes
Measured and calculated closures of open and brine filled shafts and deep vertical boreholes in salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munson, D.E.; DeVries, K.L.; Schiermeister, D.M.; DeYonge, W.F.; Jones, R.L.

1992-01-01

Shaft closure measurements are presented which are based on a rather unusual emplacement of very early time closure points. These data are in good agreement with calculations based on the prediction techniques developed for underground rooms in salt using a complete stratigraphy. However, a simplified calculational mesh also gives good agreement, which permits this mesh to be used for parametric studies of long term closures of open and brine filled shafts and boreholes
Water purification using organic salts

Science.gov (United States)

Currier, Robert P.

2004-11-23

Water purification using organic salts. Feed water is mixed with at least one organic salt at a temperature sufficiently low to form organic salt hydrate crystals and brine. The crystals are separated from the brine, rinsed, and melted to form an aqueous solution of organic salt. Some of the water is removed from the aqueous organic salt solution. The purified water is collected, and the remaining more concentrated aqueous organic salt solution is reused.
Nonlinear Analysis of Cavities in Rock Salt

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ottosen, N. S.; Krenk, Steen

1979-01-01

The paper covers some material and computational aspects of the rock mechanics of leached cavities in salt. A material model is presented in which the instantaneous stiffness of the salt is obtained by interpolation between the unloaded state and a relevant failure state. The model enables predic...... prediction of short term triaxial behaviour from uniaxial stress-strain curves. Key results from a nonlinear finite element calculation of a gas-filled cavity are given, and the general features are related to a simple nonlinear method of stress evaluation....
Magnetic coupling at perovskite and rock-salt structured interfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matvejeff, M., E-mail: mikko.matvejeff@picosun.com [Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, 277-8581 Chiba (Japan); Department of Chemistry, Aalto University, Kemistintie 1, 02150 Espoo (Finland); Ahvenniemi, E. [Department of Chemistry, Aalto University, Kemistintie 1, 02150 Espoo (Finland); Takahashi, R.; Lippmaa, M. [Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, 277-8581 Chiba (Japan)

2015-10-05

We study magnetic coupling between hole-doped manganite layers separated by either a perovskite or a rock-salt barrier of variable thickness. Both the type and the quality of the interface have a strong impact on the minimum critical barrier thickness where the manganite layers become magnetically decoupled. A rock-salt barrier layer only 1 unit cell (0.5 nm) thick remains insulating and is able to magnetically de-couple the electrode layers. The technique can therefore be used for developing high-performance planar oxide electronic devices such as magnetic tunnel junctions and quantum well structures that depend on magnetically and electronically sharp heterointerfaces.
Corrosion behavior of spent MTR fuel elements in a drowned salt mine repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brodda, B.G.; Fachinger, J.

1995-01-01

Spent MTR fuel from German Material Test Reactors will not be reprocessed, but stored in a final salt repository in the deep geologic underground. Fuel elements will be placed in POLLUX containers, which are assumed to resist the corrosive attack of an accidentally formed concentrated salt brine for about 500 years. After a container failure the brine would contact the fuel element, corrode the aluminum plating and possibly leach radionuclides from the fuel. A source term for the calculation of radionuclide mobilization results from the investigation of the behavior of MTR fuel in this scenario, which has to be considered for the long-term safety analysis of a deep mined rock salt repository. Experiments with the different plating materials show that the considered aluminum alloys will not resist the corrosive attack of a brine solution, especially in the presence of iron, under the conditions in a drowned salt mine repository. Although differences in the corrosion rates of about two orders of magnitude were observed when applying different parameter sets, the deterioration must be considered to be almost instantaneous in geological terms. Radionuclides are mobilized from irradiated MTR fuel, when the meat of the fuel element becomes accessible to the brine solution. It seems, however, that the radionuclides are effectively trapped by the aluminum hydroxide formed, as the activity concentrations in the brine solution soon reach a constant level with the progressing corrosion of the cladding aluminum. In the presence of iron a more significant initial release was observed, but also in this case an equilibrium activity seems to be reached as a consequence of radionuclide trapping
Nuclear waste repository simulation experiments (brine migration), Asse Mine of the Federal of Germany: Quarterly brine migration data report, July-September 1984

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coyle, A.J.; Kalia, H.N.; Eckert, J.L.

1986-10-01

The fifth brine migration data status report describes experiments simulating a nuclear waste repository at the 800-m (2624-ft) level of the Asse Salt Mine in the Federal Republic of Germany from May 1983 through September 1984. This report describes the test equipment, the Asse Salt Mine, and the pretest properties of the salt in the test gallery. This report also includes test data for the first 16 months of operations on brine migration rates, borehole pressure, salt temperatures, and thermomechanical behavior of the salt. Annual reports have been prepared for the years 1983 and 1984, describing the test activities on a yearly basis (Rothfuchs et al., 1984, 1986). The duration of the experiments will be approximately 2 years, ending in December 1985. 2 refs., 118 figs., 91 tabs
Mediterranean salt giants beyond the evaporite model: The Sicily perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Carmelo Manuella, Fabio; Scribano, Vittorio; Carbone, Serafina; Hovland, Martin; Johnsen, Hans-Konrad; Rueslåtten, Håkon

2017-04-01

Mediterranean salt giants, occurring both in sub-seafloor and in onshore settings (the "Gessoso Solfifera Group"), are traditionally explained by repeated cycles of desiccation and replenishment of the entire basin. However, such hypotheses are strongly biased by mass balance calculations and geodynamic considerations. In addition, any hypothesis without full desiccation, still based on the evaporite model, should consider that seawater brines start to precipitate halite when 2/3 of the seawater has evaporated, and hence the level of the basin cannot be the same as the adjacent ocean. On the other hand, hydrothermal venting of hot saline brines onto the seafloor can precipitate salt in a deep marine basin if a layer of heavy brine exists along the seafloor. This process, likely related to sub-surface boiling or supercritical out-salting (Hovland et al., 2006), is consistent with geological evidence in the Red Sea "Deeps" (Hovland et al., 2015). Although supercritical out-salting and phase separation can sufficiently explain the formation of several marine salt deposits, even in deep marine settings, the Mediterranean salt giant formations can also be explained by the serpentinization model (Scribano et al., 2016). Serpentinization of abyssal peridotites does not involve seawater salts, and large quantities of saline brines accumulate in pores and fractures of the sub-seafloor serpentinites. If these rocks undergo thermal dehydration, for example, due to igneous intrusions, brines and salt slurries can migrate upwards as hydrothermal plumes, eventually venting at the seafloor, giving rise to giant salt deposits over time. These hydrothermal processes can take place in a temporal sequence, as it occurred in the "Caltanissetta Basin" (Sicily). There, salt accumulation associated with serpentinization started during Triassic times (and even earlier), and venting of heavy brines onto the seafloor eventually occurred in the Messinian via the hydrothermal plume mechanism
Chemistry of brines in salt from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), southeastern New Mexico: a preliminary investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stein, C.L.; Krumhansl, J.L.

1986-03-01

We present here analyses of macro- and microscopic (intracrystalline) brines observed within the WIPP facility and in the surrounding halite, with interpretations regarding the origin and history of these fluids and their potential effect(s) on long-term waste storage. During excavation, several large fluid inclusions were recovered from an area of highly recrystallized halite in a thick salt bed at the repository horizon (2150 ft below ground level). In addition, 52 samples of brine ''weeps'' were collected from walls of recently excavated drifts at the same stratigraphic horizon from which the fluid inclusion samples are assumed to have been taken. Analyses of these fluids show that they differ substantially in composition from the inclusion fluids and cannot be explained by mixing of the fluid inclusion populations. Finally, holes in the facility floor that filled with brine were sampled but with no stratographic control; therefore it is not possible to interpret the compositions of these brines with any accuracy, except insofar as they resemble the weep compositions but with greater variation in both K/Mg and Na/Cl ratios. However, the Ca and SO 4 values for the floor holes are relatively close to the gypsum saturation curve, suggesting that brines filling floor holes have been modified by the presence of gypsum or anhydrite, possibly even originating in one or more of the laterally continuous anhydrite units referred to in the WIPP literature as marker beds. In conclusion, the wide compositional variety of fluids found in the WIPP workings suggest that (1) an interconnected hydrologic system which could effectively transport radonuclides away from the repository does not exist; (2) brine migration studies and experiments must consider the mobility of intergranular fluids as well as those in inclusions; and (3) near- and far-field radionuclide migration testing programs need to consider a wide range of brine compositions rather than a few reference brines
Effect of acidification and salt concentration on two black brined olives from Sicily (cv moresca and giarraffa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romeo, Flora V.

2010-09-01

Full Text Available In the present work the effects of different brining treatments on mature table olives during natural fermentation were evaluated. The considered olive cultivars are typical of Sicily: Moresca and Giarraffa. They were harvested at pigmented state. The carpological data revealed their good quality as table olives. Natural fermentation was performed with or without acidification up to pH 4, and at 8% and 15% salt concentrations. The physical, chemical and microbiological changes in olives and brines were monitored throughout the processing period. The acidification affected and selected the microbial population and maintained the low pH necessary for the hygienic safety of the product. In fact, in Moresca brines,the lactic acid bacteria totally disappeared after 60 days of fermentation while in Giarraffa they maintained their presence in the brines up to 180 days with a value between 10⁴ UFC/mL and 10⁶ UFC/mL, depending on the salt concentration. The microbial population was also affected by the polyphenol content, which was different between the cultivars. The color of olive fruits was greatly influenced by acidification and less by salt concentration. The addition of salt showed a different influence on the studied cultivars, in fact only the chemical analyses of Giarraffa showed a significant difference between the two levels of salt concentration.

En el presente trabajo, los efectos de diferentes tratamientos con salmuera en aceitunas de mesa maduras durante su fermentación natural fueron evaluados. Los cultivos de aceitunas considerados son típicos de Sicilia: Moresca y Giarraffa. Ellas son cosechadas en su estado maduro. Los datos carpológicos revelan su buena calidad como aceituna de mesa. La fermentación natural fue realizada con y sin acidificación hasta pH 4, y a una concentración de sal del 8% y 15%. Cambios físicos, químicos y microbiológicos de las aceitunas y salmueras a través de todo el
Fracture and Healing of Rock Salt Related to Salt Caverns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, K.S.; Fossum, A.F.; Munson, D.E.

1999-01-01

In recent years, serious investigations of potential extension of the useful life of older caverns or of the use of abandoned caverns for waste disposal have been of interest to the technical community. All of the potential applications depend upon understanding the reamer in which older caverns and sealing systems can fail. Such an understanding will require a more detailed knowledge of the fracture of salt than has been necessary to date. Fortunately, the knowledge of the fracture and healing of salt has made significant advances in the last decade, and is in a position to yield meaningful insights to older cavern behavior. In particular, micromechanical mechanisms of fracture and the concept of a fracture mechanism map have been essential guides, as has the utilization of continuum damage mechanics. The Multimechanism Deformation Coupled Fracture (MDCF) model, which is summarized extensively in this work was developed specifically to treat both the creep and fracture of salt, and was later extended to incorporate the fracture healing process known to occur in rock salt. Fracture in salt is based on the formation and evolution of microfractures, which may take the form of wing tip cracks, either in the body or the boundary of the grain. This type of crack deforms under shear to produce a strain, and furthermore, the opening of the wing cracks produce volume strain or dilatancy. In the presence of a confining pressure, microcrack formation may be suppressed, as is often the case for triaxial compression tests or natural underground stress situations. However, if the confining pressure is insufficient to suppress fracture, then the fractures will evolve with time to give the characteristic tertiary creep response. Two first order kinetics processes, closure of cracks and healing of cracks, control the healing process. Significantly, volume strain produced by microfractures may lead to changes in the permeability of the salt, which can become a major concern in
Microbiology of solar salt ponds

Science.gov (United States)

Javor, B.

1985-01-01

Solar salt ponds are shallow ponds of brines that range in salinity from that of normal seawater (3.4 percent) through NaCl saturation. Some salterns evaporate brines to the potash stage of concentration (bitterns). All the brines (except the bitterns, which are devoid of life) harbor high concentrations of microorganisms. The high concentrations of microorganisms and their adaptation to life in the salt pond are discussed.
Results of temperature test 6 in the Asse salt mine. Volume 1 - Main report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feddersen, H.; Flach, D.; Flentge, I.

1986-01-01

In the year 1985 a heater test with a mean heat load of 50 kW was carried out in the Asse salt mine for 78 days. Its main aims were to investigate possible fracturing of the rock; investigations on the transport of brine and gases; comparison of the measured mechanical stresses and temperatures, as compared to those determined by numerical methods. The evaluation of the measurement results was impeded by premature failure of some of the heaters, which proved to be a handicap to the symmetry of the experiment. It was possible, nevertheless, to find a good agreement between the measured and the numerically calculated temperatures. The mechanical stress measurements showed, as compared to the 2D-FE-calculations, that the measured stresses lay within the expected range. Fracturing was detected by means of seismic observations, especially after termination of the heating. Brine transport was ascertained using geoelectric four point -and self-potential measurements. The staining test showed no sharp fracturing of the rock salt, but a loosened-up zone at the grain boundaries impregnated with staining oil
Chemical characterisation of himalayan rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassan, A.U.; Din, M.U.

2017-01-01

Present study involves the chemical evaluation of rock salt samples collected from the plugging sites of Himalayan salt (Khewra salt mines and Kalabagh salt mines) for their moisture content, water insoluble matter, calcium, magnesium, sulphate content and trace minerals such as Fe,Cu,Cd,Pb,As,Ag and Zn determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Moisture content of Khewra and Kalabagh salt samples ranged from 0.03 wt. % to 0.09 wt. % and 0.06 % to 0.08 %, respectively. Water insoluble matter ranged from 0.08 wt. % to 1.4 wt. % and 1.5 wt. % to 2.8wt. % for Khewra and Kalabagh salt samples, respectively. Sulphate content for Khewra salt sample was from 0.39 % to 0.91 % and for Kalabagh salt mines from 0.75 wt. % to 0.95 wt. %. For Khewra salt mines calcium ranged 0.15 wt. % to 0.32 wt. % and for Kalabagh salt samples from 0.1 wt. % to 0.27 wt. %. Magnesium ranged from 0.11 wt. % to 0.35 wt. % for Khewra salt mines, while for Kalabagh salt samples its range was 0.18 wt. % to 0.89 wt. %. Trace metals had the concentration ranges between 0.2 to 1.85 mg/kg for copper; between 0.21 to 0.42 mg/kg for manganese; between 0.04 to 0.06 mg/kg for zinc; between 0.12 to 0.18 mg/kg for arsenic and between 0.03 and 0.05 mg/kg for lead while cadmium content was either below the method's detection limits or in very trace amounts. The results show that the concentrations of all the parameters studied are below the limits set by World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Therefore, it can be concluded from the paper that the Himalayan salt from the plugging sites of Khewra and Kalabagh salt mines are safe to use. (author)
To the issue about negative consequences of underground nuclear explosions in the salt domes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belyashov, D.N.; Mokhov, V.A.; Murzadilov, T.D.

1998-01-01

I. From 1970 to 1984, 26 underground explosions were conducted at Azgir test site salt domes and Karachaganak gas-condensate deposit (KGKD) of Kazakhstan. Consequence, 9 and 6, relatively, underground cavities were created. At Azgir test site 5 cavities were filled by water and brines. Some of them were destroyed with surface spotting formation. It is noticed the spreading of radionuclides out of cavities bounds. At the KGKD gas-condensate is loaded into 4 cavities, another 2 cavities are in the accident condition, the last one (5TK) was filled by brine. There are characters of radioecological situation degradation above the last cavity. Radioactive logging in the cavity shown that the γ-activity of rock was increased more then 8 times in the distance of depths 0-64 m for 3 years. Apparently, outbreak of radioactive brines takes place along the zones of fissuring on the bound of casing tubes into the 5TK borehole and along enclosing rocks with sorption of radioactive isotopes in clay rocks. 2. There are examples of negative evolution of events at the Astrakhan gas-condensate deposit, where 15 nuclear cavities were created from 1980 to 1984 years. In 1986 year, 13 of them stopped to exist because of tectonic shearing, triggering by underground nuclear explosion in the salt dome. Many of them are flooded and they throw out the radioactive brines, reaching the surface. 3. Negative development of radioecological situation is occurred because of depressurization of cavities, their flooding, displacement of radionuclides with salt into the brines, destroying of cavities, extrusion of radioactive brines along the permeable zones, more often along the militant and observation boreholes. It is possible to spread of radioactive contamination along horizontal at the distance for l,5-3 km. In 2 years after the underground nuclear explosion at the Grachev oil deposit of Bashkiria radioactive tritium was detected in underground water and in the ground more then 3 km far from

Participation of civil engineers in designing facilities in rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duddeck, H.; Westhaus, T.

1990-01-01

For the design of underground facilities in rock salt layers or domes, as caverns for repositories, the civil engineering approach may be useful. The underground openings are analysed by determining the displacements and the stresses for actual states and hypothetical situations. The paper reports on the state of art in the development of suited time dependent material laws for rock salt, on time integration methods for the analysis, and on a possible procedure for a consistent safety analysis. The examples given include caverns filled by oil, analysis of a mine with vertical excavation chambers, and dams closing mine galleries. (orig.) [de
Corrosion behaviour of container materials for the disposal of high-level waste forms in rock salt formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smailos, E.; Schwarzkopf, W.; Koester, R.

1987-05-01

Extensive laboratory-scale experiments to evaluate the long-term corrosion behaviour of selected materials in brines and first in situ experiments were performed. In the laboratory experiments the materials Ti 99.8-Pd, Hastelloy C4 and hot-rolled low carbon steel as well cast steel, spheroidal cast iron, Si-cast iron and the Ni-Resists type D2 and D4 were investigated. The investigated parameters were: temperature, gamma-radiation and different compositions of salt brines. (orig./PW) [de
Energy Dissipation-Based Method for Fatigue Life Prediction of Rock Salt

Science.gov (United States)

He, Mingming; Huang, Bingqian; Zhu, Caihui; Chen, Yunsheng; Li, Ning

2018-05-01

The fatigue test for rock salt is conducted under different stress amplitudes, loading frequencies, confining pressures and loading rates, from which the evaluation rule of the dissipated energy is revealed and analysed. The evolution of energy dissipation under fatigue loading is divided into three stages: the initial stage, the second stage and the acceleration stage. In the second stage, the energy dissipation per cycle remains stable and shows an exponential relation with the stress amplitude; the failure dissipated energy only depends on the mechanical behaviour of the rock salt and confining pressure, but it is immune to the loading conditions. The energy dissipation of fatigued rock salt is discussed, and a novel model for fatigue life prediction is proposed on the basis of energy dissipation. A simple model for evolution of the accumulative dissipated energy is established. Its prediction results are compared with the test results, and the proposed model is validated.
The Effects of NaCl Concentration and Confining Pressure on Mechanical and Acoustic Behaviors of Brine-Saturated Sandstone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan-Hua Huang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available To better understand the mechanical behavior of rock with brine saturation, conventional triaxial experiments were carried out on sandstone for a range of confining pressures (0–60 MPa and NaCl concentrations (0–30%. As the confining pressure and NaCl concentration increased, the triaxial compressive strength, crack damage threshold, Young’s modulus, cohesion, and internal friction angle all increased. Real-time ultrasonic wave and acoustic emission (AE techniques were used to obtain the relationship between acoustic behavior and stress level during the whole triaxial compression process. During the whole deformation process, the evolution of P-wave velocity and accumulated AE count could be divided into four phases. The microstructural characteristics of brine-saturated sandstone, before and after loading, indicated that the strength enhancement mechanism may be attributed to an increase in inter-particle friction resulting from salt crystallisation around the points of contact. The angle of friction increased by more than 86% at maximum NaCl concentration compared to that for distilled water. The NaCl deposition in the pore space resulted in nonlinear strength increases for the brine-saturated sandstone specimens with increasing salinity. The present study is expected to improve the knowledge of the strength and failure mechanisms of sedimentary rock in deep saline aquifers.
Halophilic archaea cultivated from surface sterilized middle-late eocene rock salt are polyploid.

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Salla T Jaakkola

Full Text Available Live bacteria and archaea have been isolated from several rock salt deposits of up to hundreds of millions of years of age from all around the world. A key factor affecting their longevity is the ability to keep their genomic DNA intact, for which efficient repair mechanisms are needed. Polyploid microbes are known to have an increased resistance towards mutations and DNA damage, and it has been suggested that microbes from deeply buried rock salt would carry several copies of their genomes. Here, cultivable halophilic microbes were isolated from a surface sterilized middle-late Eocene (38-41 million years ago rock salt sample, drilled from the depth of 800 m at Yunying salt mine, China. Eight unique isolates were obtained, which represented two haloarchaeal genera, Halobacterium and Halolamina. We used real-time PCR to show that our isolates are polyploid, with genome copy numbers of 11-14 genomes per cell in exponential growth phase. The ploidy level was slightly downregulated in stationary growth phase, but the cells still had an average genome copy number of 6-8. The polyploidy of halophilic archaea living in ancient rock salt might be a factor explaining how these organisms are able to overcome the challenge of prolonged survival during their entombment.
Study on Mechanical Features of Brazilian Splitting Fatigue Tests of Salt Rock

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Weichao Wang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The microtest, SEM, was carried out to study the fracture surface of salt rock after the Brazilian splitting test and splitting fatigue test were carried out with a servo-controlled test machine RMT-150B. The results indicate that the deviation of using the tablet splitting method is larger than that of using steel wire splitting method, in Brazilian splitting test of salt rock, when the conventional data processing method is adopted. There are similar deformation features in both the conventional splitting tests and uniaxial compression tests. The stress-strain curves include compaction, elasticity, yielding, and failure stage. Both the vertical deformation and horizontal deformation of splitting fatigue tests under constant average loading can be divided into three stages of “loosening-tightness-loosening.” The failure modes of splitting fatigue tests under the variational average loading are not controlled by the fracturing process curve of the conventional splitting tests. The deformation extent of fatigue tests under variational average loading is even greater than that of conventional splitting test. The tensile strength of salt rock has a relationship with crystallization conditions. Tensile strength of thick crystal salt rock is lower than the bonded strength of fine-grain crystals.
Micromodel observations of evaporative drying and salt deposition in porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Rufai, Ayorinde; Crawshaw, John

2017-12-01

Most evaporation experiments using artificial porous media have focused on single capillaries or sand packs. We have carried out, for the first time, evaporation studies on a 2.5D micromodel based on a thin section of a sucrosic dolomite rock. This allowed direct visual observation of pore-scale processes in a network of pores. NaCl solutions from 0 wt. % (de-ionized water) to 36 wt. % (saturated brine) were evaporated by passing dry air through a channel in front of the micromodel matrix. For de-ionized water, we observed the three classical periods of evaporation: the constant rate period (CRP) in which liquid remains connected to the matrix surface, the falling rate period, and the receding front period, in which the capillary connection is broken and water transport becomes dominated by vapour diffusion. However, when brine was dried in the micromodel, we observed that the length of the CRP decreased with increasing brine concentration and became almost non-existent for the saturated brine. In the experiments with brine, the mass lost by evaporation became linear with the square root of time after the short CRP. However, this is unlikely to be due to capillary disconnection from the surface of the matrix, as salt crystals continued to be deposited in the channel above the matrix. We propose that this is due to salt deposition at the matrix surface progressively impeding hydraulic connectivity to the evaporating surface.
The simplified convergence rate calculation for salt grit backfilled caverns in rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Navarro, Martin

2013-03-01

Within the research and development project 3609R03210 of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, different methods were investigated, which are used for the simplified calculation of convergence rates for mining cavities in salt rock that have been backfilled with crushed salt. The work concentrates on the approach of Stelte and on further developments based on this approach. The work focuses on the physical background of the approaches. Model specific limitations are discussed and possibilities for further development are pointed out. Further on, an alternative approach is presented, which implements independent material laws for the convergence of the mining cavity and the compaction of the crushed salt backfill.
Modeling brine inflow to Room Q: A numerical investigation of flow mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freeze, G.A.; Christian-Frear, T.L.; Webb, S.W.

1997-04-01

A hydrologic modeling study was performed to gain insight into the flow mechanisms around Room Q. A summary of hydrologic and structural data and of predictive fluid flow models from Room Q are provided. Six years of measured data are available from the time of excavation. No brine accumulation in Room Q was measured in the first two years following excavation. However, there is considerable uncertainty associated with this early-time data due to inadequate sealing of the room. Brine may have been lost to evaporation or it may have flowed into newly created disturbed rock zone (DRZ) porosity resulting from excavation. Non-zero brine accumulation rates were measured from 2--5 years, but brine accumulation within the room dropped to zero after 5.5 years. A conceptual model for brine inflow to Room Q was developed which assumes far-field Darcy flow combined with an increasing DRZ pore volume. Numerical simulations employed TOUGH28W and used predictive DRZ porosity increase with time from SPECTROM-32 rock deformation simulations. Simulated brine inflow showed good agreement with measured brine accumulation rates for the first five years. Two important conclusions were drawn from the simulation results: (1) early-time brine inflow to the room can be reduced to zero if the DRZ pore volume increases with time, and (2) brine accumulation (inflow) rates from 2 to 5 years suggest a far-field permeability of 5 x 10 -22 m 2 with a bulk rock compressibility of 5.4 x 10 -12 Pa -1
Simulation of NaCl and KCl mass transfer during salting of Prato cheese in brine with agitation: a numerical solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Bona

2007-09-01

Full Text Available The association of dietary NaCl with arterial hypertension has led to a reduction in the levels of this salt in cheeses. For salting, KCl has been used as a partial substitute for NaCl, which cannot be completely substituted without affecting product acceptability. In this study a sensorially adequate saline solution (NaCl/KCl was simultaneously diffused during salting of Prato cheese in brine with agitation. The simultaneous multicomponent diffusion during the process was modeled with Fick’s second generalized law. The system of partial differential equations formed was solved by the finite element method (FEM. In the experimental data concentration the deviation for NaCl was of 7.3% and for KCl of 5.4%, both of which were considered acceptable. The simulation of salt diffusion will allow control and modulation of salt content in Prato cheese, permitting the prediction of final content from initial conditions.
Brine/Rock Interaction in Deep Oceanic Layered Gabbros: Petrological Evidence from Cl-Rich Amphibole, High-Temperature Hydrothermal Veins, and Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Currin Sala, A. M.; Koepke, J.; Almeev, R. R.; Teagle, D. A. H.; Zihlmann, B.; Wolff, P. E.

2017-12-01

Evidence of high temperature brine/rock interaction is found in hydrothermal veins and dykelets that cross-cut layered olivine gabbros in the deep palaeocrust of the Sumail Ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman. Here we present petrological and geochemical data from these samples, and an experimental attempt to simulate brine/gabbro interaction using externally heated cold seal pressure vessels. The studied natural veins and dykelets contain pargasite, hornblende, actinolite, and Cl-rich pargasite with up to 5 wt% Cl, showing a range of formation conditions from magmatic to metamorphic (hydrothermal) and thus a complex history of brine/rock interaction. In addition, the isotopic study of the radiogenic 87/86Sr and stable 18O in different amphibole types provide an estimate for the extent of seawater influence as alteration agent in the veins of the studied samples. Experiments performed at 750 °C and 200 MPa with different starting materials (chlorine-free amphibole, olivine gabbro powder) and 20 wt% NaCl aqueous brine, illustrate the process by which gabbro-hosted amphibole-rich veins evolve at subsolidus temperatures in the presence of a seawater-derived fluid. Our results demonstrate a decrease in olivine, plagioclase and magnetite content in favour of hastingsite, pargasite and magnesiohornblende, a decrease of IVAl and Ti in the starting amphibole, and an increase in Cl in amphibole, up to 0.2 Cl wt%. Our experiments show the change of magmatic pargasite towards more magnesium and silica-rich end members with results comparable to mildly chlorine-rich pargasites and hornblendes found in the natural samples studied. However, the experimental setup also presents limitations in the attainment of very high-chlorine amphibole (up to 5 wt%). Our analytical and experimental results provide further evidence for the existence of a hydrothermal cooling system in the deep oceanic crust.
Performance analysis of conceptual waste package designs in salt repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jansen, G. Jr.; Raines, G.E.; Kircher, J.F.

1984-01-01

A performance analysis of commercial high-level waste and spent fuel conceptual package designs in reference repositories in three salt formations was conducted with the WAPPA waste package code. Expected conditions for temperature, stress, brine composition, radiation level, and brine flow rate were used as boundary conditions to compute expected corrosion of a thick-walled overpack of 1025 wrought steel. In all salt formations corrosion by low Mg salt-dissolution brines typical of intrusion scenarios was too slow to cause the package to fail for thousands of years after burial. In high Mg brines judged typical of thermally migrating brines in bedded salt formations, corrosion rates which would otherwise have caused the packages to fail within a few hundred years were limited by brine availability. All of the brine reaching the package was consumed by reaction with the iron in the overpack, thus preventing further corrosion. Uniform brine distribution over the package surface was an important factor in predicting long package lifetimes for the high Mg brines. 14 references, 15 figures
Influence of deformation on the fluid transport properties of salt rocks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peach, C.J.

1991-01-01

While the fluid transport properties of rocks are well understood under hydrostatic conditions, little is known regarding these properties in rocks undergoing crystal plastic deformation. However, such data are needed as input in the field of radioactive waste disposal in salt formations. They
Rock-Salt Growth-Induced (003) Cracking in a Layered Positive Electrode for Li-Ion Batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Hanlei [Materials; amp, Department; NorthEast; Omenya, Fredrick [NorthEast; Yan, Pengfei [Environmental; Luo, Langli [Environmental; Whittingham, M. Stanley [NorthEast; Wang, Chongmin [Environmental; Zhou, Guangwen [Materials; amp, Department; NorthEast

2017-10-20

For the first time, the (003) cracking is observed and determined to be the major cracking mechanism for the primary particles of Ni-rich layered dioxides as the positive electrode for Li-ion batteries. Using transmission electron microscopy techniques, here we show that the propagation and fracturing of platelet-like rock-salt phase along the (003) plane of the layered oxide are the leading cause for the cracking of primary particles. The fracturing of the rock-salt platelet is induced by the stress discontinuity between the parent layered oxide and the rock-salt phase. The high nickel content is considered to be the key factor for the formation of the rock-salt platelet and thus the (003) cracking. The (003)-type cracking can be a major factor for the structural degradation and associated capacity fade of the layered positive electrode.
Petrophysical examination of CO₂-brine-rock interactions-results of the first stage of long-term experiments in the potential Zaosie Anticline reservoir (central Poland) for CO₂ storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarkowski, Radosław; Wdowin, Magdalena; Manecki, Maciej

2015-01-01

The objective of the study was determination of experiment-induced alterations and changes in the properties of reservoir rocks and sealing rocks sampled from potential reservoir for CO₂. In the experiment, rocks submerged in brine in specially constructed reactors were subjected to CO₂ pressure of 6 MPa for 20 months at room temperature. Samples of Lower Jurassic reservoir rocks and sealing rocks (sandstones, claystones, and mudstones) from the Zaosie Anticline (central Poland) were analysed for their petrophysical properties (specific surface area, porosity, pore size and distribution) before and after the experiment. Comparison of the ionic composition the brines before and after the experiment demonstrated an increase in total dissolved solids as well as the concentration of sulphates and calcium ions. This indicates partial dissolution of the rock matrix and the cements. As a result of the reaction, the properties of reservoir rocks did not changed significantly and should not affect the process of CO₂ storage. In the case of the sealing rocks, however, the porosity, the framework density, as well as the average capillary and threshold diameter increased. Also, the pore distribution in the pore space changed in favour of larger pores. The reasons for these changes could not be explained by petrographic characteristics and should be thoroughly investigated.
Deactivation of nuclear explosions cavities in the salt domes by freezing method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belyashov, D.N.; Mokhov, V.A.; Murzadilov, T.D.

1998-01-01

I. There is a lot of negative consequences of underground nuclear explosions, conducted for creating some cavities of the gas condensate saving at the Azgir site and Karachaganak deposit. Some of them are radioactivity escape, ground pollution, underground water pollution, as result of depressurization and irrigation of cavities. Besides that there are dissolution of infected salt, displacement of brine from the cavities. Existing prolonged exchanges of rock-salt, brines and water can be accompanied by accumulation and throw outing of free chlorine and hydrogen with hydrochloric acid formation, ('white fog' of Azgir site). These questions demand supplementary researches. 2. It is known that more dangerous fission fragments are 9 0S r and 1 31C s, with half life periods equaled 27.7 and 30.3. Duration of their existence determines a period of an object danger. Radionuclide migration come with rock dispersion or with their concentration on the different physical, chemical, including sorptive, barriers on the way of radioactive water displacement. 3. The task of prevention of negative consequences is to save the forms and sizes of cavities, to immobilize the radioactive fluid's in the cavities and closed zone for the half-life time of the main nuclide mass. 4. Solving the task by laying of empty space with hard materials (concrete, rock) demand of big expenses because of cavities size, occurrence depth (850-900 m), high value of materials, their processing and transportation. The problem to render harmless and to utilize of displacing radioactive brines is not solved yet. 5, Freezing of flooding cavities appears to be an alternative, which allows to fill the space by hard ice and to less the moving of radioactive brines into the rocks around the cavities, and, what is more important, along the bore-holes above the cavities, blocking the radionuclides moving into the fractured rocks. This process divides onto 2 stages: (1) freezing with organizing of intensive heat
Chemistry of glass corrosion in high saline brines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grambow, B.; Mueller, R.

1990-01-01

Corrosion data obtained in laboratory tests can be used for the performance assessment of nuclear waste glasses in a repository if the data are quantitatively described in the frame of a geochemical model. Experimental data were obtained for conventional pH values corrected for liquid junction, amorphous silica solubility and glass corrosion in concentrated salt brines. The data were interpreted with a geochemical model. The brine chemistry was described with the Pitzer formalism using a data base which allows calculation of brine compositions in equilibrium with salt minerals at temperatures up to 200C. In MgCl 2 dominated brines Mg silicates form and due to the consumption of Mg the pH decreases with proceeding reaction. A constant pH (about 4) and composition of alteration products is achieved, when the alkali release from the glass balances the Mg consumption. The low pH results in high release of rare earth elements REE (rare earth elements) and U from the glass. In the NaCl dominated brine MgCl 2 becomes exhausted by Mg silicate formation. As long as there is still Mg left in solution the pH decreases. After exhaustion of Mg the pH rises with the alkali release from the glass and analcime is formed
Salton Sea Geothermal Field, California, as a near-field natural analog of a radioactive waste repository in salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elders, W.A.; Cohen, L.H.

1983-11-01

Since high concentrations of radionuclides and high temperatures are not normally encountered in salt domes or beds, finding an exact geologic analog of expected near-field conditions in a mined nuclear waste repository in salt will be difficult. The Salton Sea Geothermal Field, however, provides an opportunity to investigate the migration and retardation of naturally occurring U, Th, Ra, Cs, Sr and other elements in hot brines which have been moving through clay-rich sedimentary rocks for up to 100,000 years. The more than thirty deep wells drilled in this field to produce steam for electrical generation penetrate sedimentary rocks containing concentrated brines where temperatures reach 365 0 C at only 2 km depth. The brines are primarily Na, K, Ca chlorides with up to 25% of total dissolved solids; they also contain high concentrations of metals such as Fe, Mn, Li, Zn, and Pb. This report describes the geology, geophysics and geochemistry of this system as a prelude to a study of the mobility of naturally occurring radionuclides and radionuclide analogs within it. The aim of this study is to provide data to assist in validating quantitative models of repository behavior and to use in designing and evaluating waste packages and engineered barriers. 128 references, 33 figures, 13 tables
Salton Sea Geothermal Field, California, as a near-field natural analog of a radioactive waste repository in salt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elders, W.A.; Cohen, L.H.

1983-11-01

Since high concentrations of radionuclides and high temperatures are not normally encountered in salt domes or beds, finding an exact geologic analog of expected near-field conditions in a mined nuclear waste repository in salt will be difficult. The Salton Sea Geothermal Field, however, provides an opportunity to investigate the migration and retardation of naturally occurring U, Th, Ra, Cs, Sr and other elements in hot brines which have been moving through clay-rich sedimentary rocks for up to 100,000 years. The more than thirty deep wells drilled in this field to produce steam for electrical generation penetrate sedimentary rocks containing concentrated brines where temperatures reach 365/sup 0/C at only 2 km depth. The brines are primarily Na, K, Ca chlorides with up to 25% of total dissolved solids; they also contain high concentrations of metals such as Fe, Mn, Li, Zn, and Pb. This report describes the geology, geophysics and geochemistry of this system as a prelude to a study of the mobility of naturally occurring radionuclides and radionuclide analogs within it. The aim of this study is to provide data to assist in validating quantitative models of repository behavior and to use in designing and evaluating waste packages and engineered barriers. 128 references, 33 figures, 13 tables.
Brine Sampling and Evaluation Program: Phase 1 report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deal, D.E.; Case, J.B.

1987-01-01

This interim report presents preliminary data obtained in the course of the WIPP Brine Sampling and Evaluation Program. The investigations focus on the brine present in the near-field environment around the WIPP underground workings. Although the WIPP underground workings are considered dry, small amounts of brine are present. This amount of brine is not unexpected in rocks of marine sedimentary origin. Part of that brine can and does migrate into the repository in response to pressure gradients, at essentially isothermal conditions. These small volumes of brine have little effect on the day-to-day operations, but are pervasive throughout the repository and may contribute enough moisture over a period of years to affect resaturation and repressurization after sealing and closure. Gas bubbles are observed in many of the brine occurrences. Gas is also known to exsolve from solution as the brine is poured from container to container. 68 refs., 9 figs., 2 tabs

Influence of deformation on the fluid transport properties of salt rocks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peach, C.J.

1991-01-01

While the fluid transport properties of rocks are well understood under hydrostatic conditions, little is known regarding these properties in rocks undergoing crystal plastic deformation. However, such data are needed as input in the field of radioactive waste disposal in salt formations. They are
Solubility and sorption characteristics of uranium(VI) associated with rock samples and brines/groundwaters from WIPP and NTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dosch, R.G.

1981-01-01

Solubility measurements for U(VI) in WIPP-related brines/groundwaters were made using initial U(VI) concentrations in the range of 1 to 50 μg/ml. Distribution coefficients (Kd) for U(VI) were determined for Culebra and Magenta dolomites using four different brine/groundwater compositions and for argillaceous shale and hornfels samples from the Eleana and Calico Hills Formation on NTS using a groundwater simulant typical of that area. The Kd's were evaluated as functions of: (1) U(VI) concentration (1.4 x 10 -4 to 1.4 μg/ml); (2) solution volume-to-rock mass ratios used in the measurements (5 to 100 ml/g), and for WIPP material only; (3) water composition (0 to 100% brine in groundwater); and (4) sample location in the Culebra and Magenta dolomite members of the Rustler Formation. The results indicate that if groundwater intrudes into a repository and leaches a waste form, significant concentrations of dissolved or colloidal U(VI) could be maintained in the liquid phase. Should these solutions enter an aquifer system, there are reasonable sets of conditions which could lead to subsequent migration of U(VI) away from the repository site
Interpretation of stress measurements around mining cavities in rock salt - a finite-element study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heusermann, S.

1986-01-01

Finite-element studies of stress measurements using the overcoring method and of large drift fields in rock salt show that the measurements are affected by local stress relaxation occurring near the test borehole and by general time-dependent stress redistribution in the marginal zones of adjacent drifts. Analysis of the overcoring method indicates that the following local effects have to be considered in the interpretation of the test results as opposed to measurements in elastic rock: The inelastic deformation behaviour of rock salt causes stress relaxation at the pilot borehole which can lead to an underestimation of the actual stress state in rock. During overcoring considerable inelastic deformations occur in rock salt which demand a modified interpretation of the measurements and as a result of stress relaxation at the borehole various tests conditions, such as overcoring diameter, pilot borehole diameter and time between drilling and overcoring, have an effect on the test results. (orig./PW)
Impact of solid second phases on deformation mechanisms of naturally deformed salt rocks (Kuh-e-Namak, Dashti, Iran) and rheological stratification of the Hormuz Salt Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Závada, P.; Desbois, G.; Urai, J. L.; Schulmann, K.; Rahmati, M.; Lexa, O.; Wollenberg, U.

2015-05-01

Viscosity contrasts displayed in flow structures of a mountain namakier (Kuh-e-Namak - Dashti), between 'weak' second phase bearing rock salt and 'strong' pure rock salt types are studied for deformation mechanisms using detailed quantitative microstructural study. While the solid inclusions rich ("dirty") rock salts contain disaggregated siltstone and dolomite interlayers, "clean" salts reveal microscopic hematite and remnants of abundant fluid inclusions in non-recrystallized cores of porphyroclasts. Although the flow in both, the recrystallized "dirty" and "clean" salt types is accommodated by combined mechanisms of pressure-solution creep (PS), grain boundary sliding (GBS), transgranular microcracking and dislocation creep accommodated grain boundary migration (GBM), their viscosity contrasts observed in the field outcrops are explained by: 1) enhanced ductility of "dirty" salts due to increased diffusion rates along the solid inclusion-halite contacts than along halite-halite contacts, and 2) slow rates of intergranular diffusion due to dissolved iron and inhibited dislocation creep due to hematite inclusions for "clean" salt types Rheological contrasts inferred by microstructural analysis between both salt rock classes apply in general for the "dirty" salt forming Lower Hormuz and the "clean" salt forming the Upper Hormuz of the Hormuz Formation and imply strain rate gradients or decoupling along horizons of mobilized salt types of different composition and microstructure.
Brine migration resulting from pressure increases in a layered subsurface system

Science.gov (United States)

Delfs, Jens-Olaf; Nordbeck, Johannes; Bauer, Sebastian

2016-04-01

Brine originating from the deep subsurface impairs parts of the freshwater resources in the North German Basin. Some of the deep porous formations (esp. Trias and Jurassic) exhibit considerable storage capacities for waste fluids (CO2, brine from oil production or cavern leaching), raising concerns among water providers that this type of deep subsurface utilization might impair drinking water supplies. On the one hand, overpressures induced by fluid injections and the geothermal gradient support brine migration from deep into shallow formations. On the other hand, the rising brine is denser than the surrounding less-saline formation waters and, therefore, tends to settle down. Aim of this work is to investigate the conditions under which pressurized formation brine from deep formations can reach shallow freshwater resources. Especially, the role of intermediate porous formations between the storage formation and the groundwater is studied. For this, complex thermohaline simulations using a coupled numerical process model are necessary and performed in this study, in which fluid density depends on fluid pressure, temperature and salt content and the governing partial differential equations are coupled. The model setup is 2D and contains a hypothetic series of aquifers and barriers, each with a thickness of 200 m. Formation pressure is increased at depths of about 2000 m in proximity to a salt wall and a permeable fault. The domain size reaches up to tens of kilometers horizontally to the salt wall. The fault connects the injection formation and the freshwater aquifer such that conditions can be considered as extremely favorable for induced brine migration (worst case scenarios). Brine, heat, and salt fluxes are quantified with reference to hydraulic permeabilities, storage capacities (in terms of domain size), initial salt and heat distribution, and operation pressures. The simulations reveal the development of a stagnation point in the fault region in each
Numerical Simulation on Open Wellbore Shrinkage and Casing Equivalent Stress in Bedded Salt Rock Stratum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianjun Liu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Most salt rock has interbed of mudstone in China. Owing to the enormous difference of mechanical properties between the mudstone interbed and salt rock, the stress-strain and creep behaviors of salt rock are significantly influenced by neighboring mudstone interbed. In order to identify the rules of wellbore shrinkage and casings equivalent stress in bedded salt rock stratum, three-dimensional finite difference models were established. The effects of thickness and elasticity modulus of mudstone interbed on the open wellbore shrinkage and equivalent stress of casing after cementing operation were studied, respectively. The results indicate that the shrinkage of open wellbore and equivalent stress of casings decreases with the increase of mudstone interbed thickness. The increasing of elasticity modulus will reduce the shrinkage of open wellbore and casing equivalent stress. Research results can provide the scientific basis for the design of mud density and casing strength.
Convergence measurements in a 300 m deep borehole in rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heijdra, J.J.; Prij, J.

1992-05-01

An evaluation is presented of convergence measurements in a 300 m deep borehole in rock salt. The measured convergence is compared to the normalized convergence based on an analytical solution. Measurements endorse the assumptions on which the analytical solution has been based. With the aid of this analytical solution the ambient rock pressure at the locations of the measurements is determined. The derived pressures and the corresponding depth below the 750 m level are 20.3 MPa at -300 m, 15.4 MPa at -200 m and 13.3 MPa at -100 m. The measurements, normalized in order to account for the influence of the diameter and for the difference in depth, show good correspondence with former measurements on selected cavities in rock salt. (author). 6 refs.; 17 figs.; 3 tabs
A general model for the dissolution of nuclear waste glasses in salt brine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGrail, B.P.; Strachan, D.M.

1988-07-01

A mechanistic model describing a dynamic mass balance between the production and consumption of dissolved silica was found to describe the dissolution of SRL-165 defense waste glass in a high-magnesium (PBB3) brine at a temperature of 90/degree/C. The synergetic effect of the waste package container on the glass dissolution rate was found to depend on a precipitation reaction for a ferrous silicate mineral. The model predicted that the ferrous silicate precipitate should be variable in composition where the iron-silica ratio depended on the metal-to-glass surface area ratio used in the experiment. This prediction was confirmed experimentally by the variable iron-silica ratios observed in filtered leachates. However, the interaction between dissolved silica and iron corrosion products needs to be much better understood before the model could be used with confidence in predicting radionuclide release rates for a salt repository. If the deleterious effects of the iron corrosion products can be shown to be transient, and the fracturing of the glass can be minimized, it appears that the performance of SRL-165 defense waste glass will be near the NRC regulatory criterion for fraction release of one part in 100,000 in PBB3 brine at 90/degree/C under silica-saturated conditions. 47 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab
Hydrostatic and shear consolidation tests with permeability measurements on Waste Isolation Pilot Plant crushed salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brodsky, N.S.

1994-03-01

Crushed natural rock salt is a primary candidate for use as backfill and barrier material at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and therefore Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has been pursuing a laboratory program designed to quantify its consolidation properties and permeability. Variables that influence consolidation rate that have been examined include stress state and moisture content. The experimental results presented in this report complement existing studies and work in progress conducted by SNL. The experiments described in this report were designed to (1) measure permeabilities of consolidated specimens of crushed salt, (2) determine the influence of brine saturation on consolidation under hydrostatic loads, and 3) measure the effects of small applied shear stresses on consolidation properties. The laboratory effort consisted of 18 individual tests: three permeability tests conducted on specimens that had been consolidated at Sandia, six hydrostatic consolidation and permeability tests conducted on specimens of brine-saturated crushed WIPP salt, and nine shear consolidation and permeability tests performed on crushed WIPP salt specimens containing 3 percent brine by weight. For hydrostatic consolidation tests, pressures ranged from 1.72 MPa to 6.90 MPa. For the shear consolidation tests, confining pressures were between 3.45 MPa and 6.90 MPa and applied axial stress differences were between 0.69 and 4.14 MPa. All tests were run under drained conditions at 25 degrees C
Weeks Island brine diffuser site study: baseline conditions and environmental assessment technical report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1980-12-12

This technical report presents the results of a study conducted at two alternative brine diffuser sites (A and B) proposed for the Weeks Island salt dome, together with an analysis of the potential physical, chemical, and biological effects of brine disposal for this area of the Gulf of Mexico. Brine would result from either the leaching of salt domes to form or enlarge oil storage caverns, or the subsequent use of these caverns for crude oil storage in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) program. Brine leached from the Weeks Island salt dome would be transported through a pipeline which would extend from the salt dome either 27 nautical miles (32 statute miles) for Site A, or 41 nautical miles (47 statute miles) for Site B, into Gulf waters. The brine would be discharged at these sites through an offshore diffuser at a sustained peak rate of 39 ft/sup 3//sec. The disposal of large quantities of brine in the Gulf could have a significant impact on the biology and water quality of the area. Physical and chemical measurements of the marine environment at Sites A and B were taken between September 1977 and July 1978 to correlate the existing environmental conditions with the estimated physical extent of tthe brine discharge as predicted by the MIT model (US Dept. of Commerce, 1977a). Measurements of wind, tide, waves, currents, and stratification (water column structure) were also obtained since the diffusion and dispersion of the brine plume are a function of the local circulation regime. These data were used to calculate both near- and far-field concentrations of brine, and may also be used in the design criteria for diffuser port configuration and verification of the plume model. Biological samples were taken to characterize the sites and to predict potential areas of impact with regard to the discharge. This sampling focused on benthic organisms and demersal fish. (DMC)
Folding and fracturing of rock adjacent to salt diapirs

Science.gov (United States)

Rowan, Mark G.

2017-04-01

When John Ramsay wrote his groundbreaking book in 1967, deformation around salt diapirs was not something he covered. At the time, most geologists considered diapirs to form due to density inversion, rising through thick overlying strata due to buoyancy. In doing so, salt was thought to shove aside the younger rocks, shearing and fracturing them in drag folds and supposedly producing "salt gouge". Even after it was realized that the majority of diapirs spend most of their history growing at or just beneath the surface, the relative rise of salt and sinking of minibasins were (and are) still thought by many to be accommodated in part by shear and fracturing of rocks in a collar zone around the salt. There are two arguments against this model. The first is mechanical: whereas halite behaves as a viscous fluid, even young sediment deforms as a brittle material with layer anisotropy. Thus, the salt-sediment interface is the outer margin of an intrasalt shear zone caused by viscous drag against the diapir margin. The velocity of salt flow decreases dramatically toward the edge of the diapir, so that the outermost salt effectively doesn't move. Hence, no shear or fracturing is expected in surrounding strata. The second and more important argument is that empirical field data do not support the idea of drag folds and associated deformation. Certainly, strata are typically folded and thinned adjacent to diapirs. However, stratal upturn is generated by monoclinal drape folding of the diapir roof over the edge of the rising salt, and thinning is caused by deposition onto the bathymetric highs formed by the diapirs, often supplemented by roof erosion and slumping. Halokinetic sequences observed in numerous salt basins (e.g., Paradox Basin, La Popa Basin, Spanish Pyrenees, Sivas Basin, Zagros Mountains, Kuqa Basin) contain no diapir-parallel shear zones and minimal thinning and fracturing caused by diapir rise. Even megaflaps, in which strata extend for kilometers up the sides
Alteration of rhyolitic (volcanic) glasses in natural Bolivian salt lakes. - Natural analogue for the behavior of radioactive waste glasses in rock salt repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdelouas, A.

1996-06-01

Alteration experiments with the R7T7 glass in three salt brines, saturated respectively in MgCl 2 , MgCl 2 -CaCl 2 and NaCl, showed that the solubilities of most radionuclides are controlled by the secondary phases. Nd, La, and Pr are trapped in powellite, Ce in cerianite, U in coffinite, and Sr is partially immobilized in barite. There is a good similarity between the secondary phases formed experimentally on volcanic glasses and the R7T7 glass altered in MgCl 2 CaCl 2 -saturated brine (formation of hydrotalcite and chlorite-serpentine at short-term and saponite at long-term). These results support the use of volcanic glasses alteration patterns in Mg-rich solutions (seawater, brines) to understand the long-term behavior of nuclear waste glasses and to evaluate the stability of the secondary phases. The study of the sediments of Uyuni (Bolivia) showed that the corrosion rate of the rhyolitic glass in brines at 10 C is 12 to 30 time lower than those of rhyolitic glasses altered in high dilute conditions. The neoformed phases in the sediments are: Smectite, alunite, pyrite, barite, celestite and cerianite. The low alteration rate of rhyolitic glasses in brines and the formation of secondary phases such as smectite, barite and cerianite (also formed during the experimental alteration of the R7T7 glass), permit us to expect the low alteration of nuclear waste glasses at long-term in brines and the trapping of certain radionuclides in secondary phases. (orig.) [de
The effects of pre-salting methods on salt and water distribution of heavily salted cod, as analyzed by ¹H and ²³Na MRI, ²³Na NMR, low-field NMR and physicochemical analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guðjónsdóttir, María; Traoré, Amidou; Jónsson, Ásbjörn

2015-01-01

The effect of different pre-salting methods (brine injection with salt with/without polyphosphates, brining and pickling) on the water and salt distribution in dry salted Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) fillets was studied with proton and sodium NMR and MRI methods, supported by physicochemical analy...
Brine Pockets in the Icy Shell on Europa: Distribution, Chemistry, and Habitability

Science.gov (United States)

Zolotov, M. Yu; Shock, E. L.; Barr, A. C.; Pappalardo, R. T.

2004-01-01

On Earth, sea ice is rich in brine, salt, and gas inclusions that form through capturing of seawater during ice formation. Cooling of the ice over time leads to sequential freezing of captured sea-water, precipitation of salts, exsolution of gases, and formation of brine channels and pockets. Distribution and composition of brines in sea ice depend on the rate of ice formation, vertical temperature gradient, and the age of the ice. With aging, the abundance of brine pockets decreases through downward migration. De- spite low temperatures and elevated salinities, brines in sea ice provide a habitat for photosynthetic and chemosynthetic organisms. On Europa, brine pockets and channels could exist in the icy shell that may be from a few km to a few tens of km thick and is probably underlain by a water ocean. If the icy shell is relatively thick, convection could develop, affecting the temperature pattern in the ice. To predict the distribution and chemistry of brine pockets in the icy shell we have combined numerical models of the temperature distribution within a convecting shell, a model for oceanic chemistry, and a model for freezing of Europan oceanic water. Possible effects of brine and gas inclusions on ice rheology and tectonics are discussed.
Remaining porosity and permeability of compacted crushed rock salt backfill in a HLW repository. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jobmann, M.; Mueller, C.; Schirmer, S.

2015-11-15

The safe containment of radioactive waste is to be ensured by the geotechnical barriers in combination with the containment-providing rock zone (CRZ). The latter is a key element of the recently developed concept of demonstrating the integrity of the geologic barrier (Krone et al., 2013). As stipulated in the safety requirements of the regulating body the CRZ has to have strong barrier properties, and evidence needs to be provided that it retains its integrity throughout the reference period (BMU, 2010). The underground openings excavated in the rock salt will close over time due to the creep properties of the rock salt. This process causes deformations in the surrounding rock salt, which leads to a change in stress state in the virgin rock and may impair the integrity of the containment-providing rock zone. In order to limit the effects of these processes, all underground openings will be backfilled with crushed salt. Immediately after backfilling, the crushed salt will have an initial porosity of approx. 35%, which - over time - will be reduced to very low values due to the creep properties of the rock salt. The supporting pressure that builds up in the crushed salt with increasing compaction slows down the creeping of the salt. Major influencing factors are the temperature (with higher temperatures accelerating the salt creeping) and the moisture of the salt, which - due to the related decrease in the resistance of the crushed salt - facilitates its compaction. The phenomenology of these processes and dependencies is understood to a wide extent. This project investigated the duration until compaction is completed and when and under what circumstances the crushed salt will have the sealing properties necessary to ensure safe containment. Thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes play a crucial role in determining whether solutions which might enter the mine could reach the radioactive waste. This includes changes in material behaviour due to a partial or complete
Liquid interfacial water and brines in the upper surface of Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Moehlmann, Diedrich

2013-04-01

Liquid interfacial water and brines in the upper surface of Mars Diedrich T.F. Möhlmann DLR Institut für Planetenforschung, Rutherfordstr. 2, D - 12489 Berlin, Germany dirk.moehlmann@dlr.de Interfacial water films and numerous brines are known to remain liquid at temperatures far below 0° C. The physical processes behind are described in some detail. Deliquescence, i.e. the liquefaction of hygroscopic salts at the threshold of a specific "Deliquescence Relative Humidity", is shown to be that process, which on present Mars supports the formation of stable interfacial water and bulk liquids in form of temporary brines on and in a salty upper surface of present Mars in a diurnally temporary and repetitive process. Temperature and relative humidity are the governing conditions for deliquescence (and the counterpart "efflorescence") to evolve. The current thermo-dynamical conditions on Mars support these processes to evolve on present Mars. The deliquescence-driven presence of liquid brines in the soil of the upper surface of Mars can expected to be followed by physical and chemical processes like "surface cementation", down-slope flows, and physical and chemical weathering processes. A remarkable and possibly also biologically relevant evolution towards internally interfacial water bearing structures of dendritic capillaries is related to their freezing - thawing driven formation. The internal walls of these network-pores or -tubes can be covered by films of interfacial water, providing that way possibly habitable crack-systems in soil and rock. These evolutionary processes of networks, driven by their tip-growth, can expected to be ongoing also at present.
Distillation Brine Purification for Resource Recovery Applications

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Wastewater processing systems for space generate residual brine that contains water and salts that could be recovered to reduce life support consumables. The project...
Approach to recover strategic metals from brines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raber, E.; Harrar, J.; Gregg, D.

1981-09-16

The objective of the proposed research is to evaluate hypersaline brines from geothermal sources and salt domes as possible sources for some strategic metals. This research is suggested because several previous analyses of brine from geothermal wells in the Imperial Valley, California, and from Gulf Coast salt domes, indicate near commercial values for platinum as well as other metals (i.e., gold, silver). Extraction of the platinum should be technically feasible. A research program should include more complete systematic sampling and analysis for resource delineation, followed by bench-scale investigation of several potential extraction processes. This could be followed by engineering feasibility and design studies, for extraction of the metals either as a by-product of other operations or in a stand-alone process.
Geochemistry of metal-rich brines from central Mississippi Salt Dome basin, U.S.A.

Science.gov (United States)

Kharaka, Y.K.; Maest, A.S.; Carothers, W.W.; Law, L.M.; Lamothe, P.J.; Fries, T.L.

1987-01-01

Oil-field brines are the most favored ore-forming solutions for the sediment-hosted Mississippi Valley-type ore deposits. Detailed inorganic and organic chemical and isotope analyses of water and gas samples from six oil fields in central Mississippi, one of the very few areas with high metal brines, were conducted to study the inorganic and organic complexes responsible for the high concentrations of these metals. The samples were obtained from production zones consisting of sandstone and limestone that range in depth from 1900 to 4000 m (70-120??C) and in age from Late Cretaceous to Late Jurassic. Results show that the waters are dominantly bittern brines related to the Louann Salt. The brines have extremely high salinities that range from 160,000 to 320,000 mg/l total dissolved solids and are NaCaCl-type waters with very high concentrations of Ca (up to 48,000 mg/l) and other alkaline-earth metals, but with low concentrations of aliphatic acid anions. The concentrations of metals in many water samples are very high, reaching values of 70 mg/l for Pb, 245 mg/l for Zn, 465 mg/l for Fe and 210 mg/l for Mn. The samples with high metal contents have extremely low concentrations (<0.02 mg/l) of H2S. Samples obtained from the Smackover Formation (limestone) have low metal contents that are more typical of oil-field waters, but have very high concentrations (up to 85 mg/l) of H2S. Computations with the geochemical code SOLMINEQ.87 give the following results: (1) both Pb and Zn are present predominantly as aqueous chloride complexes (mainly as PbCl42- and ZnCl42-, respectively); (2) the concentrations of metals complexed with short-chained aliphatic acid anions and reduced S species are minor; (3) organic acid anions are important in controlling the concentrations of metals because they affect the pH and buffer capacity of the waters at subsurface conditions; and (4) galena and sphalerite solubilities control the concentrations of Pb and Zn in these waters. ?? 1988.
Chapter 6. Uranium extraction possibilities from natural uranium-bearing waters of complex salt composition. 6.2. Technology for uranium extraction from brine with a high content of ion-chlorine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khakimov, N.; Nazarov, Kh.M.; Mirsaidov, I.U.

2012-01-01

Present article is devoted to technology for uranium extraction from brine with a high content of ion-chlorine. The content of basic anions and cations in lake waters of Sasik-Kul deposit was defined. Results of X-ray spectral analysis of salt residual after water evaporation from Sasik-Kul lake was discussed. Investigations revealed that uranium extraction from brines containing ion-chlorine is possible. The developed basic process flow diagram of uranium extraction from Sasik-Kul Lake' brine consists of the following basic stages: evaporation, leaching, catching of formed gases (HCl), sorption, desorption, deposition, drying and tempering.

Chapter 6. Uranium extraction possibilities from natural uranium-bearing waters of complex salt composition. 6.2. Technology for uranium extraction from brine with a high content of ion-chlorine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khakimov, N.; Nazarov, Kh.M.; Mirsaidov, I.U.

2011-01-01

Present article is devoted to technology for uranium extraction from brine with a high content of ion-chlorine. The content of basic anions and cations in lake waters of Sasik-Kul deposit was defined. Results of X-ray spectral analysis of salt residual after water evaporation from Sasik-Kul lake was discussed. Investigations revealed that uranium extraction from brines containing ion-chlorine is possible. The developed basic process flow diagram of uranium extraction from Sasik-Kul Lake' brine consists of the following basic stages: evaporation, leaching, catching of formed gases (HCl), sorption, desorption, deposition, drying and tempering.
Chemical modeling of nuclear waste repositories in the salt repository project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jansen, G.; Raines, G.E.; Kircher, J.F.; Hubbard, N.

1985-01-01

Salt deposits contain small amounts of water as brine in fluid inclusions in halite and in hydrous minerals, e.g., clays, kieserite (MgSO 4 . H 2 O) and carnallite (KMgCl 3 . 6H 2 O). For the candidate salt deposits, the total amounts of water as volume % brine are: Palo Duro Basin, Texas, approximately 1.8; Paradox Basin, Utah, approximately 5.0 for the carnallite-marker zone, and less than approximately 0.5 below this zone; Gulf Coast salt domes, less than 0.15. For the Palo Duro and Paradox salt, the brines are Mg-rich (approximately 20,000 mg/L to approximately 100,000 mg/L) and sometimes Ca-rich (up to about 20,000 mg/L) NaCl brines. Brine migration calculations have been made using calculations of the time-variant thermal gradient around the waste packages and conservatively high brine volumes in the salt (5.0 volume % for the Texas and Utah sites and 0.5 volume % for the Gulf Coast) as input data. The maximum amounts of brine that eventually migrate to each waste package are about 1.0m 3 (for 5.0 volume % brine) and 0.2m 3 (for 0.5 volume % brine). With current conceptual designs for waste package overpacks (10 to 15 cm thick low-carbon steel), the waste package is not breached by uniform corrosion within 10,000 years. In brines this material thus far shows only uniform corrosion. For the expected conditions, where the brine is provided solely by brine migration, the brine is consumed by reaction with the iron of the overpack nearly as fast as it migrates to the waste package. Therefore, for the expected conditions, data about corrosion rates, radiolysis, etc., are not important. However, it is essential that accurate volumes of in-migrating brine can be calculated
Brine transport in porous media self-similar solutions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C.J. van Duijn (Hans); L.A. Peletier (Bert); R.J. Schotting (Ruud)

1996-01-01

textabstractIn this paper we analyze a model for brine transport in porous media, which includes a mass balance for the fluid, a mass balance for salt, Darcy's law and an equation of state, which relates the fluid density to the salt mass fraction. This model incorporates the effect of local volume
Hydrology and surface morphology of the Bonneville Salt Flats and Pilot Valley Playa, Utah

Science.gov (United States)

Lines, Gregory C.

1979-01-01

The Bonneville Salt Flats and Pilot Valley are in the western part of the Great Salt Lake Desert in northwest Utah. The areas are separate, though similar, hydrologic basins, and both contain a salt crust. The Bonneville salt crust covered about 40 square miles in the fall of 1976, and the salt crust in Pilot Valley covered 7 square miles. Both areas lack any noticeable surface relief (in 1976, 1.3 feet on the Bonneville salt crust and 0.3 foot on the Pilot Valley salt crust).The salt crust on the Salt Flats has been used for many years for automobile racing, and brines from shallow lacustrine deposits have been used for the production of potash. In recent years, there has been an apparent conflict between these two major uses of the area as the salt crust has diminished in both thickness and extent. Much of the Bonneville Racetrack has become rougher, and there has also been an increase in the amount of sediment on the south end of the racetrack. The Pilot Valley salt crust and surrounding playa have been largely unused.Evaporite minerals on the Salt Flats and the Pilot Valley playa are concentrated in three zones: (1) a carbonate zone composed mainly of authigenic clay-size carbonate minerals, (2) a sulfate zone composed mainly of authigenic gypsum, and (3) a chloride zone composed of crystalline halite (the salt crust). Five major types of salt crust were recognized on the Salt Flats, but only one type was observed in Pilot Valley. Geomorphic differences in the salt crust are caused by differences in their hydrologic environments. The salt crusts are dynamic features that are subject to change because of climatic factors and man's activities.Ground water occurs in three distinct aquifers in much of the western Great Salt Lake Desert: (1) the basin-fill aquifer, which yields water from conglomerate in the lower part of the basin fill, (2) the alluvial-fan aquifer, which yields water from sand and gravel along the western margins of both playas, and (3) the
Spinel–rock salt transformation in LiCoMnO4−δ

Science.gov (United States)

Reeves-McLaren, Nik; Sharp, Joanne; Beltrán-Mir, Héctor; Rainforth, W. Mark; West, Anthony R.

2016-01-01

The transformation on heating LiCoMnO4, with a spinel structure, to LiCoMnO3, with a cation-disordered rock salt structure, accompanied by loss of 25% of the oxygen, has been followed using a combination of diffraction, microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. The transformation does not proceed by a topotactic mechanism, even though the spinel and rock salt phases have a similar, cubic close-packed oxygen sublattice. Instead, the transformation passes through two stages involving, first, precipitation of Li2MnO3, leaving behind a Li-deficient, Co-rich non-stoichiometric spinel and, second, rehomogenization of the two-phase assemblage, accompanied by additional oxygen loss, to give the homogeneous rock salt final product; a combination of electron energy loss spectroscopy and X-ray absorption near edge structure analyses showed oxidation states of Co2+ and Mn3+ in LiCoMnO3. Subsolidus phase diagram determination of the Li2O-CoOx-MnOy system has established the compositional extent of spinel solid solutions at approximately 500°C. PMID:26997883
Extraction of lithium from salt lake brine using room temperature ionic liquid in tributyl phosphate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi, Chenglong; Jia, Yongzhong; Zhang, Chao; Liu, Hong; Jing, Yan

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We proposed a new system for Li recovery from salt lake brine by extraction using an ionic liquid. • Cation exchange was proposed to be the mechanism of extraction followed in ionic liquid. • This ionic liquid system shown considerable extraction ability for lithium and the single extraction efficiency of lithium reached 87.28% under the optimal conditions. - Abstract: Lithium is known as the energy metal and it is a key raw material for preparing lithium isotopes which have important applications in nuclear energy source. In this work, a typical room temperature ionic liquid (RTILs), 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C 4 mim][PF 6 ]), was used as an alternative solvent to study liquid/liquid extraction of lithium from salt lake brine. In this system, the ionic liquid, NaClO 4 and tributyl phosphate (TBP) were used as extraction medium, co-extraction reagent and extractant respectively. The effects of solution pH value, phase ratio, ClO 4 − amount and other factors on lithium extraction efficiency had been investigated. Optimal extraction conditions of this system include the ratio of TBP/IL at 4/1 (v/v), O/A at 2:1, n(ClO 4 − )/n(Li + ) at 2:1, the equilibration time of 10 min and unadjusted pH. Under the optimal conditions, the single extraction efficiency of lithium was 87.28% which was much higher than the conventional extraction system. Total extraction efficiency of 99.12% was obtained by triple-stage countercurrent extraction. Study on the mechanism revealed that the use of ionic liquid increased the extraction yield of lithium through cation exchange in this system. Preliminary results indicated that the use of [C 4 mim][PF 6 ] as an alternate solvent to replace traditional organic solvents (VOCs) in liquid/liquid extraction was very promising
Mathematical model of salt cavern leaching for gas storage in high-insoluble salt formations.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jinlong; Shi, Xilin; Yang, Chunhe; Li, Yinping; Wang, Tongtao; Ma, Hongling

2018-01-10

A mathematical model is established to predict the salt cavern development during leaching in high-insoluble salt formations. The salt-brine mass transfer rate is introduced, and the effects of the insoluble sediments on the development of the cavern are included. Considering the salt mass conservation in the cavern, the couple equations of the cavern shape, brine concentration and brine velocity are derived. According to the falling and accumulating rules of the insoluble particles, the governing equations of the insoluble sediments are deduced. A computer program using VC++ language is developed to obtain the numerical solution of these equations. To verify the proposed model, the leaching processes of two salt caverns of Jintan underground gas storage are simulated by the program, using the actual geological and technological parameters. The same simulation is performed by the current mainstream leaching software in China. The simulation results of the two programs are compared with the available field data. It shows that the proposed software is more accurate on the shape prediction of the cavern bottom and roof, which demonstrates the reliability and applicability of the model.
Mechanical and Thermophysical Properties of Cubic Rock-Salt AlN Under High Pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Lebga, Noudjoud; Daoud, Salah; Sun, Xiao-Wei; Bioud, Nadhira; Latreche, Abdelhakim

2018-03-01

Density functional theory, density functional perturbation theory, and the Debye model have been used to investigate the structural, elastic, sound velocity, and thermodynamic properties of AlN with cubic rock-salt structure under high pressure, yielding the equilibrium structural parameters, equation of state, and elastic constants of this interesting material. The isotropic shear modulus, Pugh ratio, and Poisson's ratio were also investigated carefully. In addition, the longitudinal, transverse, and average elastic wave velocities, phonon contribution to the thermal conductivity, and interesting thermodynamic properties were predicted and analyzed in detail. The results demonstrate that the behavior of the elastic wave velocities under increasing hydrostatic pressure explains the hardening of the corresponding phonons. Based on the elastic stability criteria under pressure, it is found that AlN with cubic rock-salt structure is mechanically stable, even at pressures up to 100 GPa. Analysis of the Pugh ratio and Poisson's ratio revealed that AlN with cubic rock-salt structure behaves in brittle manner.
Groundwater movement in the overlying rock and at the flumes of the salt wash surface in the Asse salt stock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoenfeld, E.

1986-07-01

There are two groundwater storeys in the Asse massif. One within the overlaying rock and one at the flumes of the top of the salt plug. Both groundwater storeys are hydraulically connected via two points of contact. With the exception of this connecting path between overlaying rock and top of salt plug no further connecting path of this kind is known in the investigation area. Due to the petrographic formation of the strata in the investigation area, the decisive groundwater flow is only possible in the joints. (orig./PW) [de
Origin, distribution, and movement of brine in the Permian Basin (U.S.A.). A model for displacement of connate brine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bein, A.; Dutton, A.R.

1993-01-01

Na-Cl, halite Ca-Cl, and gypsum Ca-Cl brines with salinities from 45 to >300 g/L are identified and mapped in four hydrostratigraphic units in the Permian Basin area beneath western Texas and Oklahoma and eastern New Mexico, providing spatial and lithologic constraints on the interpretation of the origin and movement of brine. Na-Cl brine is derived from meteoric water as young as 5-10 Ma that dissolved anhydrite and halite, whereas Ca-Cl brine is interpreted to be ancient, modified-connate Permian brine that now is mixing with, and being displaced by, the Na-Cl brine. Displacement fronts appear as broad mixing zones with no significant salinity gradients. Evolution of Ca-Cl brine composition from ideal evaporated sea water is attributed to dolomitization and syndepositional recycling of halite and bittern salts by intermittent influx of fresh water and sea water. Halite Ca-Cl brine in the evaporite section in the northern part of the basin differs from gypsum Ca-Cl brine in the south-central part in salinity and Na/Cl ratio and reflects segregation between halite- and gypsum-precipitating lagoons during the Permian. Ca-Cl brine moved downward through the evaporite section into the underlying Lower Permian and Pennsylvanian marine section that is now the deep-basin brine aquifer, mixing there with pre-existing sea water. Buoyancy-driven convection of brine dominated local flow for most of basin history, with regional advection governed by topographically related forces dominant only for the past 5 to 10 Ma. 71 refs., 11 figs
Validating predictions of evolving porosity and permeability in carbonate reservoir rocks exposed to CO2-brine

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, M. M.; Hao, Y.; Carroll, S.

2017-12-01

Improving our ability to better forecast the extent and impact of changes in porosity and permeability due to CO2-brine-carbonate reservoir interactions should lower uncertainty in long-term geologic CO2 storage capacity estimates. We have developed a continuum-scale reactive transport model that simulates spatial and temporal changes to porosity, permeability, mineralogy, and fluid composition within carbonate rocks exposed to CO2 and brine at storage reservoir conditions. The model relies on two primary parameters to simulate brine-CO2-carbonate mineral reaction: kinetic rate constant(s), kmineral, for carbonate dissolution; and an exponential parameter, n, relating porosity change to resulting permeability. Experimental data collected from fifteen core-flooding experiments conducted on samples from the Weyburn (Saskatchewan, Canada) and Arbuckle (Kansas, USA) carbonate reservoirs were used to calibrate the reactive-transport model and constrain the useful range of k and n values. Here we present the results of our current efforts to validate this model and the use of these parameter values, by comparing predictions of extent and location of dissolution and the evolution of fluid permeability against our results from new core-flood experiments conducted on samples from the Duperow Formation (Montana, USA). Agreement between model predictions and experimental data increase our confidence that these parameter ranges need not be considered site-specific but may be applied (within reason) at various locations and reservoirs. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.
Electrochemical corrosion studies on a selected carbon steel for application in nuclear waste disposal containers: Influence of radiolytic products on corrosion in brines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farvaque-Bera, A.M.; Smailos, E.

1994-07-01

In previous corrosion studies, carbon steels were identified as promising materials for the manufacturing of long-lived high-level waste containers that could act as a radionuclide barrier in a rock-salt repository. In the present work, the influence of some important oxidizing radiolytic products generated in gamma irradiated brines on the electrochemical corrosion behaviour of the preselected fine-grained steel TStE 355 was studied. The steel was examined by potentiodynamic and potentiostatic polarization methods at 90 C in a disposal relevant NaCl-rich brine containing radiolytic products such as H 2 O 2 , ClO - , ClO 3 - and ClO 4 - at concentrations between 10 -4 and 10 -2 M/l. The significance of the radiolytic products to steel corrosion depends on their concentration at the metal-brine interface, which in turn, depends on many factors such as the dose rate, the amount of water present in the disposal area, the escape of gases (e.g. H 2 )
Romanian experience with rock salt characterisation methods and the implications for disposal of spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaconu, Daniela; Balan, Valeriu; Mirion, Ilie

2001-01-01

The disposal in deep geological formations as rock salt, granite or clay seems to be now the most appropriate solution for final storage of the spent fuel. At this moment, rock salt is one of the Romanian options for spent fuel disposal, but the final decision will be made only after a performance assessment of this geological formation, having as input data the specific characteristics of the salt rock. In order to provide the data requested by the safety assessment programs, the Institute for Nuclear Research - Pitesti developed complex and modern methodologies for thermodynamic parameter determination as well as studies on salt convergence and radionuclide migration. The methodologies pursued to determine those thermal properties specific for spent fuel disposal as dilatation coefficient, heat conductivity and specific heat. The convergence and migration studies pursued a better understanding of these processes, very important in the disposal safety. The paper is a review of those studies and presents the methodologies and the main results obtained on salt samples from Slanic Prahova Salt Mine. (authors)
Data report on leach tests of Pu-doped UO2 in PBB1 brine: Salt Repository Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gray, W.J.

1987-10-01

This report provides results from a series of leach tests conducted using nonirradiated uranium dioxide (UO 2 ) doped with plutonium (Pu) to simulate the alpha activity of spent fuel specimens used in recent spent fuel leach tests. The purpose was to determine whether alpha radiation from the spent fuel could be responsible for uranium release values in spent fuel leach tests in salt brine that were at least 100 times greater than from similar tests with nonirradiated UO 2 pellets. The data in this data report are preliminary; they have been neither analyzed nor evaluated. 2 refs., 2 figs., 8 tabs
Electrochemical studies of the corrosion behavior of the fine-grained structural steel DIN W.Nr. 1.0566 between 55 and 90deg C in simulated salt brine repository environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farvaque-Bera, A.M.; Leistikow, S.

1991-05-01

The electrochemical corrosion of the fine-grained structural steel DIN W. Nr. 1.0566 was tested between 55 and 90deg C in three simulated salt brines of similar compositions as analyzed for the Gorleben repository environment. As test parameters the temperature, the salt brine composition, the stirring velocity and the oxygen content as well as the state of the steel surface were varied. As experimental results are presented: (1) the free corrosion potentials of the steel in three brines, (2) Tafel plots of current densities as measured potentiodynamically in the anodic and cathodic vicinity of the corrosion potentials and being representative for the rate of metal dissolution, (3) the surface morphology of the corroded specimens. As mechanisms - in the absence of oxygen - the cathodic reduction of water and the anodic dissolution of iron are considered to prevail the corrosion reaction. It is shown that the applied electrochemical techniques are able to determine within an accelerated procedure the most important corrosion parameters in respect to their influence on rate of metal dissolution and morphology of corrosion attack. (orig.) [de
Effect of water in salt repositories. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baes, C.F. Jr.; Gilpatrick, L.O.; Kitts, F.G.; Bronstein, H.R.; Shor, A.J.

1983-09-01

Additional results confirm that during most of the consolidation of polycrystalline salt in brine, the previously proposed rate expression applies. The final consolidation, however, proceeds at a lower rate than predicted. The presence of clay hastens the consolidation process but does not greatly affect the previously observed relationship between permeability and void fraction. Studies of the migration of brine within polycrystalline salt specimens under stress indicate that the principal effect is the exclusion of brine as a result of consolidation, a process that evidently can proceed to completion. No clear effect of a temperature gradient could be identified. A previously reported linear increase with time of the reciprocal permeability of salt-crystal interfaces to brine was confirmed, though the rate of increase appears more nearly proportional to the product of sigma ΔP rather than sigma ΔP 2 (sigma is the uniaxial stress normal to the interface and ΔP is the hydraulic pressure drop). The new results suggest that a limiting permeability may be reached. A model for the permeability of salt-crystal interfaces to brine is developed that is reasonably consistent with the present results and may be used to predict the permeability of bedded salt. More measurements are needed, however, to choose between two limiting forms of the model
Effect of water in salt repositories. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baes, C.F. Jr.; Gilpatrick, L.O.; Kitts, F.G.; Bronstein, H.R.; Shor, A.J.

1983-09-01

Additional results confirm that during most of the consolidation of polycrystalline salt in brine, the previously proposed rate expression applies. The final consolidation, however, proceeds at a lower rate than predicted. The presence of clay hastens the consolidation process but does not greatly affect the previously observed relationship between permeability and void fraction. Studies of the migration of brine within polycrystalline salt specimens under stress indicate that the principal effect is the exclusion of brine as a result of consolidation, a process that evidently can proceed to completion. No clear effect of a temperature gradient could be identified. A previously reported linear increase with time of the reciprocal permeability of salt-crystal interfaces to brine was confirmed, though the rate of increase appears more nearly proportional to the product of sigma ..delta..P rather than sigma ..delta..P/sup 2/ (sigma is the uniaxial stress normal to the interface and ..delta..P is the hydraulic pressure drop). The new results suggest that a limiting permeability may be reached. A model for the permeability of salt-crystal interfaces to brine is developed that is reasonably consistent with the present results and may be used to predict the permeability of bedded salt. More measurements are needed, however, to choose between two limiting forms of the model.
Cleavage and creep fracture of rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, K.S.; Munson, D.E.; Bodner, S.R.

1996-01-01

The dominant failure mechanism in rock salt at ambient temperature is either cleavage or creep fracture. Since the transition of creep fracture to cleavage in a compressive stress field is not well understood, failure of rock salt by cleavage and creep fracture is analyzed in this paper to elucidate the effect of stress state on the competition between these two fracture mechanisms. For cleavage fracture, a shear crack is assumed to cause the formation and growth of a symmetric pair of wing cracks in a predominantly compressive stress field. The conditions for wing-crack instability are derived and presented as the cleavage fracture boundary in the fracture mechanism map. Using an existing creep fracture model, stress conditions for the onset of creep fracture and isochronous failure curves of specified times-to-rupture are calculated and incorporated into the fracture mechanism map. The regimes of dominance by cleavage and creep fracture are established and compared with experimental data. The result indicates that unstable propagation of cleavage cracks occurs only in the presence of tensile stress. The onset of creep fracture is promoted by a tensile stress, but can be totally suppressed by a high confining pressure. Transition of creep fracture to cleavage occurs when critical conditions of stress difference and tensile stress for crack instability are exceeded
Evaluation of salt and mine rock disposal. Project No. 76-283

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-11-01

Studies are being performed on the isolation of nuclear waste in geological formations; this would entail constructing an underground mine in selected rock strata for waste storage. Rocks removed from the mine during construction must be either disposed of permanently or temporarily stored for later backfill into the mine. Several methods of storing or disposing of the mined rock are discussed in this report. The technical feasibility, cost, advantages and disadvantages of each method are presented and the ranking of methods based on currently available data is discussed. Salt, shale, granite, and limestone are covered
Summary of United States Geological Survey investigations of fluid-rock-waste reactions in evaporite environments under repository conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stewart, D.B.; Jones, B.F.; Roedder, E.; Potter, R.W. II

1980-01-01

The interstitial and inclusion fluids contained in rock salt and anhydrite, though present in amounts less than 1 weight per cent, are chemically aggressive and may react with canisters or wastes. The three basic types of fluids are: (1) bitterns residual from saline mineral precipitation including later recrystallization reactions; (2) brines containing residual solutes from the formation of evaporite that have been extensively modified by reactions with contiguous carbonate of clastic rocks; and (3) re-solution brines resulting from secondary dehydration of evaporite minerals or solution of saline minerals by undersaturated infiltrating waters. Fluid composition can indicate that meteoric flow systems have contacted evaporites or that fluids from evaporites have migrated into other formations. The movement of fluids trapped in fluid inclusions in salt from southeast New Mexico is most sensitive to ambient temperature and to inclusion size, although several other factors such as thermal gradient and vapour/liquid ratio are also important. There is no evidence of a threshold temperature for movement of inclusions. Empirical data are given for determining the amount of brine reaching the heat source if the temperature, approximate amount of total dissolved solids, and Ca:Mg ratio in the brine are known. SrCl 2 and CsCl can reach high concentrations in saturated NaCl solutions and greatly depress the liquidus. The possibility that such fluids, if generated, could migrate from a high-level waste repository must be minimized because the fluid would contain its own radiogenic energy source in the first decades after repository closure, thus changing the thermal evolution of the repository from designed values. (author)

Study of lithium extraction from brine water, Bledug Kuwu, Indonesia by the precipitation series of oxalic acid and carbonate sodium

Science.gov (United States)

Sulistiyono, Eko; Lalasari, Latifa Hanum; Mayangsari, W.; Prasetyo, A. B.

2018-05-01

Lithium is one of the key elements in the development of batteries for electric car applications. Currently, the resources of the world's lithium are derived from brine water and lithium mineral based on spodumene rock. Indonesia which is located in the area of the ring of fire, has potential brine water resources in some area, such as brine water from Bledug Kuwu, Central Java that used in this research. The purposes of this research are to characterize brine water, Bledug Kuwu and to investigate the influence of chemical solvents on Li, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Al, B ion precipitation from brine water. This research was done with 2 times the process of chemical precipitation that runs series as follows: 5 liters of brine water were chemically precipitated using 400 ml of 12.43 N oxalic acid and followed by chemical precipitation using 400 mL of 7.07 N sodium carbonate solutions. Evaporation and filtration processes were also done twice in an effort to separate white precipitate and filtrate. The filtrate was analyzed by ICP-OES and white precipitates (salts) were analyzed by SEM, XRD, and XRF. The result shows that oxalate precipitation process extracted 32.24% Al, 23.42% B, 22.43% Ca, 14.26% Fe, 3.21 % K, 9.86% Na and 14.26% Li, the following process by carbonate precipitation process extracted 98.86% Mg, 73% Ca, 22.53% Li, 82.04% Al, 14.38% B, 12.50% K, 2.27% Na. There is 63.21% lithium is not extracted from the series process. The SEM analysis shows that the structure of granules on the precipitated salts by oxalic acid form gentle cubic-shaped solid. In the other hand, oxalate precipitation followed by sodium carbonate has various particle sizes and the shape of crystals is fragments, prism and cube look like magnesium carbonate, calcium chloride, and calcite's crystal respectively. This is in accordance with XRD analysis that phases of whewellite (CaC2O4.H2O), disodium oxalate (Na2C2O4), magnesite (MgCO3), calcium lithium aluminum (Al1.19 Ca1Li0.81), dolomite (CaCO3
Numerical Study on CO2-Brine-Rock Interaction of Enhanced Geothermal Systems with CO2 as Heat Transmission Fluid

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Wan Yuyu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS with CO2 instead of water as heat transmission fluid is an attractive concept for both geothermal resources development and CO2 geological sequestration. Previous studies show that CO2 has lots of favorable properties as heat transmission fluid and also can offer geologic storage of CO2 as an ancillary benefit. However, after CO2 injection into geological formations, chemical reaction between brine and rock can change chemical characteristics of saline and properties of rock such as porosity and permeability. Is this advantage or disadvantage for EGS operating? To answer this question, we have performed chemically reactive transport modeling to investigate fluid-rock interactions and CO2 mineral carbonation of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS site at Desert Peak (Nevada operated with CO2. The simulation results show that (1 injection CO2 can create a core zone fulfilled with CO2 as main working domain for EGS, and (2 CO2 storage can induced self-enhancing alteration of EGS.
Draft Genome of Scalindua rubra, Obtained from the Interface Above the Discovery Deep Brine in the Red Sea, Sheds Light on Potential Salt Adaptation Strategies in Anammox Bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Speth, Daan R; Lagkouvardos, Ilias; Wang, Yong; Qian, Pei-Yuan; Dutilh, Bas E; Jetten, Mike S M

2017-07-01

Several recent studies have indicated that members of the phylum Planctomycetes are abundantly present at the brine-seawater interface (BSI) above multiple brine pools in the Red Sea. Planctomycetes include bacteria capable of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox). Here, we investigated the possibility of anammox at BSI sites using metagenomic shotgun sequencing of DNA obtained from the BSI above the Discovery Deep brine pool. Analysis of sequencing reads matching the 16S rRNA and hzsA genes confirmed presence of anammox bacteria of the genus Scalindua. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that this Scalindua sp. belongs to a distinct group, separate from the anammox bacteria in the seawater column, that contains mostly sequences retrieved from high-salt environments. Using coverage- and composition-based binning, we extracted and assembled the draft genome of the dominant anammox bacterium. Comparative genomic analysis indicated that this Scalindua species uses compatible solutes for osmoadaptation, in contrast to other marine anammox bacteria that likely use a salt-in strategy. We propose the name Candidatus Scalindua rubra for this novel species, alluding to its discovery in the Red Sea.
Observations of brine plumes below melting Arctic sea ice

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A. K. Peterson

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In sea ice, interconnected pockets and channels of brine are surrounded by fresh ice. Over time, brine is lost by gravity drainage and flushing. The timing of salt release and its interaction with the underlying water can impact subsequent sea ice melt. Turbulence measurements 1 m below melting sea ice north of Svalbard reveal anticorrelated heat and salt fluxes. From the observations, 131 salty plumes descending from the warm sea ice are identified, confirming previous observations from a Svalbard fjord. The plumes are likely triggered by oceanic heat through bottom melt. Calculated over a composite plume, oceanic heat and salt fluxes during the plumes account for 6 and 9 % of the total fluxes, respectively, while only lasting in total 0.5 % of the time. The observed salt flux accumulates to 7.6 kg m−2, indicating nearly full desalination of the ice. Bulk salinity reduction between two nearby ice cores agrees with accumulated salt fluxes to within a factor of 2. The increasing fraction of younger, more saline ice in the Arctic suggests an increase in desalination processes with the transition to the new Arctic.
Observations of brine plumes below melting Arctic sea ice

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Algot K.

2018-02-01

In sea ice, interconnected pockets and channels of brine are surrounded by fresh ice. Over time, brine is lost by gravity drainage and flushing. The timing of salt release and its interaction with the underlying water can impact subsequent sea ice melt. Turbulence measurements 1 m below melting sea ice north of Svalbard reveal anticorrelated heat and salt fluxes. From the observations, 131 salty plumes descending from the warm sea ice are identified, confirming previous observations from a Svalbard fjord. The plumes are likely triggered by oceanic heat through bottom melt. Calculated over a composite plume, oceanic heat and salt fluxes during the plumes account for 6 and 9 % of the total fluxes, respectively, while only lasting in total 0.5 % of the time. The observed salt flux accumulates to 7.6 kg m-2, indicating nearly full desalination of the ice. Bulk salinity reduction between two nearby ice cores agrees with accumulated salt fluxes to within a factor of 2. The increasing fraction of younger, more saline ice in the Arctic suggests an increase in desalination processes with the transition to the new Arctic.
Origin and Evolution of Li-rich Brines at Clayton Valley, Nevada, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Munk, L. A.; Bradley, D. C.; Hynek, S. A.; Chamberlain, C. P.

2011-12-01

Lithium is the key component in Li-ion batteries which are the primary energy storage for electric/hybrid cars and most electronics. Lithium is also an element of major importance on a global scale because of interest in increasing reliance on alternative energy sources. Lithium brines and pegmatites are the primary and secondary sources, respectively of all produced Li. The only Li-brine in the USA that is currently in production exists in Clayton Valley, NV. The groundwater brines at Clayton Valley are located in a closed basin with an average evaporation rate of 142 cm/yr. The brines are pumped from six aquifer units that are composed of varying amounts of volcanic ash, gravel, salt, tufa, and fine-grained sediments. Samples collected include spring water, fresh groundwater, groundwater brine, and meteoric water (snow). The brines are classified as Na-Cl waters and the springs and fresh groundwater have a mixed composition and are more dilute than the brines. The Li content of the waters in Clayton Valley ranges from less than 1 μg/L (snow) up to 406.9 mg/L in the lower ash aquifer system (one of six aquifers in the basin). The cold springs surrounding Clayton Valley have Li concentrations of about 1 mg/L. A hot spring located just east of Clayton Valley contains 1.6 mg/L Li. The Li concentration of the fresh groundwater is less than 1 mg/L. Hot groundwater collected in the basin contain 30-40 mg/L Li. Water collected from a geothermal drilling north of Silver Peak, NV, had water with 4.9 mg/L Li at a depth of >1000m. The δD and δ18O isotopic signatures of fresh groundwater and brine form an evaporation path that extends from the global meteoric water line toward the brine from the salt aquifer system (the most isotopically enriched brine with ave. δD = -3.5, ave. δ18O = -67.0). This suggests that mixing of inflow water with the salt aquifer brine could have played an important role in the evolution of the brines. Along with mixing, evaporation appears to
Self-healing of excavation-disturbed rocks in the near field of underground cavities - exemplary measurements in rock salt and interpretation of preliminary results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wieczorek, K.; Schwarzianeck, P.; Rothfuchs, T.

2001-01-01

Excavation disturbed zones develop in all kinds of rock as a consequence of the opening of cavities. Such zones are characterized by a change in hydraulic behaviour which can form a problem with regard to the sealing of waste disposal areas. Rocks showing a plastic behaviour, like rock salt, have the potential of healing when the stress state which was disturbed by excavation returns to an advantageous state. If healing can reliably be predicted, the excavation disturbed zone may not form a long-term safety issue in rock salt. Investigations of permeability and stress state around lined and open excavations have been performed in order to relate hydraulic behaviour to stress state. First results which are presented here are promising. (authors)
Thermal properties of rock salt and quartz monzonite to 5730K and 50-MPa confining pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durham, W.B.; Abey, A.E.

1981-01-01

Measurements of thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and thermal linear expansion have been made on two rock types, a rock salt and a quartz monzonite, at temperatures from 300 to 573 0 K and confining pressures from 10 to 50 MPa. The samples were taken from deep rock formations under consideration as possible sites for a nuclear waste repository - the rock salt from a domal salt formation at Avery Island, Louisiana, and the quartz monzonite from the Climax Stock, Nevada Test Site, Nevada. The testing temperature and pressures are meant to bracket conditions expected in the repository. In both rock types, the thermal properties show a strong dependence upon temperature and a weak or non-dependence upon confining pressure. Thermal conductivity and diffusivity both decrease with increasing temperature in approximately linear fashion for samples which have not been previously heated. At 50 MPa in both rocks this decrease closely matches the measured or expected intrinsic (crack-free) behavior of the material. Preliminary indications from the quartz monzonite suggest that conductivity and diffusivity at low pressure and temperature may decrease as a result of heat treatment above 400 0 K
The technology of uranium extraction from the brine with high chlorine-ion content

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khakimov, N.; Nazarov, Kh.M.; Mirsaidov, I.U.; Negmatov, Sh.I.; Barotov, B.B.

2010-01-01

Present article is devoted to technology of uranium extraction from the brine with high chlorine-ion content. The research results on uranium extraction from the brine of Sasik-Kul Lake by means of sorption method were considered. The chemical composition of salt was determined. The process of uranium sorption was described and analyzed. The technology of uranium extraction from the brine with high chlorine-ion content was proposed.
Geohydromechanical Processes in the Excavation Damaged Zone in Crystalline Rock, Rock Salt, and Indurated and Plastic Clays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, Chin-Fu; Bernier, Frederic; Davies, Christophe

2004-01-01

The creation of an excavation disturbed zone or excavation damaged zone is expected around all man-made openings in geologic formations. Macro- and micro-fracturing, and in general a redistribution of in situ stresses and rearrangement of rock structures, will occur in this zone, resulting in drastic changes of permeability to flow, mainly through the fractures and cracks induced by excavation. Such an EDZ may have significant implications for the operation and long-term performance of an underground nuclear waste repository. Various issues of concern need to be evaluated, such as processes creating fractures in the excavation damaged zone, the degree of permeability increase, and the potential for sealing or healing (with permeability reduction) in the zone. In recent years, efforts along these lines have been made for a potential repository in four rock types-crystalline rock, salt, indurated clay, and plastic clay-and these efforts have involved field, laboratory, and theoretical studies. The present work involves a synthesis of the ideas and issues that emerged from presentations and discussions on EDZ in these four rock types at a CLUSTER Conference and Workshop held in Luxembourg in November, 2003. First, definitions of excavation disturbed and excavation damaged zones are proposed. Then, an approach is suggested for the synthesis and intercomparison of geohydromechanical processes in the EDZ for the four rock types (crystalline rock, salt, indurated clay, and plastic clay). Comparison tables of relevant processes, associated factors, and modeling and testing techniques are developed. A discussion of the general state-of-the-art and outstanding issues are also presented. A substantial bibliography of relevant papers on the subject is supplied at the end of the paper
The advantages of a salt/bentonite backfill for Waste Isolation Pilot Plant disposal rooms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butcher, B.M.; Novak, C.F.; Jercinovic, M.

1991-04-01

A 70/30 wt% salt/bentonite mixture is shown to be preferable to pure crushed salt as backfill for disposal rooms in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This report discusses several selection criteria used to arrive at this conclusion: the need for low permeability and porosity after closure, chemical stability with the surroundings, adequate strength to avoid shear erosion from human intrusion, ease of emplacement, and sorption potential for brine and radionuclides. Both salt and salt/bentonite are expected to consolidate to a final state of impermeability (i.e., ≤ 10 -18 m 2 ) adequate for satisfying federal nuclear regulations. Any advantage of the salt/bentonite mixture is dependent upon bentonite's potential for sorbing brine and radionuclides. Estimates suggest that bentonite's sorption potential for water in brine is much less than for pure water. While no credit is presently taken for brine sorption in salt/bentonite backfill, the possibility that some amount of inflowing brine would be chemically bound is considered likely. Bentonite may also sorb much of the plutonium, americium, and neptunium within the disposal room inventory. Sorption would be effective only if a major portion of the backfill is in contact with radioactive brine. Brine flow from the waste out through highly localized channels in the backfill would negate sorption effectiveness. Although the sorption potentials of bentonite for both brine and radionuclides are not ideal, they are distinctly beneficial. Furthermore, no detrimental aspects of adding bentonite to the salt as a backfill have been identified. These two observations are the major reasons for selecting salt/bentonite as a backfill within the WIPP. 39 refs., 16 figs., 6 tabs
Uniaxial creep as a control on mercury intrusion capillary pressure in consolidating rock salt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dewers, Thomas [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Heath, Jason E. [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Leigh, Christi D. [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-09-01

The nature of geologic disposal of nuclear waste in salt formations requires validated and verified two - phase flow models of transport of brine and gas through intact, damaged, and consolidating crushed salt. Such models exist in oth er realms of subsurface engineering for other lithologic classes (oil and gas, carbon sequestration etc. for clastics and carbonates) but have never been experimentally validated and parameterized for salt repository scenarios or performance assessment. Mo dels for waste release scenarios in salt back - fill require phenomenological expressions for capillary pressure and relative permeability that are expected to change with degree of consolidation, and require experimental measurement to parameterize and vali date. This report describes a preliminary assessment of the influence of consolidation (i.e. volume strain or porosity) on capillary entry pressure in two phase systems using mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP). This is to both determine the potent ial usefulness of the mercury intrusion porosimetry method, but also to enable a better experimental design for these tests. Salt consolidation experiments are performed using novel titanium oedometers, or uniaxial compression cells often used in soil mech anics, using sieved run - of - mine salt from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) as starting material. Twelve tests are performed with various starting amounts of brine pore saturation, with axial stresses up to 6.2 MPa (%7E900 psi) and temperatures to 90 o C. This corresponds to UFD Work Package 15SN08180211 milestone "FY:15 Transport Properties of Run - of - Mine Salt Backfill - Unconsolidated to Consolidated". Samples exposed to uniaxial compression undergo time - dependent consolidation, or creep, to various deg rees. Creep volume strain - time relations obey simple log - time behavior through the range of porosities (%7E50 to 2% as measured); creep strain rate increases with temperature and applied stress as
Extraction of lithium from salt lake brine using room temperature ionic liquid in tributyl phosphate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shi, Chenglong [Key Laboratory of Salt Lake Resources and Chemistry, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 810008 Xining (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing (China); Jia, Yongzhong [Key Laboratory of Salt Lake Resources and Chemistry, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 810008 Xining (China); Zhang, Chao [Key Laboratory of Salt Lake Resources and Chemistry, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 810008 Xining (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing (China); Liu, Hong [Qinghai Salt Chemical Products Supervision and Inspection Center, 816000 Golmud (China); Jing, Yan, E-mail: 1580707906@qq.com [Key Laboratory of Salt Lake Resources and Chemistry, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 810008 Xining (China)

2015-01-15

Highlights: • We proposed a new system for Li recovery from salt lake brine by extraction using an ionic liquid. • Cation exchange was proposed to be the mechanism of extraction followed in ionic liquid. • This ionic liquid system shown considerable extraction ability for lithium and the single extraction efficiency of lithium reached 87.28% under the optimal conditions. - Abstract: Lithium is known as the energy metal and it is a key raw material for preparing lithium isotopes which have important applications in nuclear energy source. In this work, a typical room temperature ionic liquid (RTILs), 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C{sub 4}mim][PF{sub 6}]), was used as an alternative solvent to study liquid/liquid extraction of lithium from salt lake brine. In this system, the ionic liquid, NaClO{sub 4} and tributyl phosphate (TBP) were used as extraction medium, co-extraction reagent and extractant respectively. The effects of solution pH value, phase ratio, ClO{sub 4}{sup −} amount and other factors on lithium extraction efficiency had been investigated. Optimal extraction conditions of this system include the ratio of TBP/IL at 4/1 (v/v), O/A at 2:1, n(ClO{sub 4}{sup −})/n(Li{sup +}) at 2:1, the equilibration time of 10 min and unadjusted pH. Under the optimal conditions, the single extraction efficiency of lithium was 87.28% which was much higher than the conventional extraction system. Total extraction efficiency of 99.12% was obtained by triple-stage countercurrent extraction. Study on the mechanism revealed that the use of ionic liquid increased the extraction yield of lithium through cation exchange in this system. Preliminary results indicated that the use of [C{sub 4}mim][PF{sub 6}] as an alternate solvent to replace traditional organic solvents (VOCs) in liquid/liquid extraction was very promising.
Recovery of biomolecules from marinated herring (Clupea harengus) brine using ultrafiltration through ceramic membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gringer, Nina; Hosseini, Seyed Vali; Svendsen, Tore

2015-01-01

Marinated herring processing brines, which are usually discarded, are rich in salt, protein, non-protein nitrogen, iron, fatty acids, antioxidant and even possess enzymatic activity. This study investigated the performance of ceramic ultrafiltration of two herring spice brines with a major focus...
Recent studies on radiation damage formation in synthetic NaCl and natural rock salt for radioactive waste disposal applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swyler, K.J.; Klaffky, R.W.; Levy, P.W.

1980-01-01

Radiation damage formation in natural rock salt is described as a function of irradiation temperature and plastic deformation. F-center formation decreases with increasing temperature while significant colloidal sodium formation occurs over a restricted temperature range around 150 0 C. Plastic deformation increases colloid formation; it is estimated that colloid concentrations may be increased by a factor of 3 if the rock salt near radioactive waste disposal canisters is heavily deformed. Optical bandshape analysis indicates systematic differences between the colloids formed in synthetic and natural rock salts
Experimental investigation of geochemical and mineralogical effects of CO2 sequestration on flow characteristics of reservoir rock in deep saline aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

Rathnaweera, T. D.; Ranjith, P. G.; Perera, M. S. A.

2016-01-01

Interactions between injected CO2, brine, and rock during CO2 sequestration in deep saline aquifers alter their natural hydro-mechanical properties, affecting the safety, and efficiency of the sequestration process. This study aims to identify such interaction-induced mineralogical changes in aquifers, and in particular their impact on the reservoir rock’s flow characteristics. Sandstone samples were first exposed for 1.5 years to a mixture of brine and super-critical CO2 (scCO2), then tested to determine their altered geochemical and mineralogical properties. Changes caused uniquely by CO2 were identified by comparison with samples exposed over a similar period to either plain brine or brine saturated with N2. The results show that long-term reaction with CO2 causes a significant pH drop in the saline pore fluid, clearly due to carbonic acid (as dissolved CO2) in the brine. Free H+ ions released into the pore fluid alter the mineralogical structure of the rock formation, through the dissolution of minerals such as calcite, siderite, barite, and quartz. Long-term CO2 injection also creates a significant CO2 drying-out effect and crystals of salt (NaCl) precipitate in the system, further changing the pore structure. Such mineralogical alterations significantly affect the saline aquifer’s permeability, with important practical consequences for the sequestration process. PMID:26785912
Constitutive basis of the MDCF model for rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fossum, A.F.; Munson, D.E.; Chan, K.S.; Bodner, S.R.

1996-01-01

All valid constitutive equations must satisfy two general invariance principles as well several other principles. In this paper the MDCF (Multimechanism Deformation Coupled Fracture) model for rock salt is shown to be thermodynamically consistent, coordinate invariant, frame indifferent, and physically admissible. Additionally, the stress rates used in the formulation are shown to be kinematically consistent with the Cauchy stress rates
Determination of nickel in chloralkali electrolysis brines by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry on a membrane filter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrade, L.L.; Minzl, E.

1984-01-01

X-ray fluorescence spectrometry after ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (APDC) preconcentration is proposed for the determination of nickel in chloralkali electrolysis brines. The optimum conditions for the precipitation target tube, peak intensity, background, analysing crystal, counters and exposure time were investigated. The method was applied to chloralkali brines of evaporite salts (halite, sylvinite, carnallite and tachhydrite), sodium, potassium and magnesium salts, explored in Sergipe (Brazil), by Petrobras-Mineracao S.A.(Author) [pt
Petrography, mineralization and mineral explorations in the Zendan salt dome (Hara, Bandar Lengeh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Habib Biabangard

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction The Zendan salt dome is located at 80 Km north of Bandar-Lengeh and 110 Km west of Bandar-Khamir cities in the Hormozgan province. Based on the structural geology of Iran, the Zendan salt dome is placed in the southeastern part of the Zagros zone (Stocklin, 1968. Important units in this area are Hormuz, Mishan, Aghajari and Bakhtiari formations with the Precambrian age (Alian and Bazamad, 2014. The Hormuz formation with the four members of H1, H2, H3, and H4 is the oldest formation (Ahmadzadeh Heravi et al., 1991. Basalt and diabase rocks are mostly rocks that are exposed in the Zendan salt dome. Magnetite and hematite iron mineralization happened in all the building rocks of salt dome, and is not a uniform mineralization. Iron mineralization contains hematite, spicularite, magnetite, goethite, and iron hydroxides. Magnetite-hematite-oligist layers (red soil are the most iron mineralization in the Zendan salt dome, which are usually broken and scattered with gypsum layers (mostly anhydrite, respectively. Another form of iron mineralization is a mixture of hematite and magnetite (about 10 to 15% in diabase rocks. Copper mineralization consists of pyrite and chalcopyrite minerals that are mostly in tuff and shale units. The presence of low immobile trace elements in the Zendan salt dome and type of alteration shows that maybe the origin of this iron is deposited from brine fluid. Therefore, this deposit can be classified into VMS deposits. Materials and methods We have taken 60 samples rocks from the Zendan salt dome, and then prepared 20 thin and polished sections. Petrographic studies were done and 9 samples were selected for analysis. These samples were sent to the Zarzma laboratory and the amount of FeO was determined by the wet chemical method and other amounts of oxides were determined by XRF. Six samples were analyzed for determining the major elements with the XRF method in the Binalood laboratory. Nine samples from vines
Petrofabric changes in heated and irradiated salt from Project Salt Vault, Lyons, Kansas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holdoway, K.A.

1972-01-01

Rock salt was heated and irradiated in situ by implanted radioactive wastes during the Project Salt Vault experiment which was carried out at Lyons, Kansas, in the abandoned Carey Salt mine between 1965 and 1967. It was found that irradiation results in coloration of the salt, producing colors ranging from blue-black nearest the radiation source, to pale blue and purple farther from the source. Bleached areas are common in the radiation-colored salt, many representing trails produced by the migration of fluid inclusions towards the heat source. These visible trails are thought to have formed during the cooling down of the salt after the removal of the heaters and radiation sources. The distribution of primary structures in the salt suggests that little migration, if any, occurred during the course of the experiment. It is proposed that radiolysis of the brine within the inclusions may have led to the production of gases which impeded or prevented migration. Evidence of strain was observed in slip planes at 4 in. (10 cm) and between 5.5 and 10 in. (13.5 to 25.4 cm) from the array hole. Deformed bleached areas in the salt between the areas were slip planes are developed suggest that slight plastic deformation or flow may have occurred at 6 in. (15 cm) from the array hole. Differential thermal analysis shows that the maximum amount of stored energy also occurs at 6 in. (15 cm) from the array hole. This region may therefore represent the zone where the combined effect of stress and radiation was greatest

Tests of US rock salt for long-term stability of CAES reservoirs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gehle, R.M.; Thoms, R.L.

1986-01-01

This is a report on laboratory tests to assess the effects of compressed air energy storage (CAES) on rock salt within the US. The project included a conventional laboratory test phase, with triaxial test machines, and a bench-scale test phase performed in salt mines in southern Louisiana. Limited numerical modeling also was performed to serve as a guide in selecting test layouts and for interpreting test data.
Corrosion behaviour of container materials for the disposal of high-level wastes in rock salt formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smailos, E.; Schwarzkopf, W.; Koester, R.

1986-01-01

In 1983-84 extensive laboratory-scale experiments (immersion tests) to evaluate the long-term corrosion behaviour of selected materials in salt brines and first in situ experiments were performed. In the laboratory experiments the materials Ti 99.8-Pd, Hastelloy C4 and hot-rolled low carbon steel (reference materials in the joint European corrosion programme) as well as cast steel, spheoroidal cast iron, Si-cast iron and the Ni-Resists type D2 and D4 were investigated. The investigated parameters were: temperature (90 0 C; 170 0 C, 200 0 C), gamma-radiation (10 5 rad/h) and different compositions of salt brines. The results obtained show that, in addition to Ti 99.8-Pd, also Hastelloy C4 and unalloyed steels are in principle suitable for being used for long-term stable HLW-containers if the gamma dose rate is reduced by suitable shielding. Furthermore, the susceptibility of Hastelloy C4 to crevice corrosion must be taken into account. Further studies will be necessary to provide final evidence of the suitability of the materials examined. These will mainly involve clarification of questions related to hydrogen embrittlement (Ti 99.8-Pd, unalloyed steels) and to the influence of pressure and saline impurities (e.g. antiJ, antiBr) on corrosion
A universal salt model based on under-ground precipitation of solid salts due to supercritical water `out-salting'

Science.gov (United States)

Rueslåtten, H.; Hovland, M. T.

2010-12-01

One of the common characteristics of planets Earth and Mars is that both host water (H2O) and large accumulations of salt. Whereas Earth’s surface-environment can be regarded as ‘water-friendly’ and ‘salt hostile’, the reverse can be said for the surface of Mars. This is because liquid water is stable on Earth, and the atmosphere transports humidity around the globe, whereas on planet Mars, liquid water is unstable, rendering the atmosphere dry and, therefore, ‘salt-friendly’. The riddle as to how the salt accumulated in various locations on those two planets, is one of long-lasting and great debate. The salt accumulations on Earth are traditionally termed ‘evaporites’, meaning that they formed as a consequence of the evaporation of large masses of seawater. How the accumulations on Mars formed is much harder to explain, as an ocean only existed briefly. Although water molecules and OH-groups may exist in abundance in bound form (crystal water, adsorbed water, etc.), the only place where free water is expected to be stable on Mars is within underground faults, fractures, and crevices. Here it likely occurs as brine or in the form of ice. Based on these conditions, a key to understanding the accumulation of large deposits of salt on both planets is linked to how brines behave in the subsurface when pressurized and heated beyond their supercritical point. At depths greater than about 3 km (P>300 bars) water will no longer boil in a steam phase. Rather, it becomes supercritical and will attain the phase of supercritical water vapor (SCRIW) with a specific gravity of typically 0.3 g/cm3. An important characteristic of SCRIW is its inability to dissolve the common sea salts. The salt dissolved in the brines will therefore precipitate as solid particles when brines (seawater on the Earth) move into the supercritical P&T-domain (T>400°C, P>300 bars). Numerical modeling of a hydrothermal system in the Atlantis II Deep of the Red Sea indicates that a
Experimental consolidation of granulated rock salt with application to sleeve buckling. Technical memorandum report RSI-0044

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, F.D.

1976-01-01

Quasi-static and creep consolidation tests have been performed in order to determine the compressibility of granulated rock salt when subjected to uniaxial deformations. The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate the force-displacement characteristics of rock salt that may be used as a backfill material around waste canister sleeves. The test set-up involved placing rock salt pellets in a thin-walled steel cylinder and applying a uniaxial load which compressed the salt while allowing no lateral movement. Tests were run at room temperature, 100 and 200 0 C and consolidated to uniaxial stress levels between 1000 and 4000 psi. Axial force, displacement and time were monitored during each test and the relationships have been evaluated. In particular, compressibility of the rock salt is not drastically effected by the temperature differences, nor is there an appreciable difference between the consolidation tests that were allowed to creep and those that were tested quasi-statically. On the basis of experimental data relating volume change to uniaxial stress, the pressure on the waste canister sleeve has been shown to be a nonlinear function of drillhole displacement. For a proposed in situ field test geometry, a 16 inch drillhole and a canister with a 12.75 inch O.D., the pressure necessary to buckle the canister sleeve will develop when the drillhole closes diametrically 0.5 to 0.6 inches. By the nature of this experimental effort, the results obtained are conservative
Determination of soil mechanics of salt rock as a potential backfilling material in an underground repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kappei, G.

1987-09-01

Within the framework of the research and development project 'Backfilling and sealing of boreholes, chambers and roadways in a final dump', the Institute for Underground Dumping chose - from the broad range of possible stowing materials - the material 'salt spoil' and investigated its soil-mechanical properties in detail. Besides the implementation of soil-mechanical standard analyses (determination of the grain size distribution, bulk density, limits of storage density, proctor density, permeabilities, and shear strength) of two selected salt spoils (heap salt and rock salt spoil), the studies concentrated on the determination of the compression behaviour of salt spoil. In order to obtain data on the compaction behaviour of this material in the case of increasing stress, compression tests with obstructed lateral expansion were carried out on a series of spoil samples differing mainly in the composition of grain sizes. In addition to this, for a small number of samples of rock salt spoil, the creep behaviour at constant stress was determined after the compaction phase. (orig./RB) [de
Thermodynamic modeling of phases equilibrium in aqueous systems to recover potassium chloride from natural brines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruberlan Gomes da Silva

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Chemical fertilizers, such as potassium chloride, ammonium nitrate and other chemical products like sodium hydroxide and soda ash are produced from electrolyte solutions or brines with a high content of soluble salts. Some of these products are manufactured by fractional crystallization, when several salts are separated as solid phases with high purity (>90%. Due to the large global demand for potassium fertilizers, a good knowledge about the compositions of salts and brines is helpful to design an effective process. A thermodynamic model based on Pitzer and Harvie's model was used to predict the composition of crystallized salts after water removal by forced evaporation and cooling from multicomponent solutions or brines. Initially, the salts’ solubilities in binary systems (NaCl–H2O, KCl–H2O and MgCl2–H2O and ternary system (KCl–MgCl2–H2O were calculated at 20 °C and compared with literature data. Next, the model was compared to our experimental data on the quinary system NaCl–KCl–MgCl2–CaCl2–H2O system at 20 °C. The Pitzer and Harvie's model represented well both the binary and ternary systems. Besides, for the quinary system the fit was good for brine densities up to 1350 kg/m3. The models were used to estimate the chemical composition of the solutions and salts produced by fractional crystallization and in association with material balance to respond to issues related to the production rates in a solar pond containing several salts dissolved, for instance, NaCl, KCl, MgCl2 and CaCl2.
The role of climate in the accumulation of lithium-rich brine in the Central Andes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godfrey, L.V.; Chan, L.-H.; Alonso, R.N.; Lowenstein, T.K.; McDonough, W.F.; Houston, J.; Li, J.; Bobst, A.; Jordan, T.E.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • δ 7 Li of waters and rocks in the Central Andes were measured. • Halite/brine partition coefficients of lithium and δ 7 Li of halite were determined. • Li-rich brines have a high component of fluids of geothermal origin. • Removal of lithium by clays is minor relative to other regions of the world. • The weathering flux of lithium and sodium decouple according to climate state. - Abstract: Lithium-rich brine within the sub-surface of the Salar del Hombre Muerto (SHM) salt pan in the Andes of northwestern Argentina has a chemical and isotopic composition which is consistent with Li derived from several sources: the modern halite saturated lagoon, Li-rich salts and brines formed recently, and dissolution of halite which precipitated from ancient saline lakes. SHM lies in the closed basin that includes part of the massive Cerro Galán caldera which is drained by the Río los Patos, which is responsible for 90% of surface runoff into the salar. The low Li isotope composition, +3.4‰, of this river is consistent with significant contributions of geothermal spring water. As water drains through the volcaniclastic deposits which cover a large proportion of the basin, Li removal, as indicated by decreasing Li/Na, occurs but without significant isotope fractionation. This indicates a mechanism of surface sorption onto smectite or ferrihydrite rather than Li incorporation into octahedral structural sites of clays. These observations suggest that conditions in this high altitude desert have limited the dilution of hydrothermal spring water as well as the formation of clay minerals, which jointly have allowed the Li resource to accumulate rapidly. Changes in climate on a multi-millennial time scale, specifically in the hydrologic budget, have resulted in solute accumulation rates that have been variable through time, and decoupled Li and Na fluxes. Inflow to the salar under modern conditions has high Li/Na (7.9 × 10 −3 by wt) with δ 7 Li
Selection and durability of seal materials for a bedded salt repository: preliminary studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roy, D.M.; Grutzeck, M.W.; Wakeley, L.D.

1983-11-01

This report details preliminary results of both experimental and theoretical studies of cementitious seal materials for use in a proposed nuclear waste repository in bedded salt. Effects of changes in bulk composition and environment upon phase stability and physical/mechanical properties have been evaluated for more than 25 formulations. Bonding and interfacial characteristics of the region between host rock and seal material or concrete aggregate and cementitious matrix for selected formulations have been studied. Compatibilities of clays and zeolites in brines typical of the SE New Mexico region have been investigated, and their stabilities reviewed. Results of these studies have led to the conclusion that cementitious materials can be formulated which are compatible with the major rock types in a bedded salt repository environment. Strengths are more than adequate, permeabilities are consistently very low, and elastic moduli generally increase only very slightly with time. Seal formulation guidelines and recommendations for present and future work are presented. 73 references, 25 figures, 61 tables
Modeling of nonuniform corrosion in salt brines: Salt Repository Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reimus, P.W.

1988-03-01

A mechanistic approach to modeling nonuniform corrosion in brines is presented in this report. Equations are derived for completely describing the electrochemical environment within a localized corrosion cavity, and appropriate initial and boundary conditions are invoked to obtain a solvable system of equations. The initial and boundary conditions can be adjusted to simulate pitting, crevice corrosion, or stress corrosion cracking. Although no numerical results are presented, a numerical strategy for solving the equations is presented. The report focuses on the nonuniform corrosion behavior of mild steel; however, the modeling approach presented is expected to apply to a broad range of metallic materials. 34 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs
Trial storage of high-level waste cylinders in the Asse II salt mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

This report covers the contract period 1976-77, as well as some of the tasks carried out during the extension in 1978, in the framework of the R and D programme for disposal of radioactive waste in salt formations. With regard to the in-situ tests for the liberation and migration of brine, the testing devices were examined successfully. Laboratory examinations carried out showed a stepwise liberation of the water contents in halite in dependence on the temperature. The amount of brine liberated stood in good agreement with the in situ results. A temperature test for borehole convergence resulted in definite convergence rates. Simultaneously no influence was registered in the stability of the surrounding rocks. For the realization of an integrated major experiment, temperature test field IV was mined on the 750 m level of the Asse Salt Mine and heater- as well as measurement drillings were carried out. Extensive rheological examinations are concentrated particularly on the halite and secondly on the Carnallite. They are chiefly based on uni- and multiaxial pressure tests. Computer programmes are developed to examine the heat generation in wastes as well as in salt. In comparison, the programme development of computer codes for the stability behaviour of rocks is still at a relatively early stage, because it has to build up on the results of heat generation. The works for the development of a transport container with a shielding combination are at a very advanced stage. An integrated disposal- and retrieval system was developed, tested and successfully demonstrated. A monitoring system in the mine has also been developed in its essential parts
Brine history indicated by argon, krypton, chlorine, bromine, and iodine analyses of fluid inclusions from the Mississippi Valley type lead-fluorite-barite deposits at Hansonburg, New Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Böhlke, J.K.; Irwin, J.J.

1992-01-01

Argon, krypton, chlorine, bromine, and iodine were measured in a homogeneous population of high-salinity hydrothermal fluid inclusions from the Tertiary-age Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) lead-fluorite-barite deposits at Hansonburg, New Mexico to establish new types of evidence for the history of both the fluid and the major dissolved salts. Noble gases and halogens in fluid inclusions containing 10−10–10−9 L of brine (Cl= 3 molal) were analyzed by laser microprobe noble-gas mass spectrometry (lmngms) on neutron-irradiated samples.The concentrations of36Ar (4.7 × 10−8 molal) and84Kr1.8 × 10−9 molal) in the fluid inclusions are equal to those of fresh surface waters in equilibrium with air at approximately20 ± 5°. The mole ratios ofBr/Cl (1.2 × 10−4) andI/Cl (1–2 × 10−6) are among the lowest measured in any natural waters, similar to those of modern brines formed by dissolution of Permian NaCl-bearing evaporites in southeast New Mexico.40Ar/36Ar ratios (600) are twice that of air, and indicate that the fluid inclusions had excess radiogenic40Ar (1.4 × 10−5 molal) when trapped. The amount of excess40Ar appears to be too large to have been acquired with Cl by congruent dissolution of halite-bearing evaporites, and possibly too small to have been acquired with Pb by congruent dissolution of granitic basement rocks with Proterozoic KAr ages.From thelmngms data, combined with published Pb and S isotope data, we infer the following sequence of events in the history of the Hansonburg MVT hydrothermal brine: (1) the brine originated as relatively dilute meteoric water, and it did not gain or lose atmospheric Ar or Kr after recharge; (2) the originally dilute fluid acquired the bulk of its Cl and sulfate in the subsurface after recharge by dissolving halite-bearing Permian? marine evaporites; (3) the high salinity brine then acquired most of its Pb and excess radiogenic40Ar from interactions with aquifer rocks other than evaporites, possibly clastic
Spanish participation in the Haw Project: Laboratory investigations on Gamma irradiation effects in rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuevas, C. de las; Miralles, L.; Teixidor, P.; Garcia Veigas, J.; Dies, X.; Ortega, X.; Pueyo, J.J.

1993-01-01

In order to prove the safe disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HAW) in salt rock, a five years test disposal of thirty highly radioactive radiation sources is planned in the Asse salt mine, in the Federal Republic of Germany. The thirty radiation sources consist of steel canisters containing the vitrified radionuclides Caesium 137 and Strontium 90 in quantities sufficient to cover the bandwidth of heat generation and gamma radiation of real HAW. The radiation sources will be emplaced in six boreholes located in two galleries at the 800 m level. Two electrical heater tests were already started in November 1988 and are continuosly surveyed in respect of the rock mass. Also the handling system necessary for the emplacement of the radioactive canisters was developed and succesfully tested. A laboratory investigation programme on radiation effects in salt is being performed in advance to the radioactive canister emplacement. This programme includes the investigation of thermally and radiolytically induced water and gas release from the rock salt and the radiolytical decomposition of salt minerals. Part of this programme has been carried out since 1988 at the University of Barcelona, basically what refers to colloidal sodium determinations by light absorption measurements and microstructural studies on irradiated salt samples. For gamma dose and dose rate measurements in the test field, measuring systems consisting of ionisation chambers as well as solid state dosemeters were developed and tested. Thermomechanical computer code validation is performed by calculational predictions and parallel investigation of the stress and displacement fields in the underground test field
Durability of concrete materials in high-magnesium brine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wakeley, L.D.; Poole, T.S.; Burkes, J.P.

1994-03-01

Cement pastes and mortars representing 11 combinations of candidate concrete materials were cast in the laboratory and monitored for susceptibility to chemical deterioration in high-magnesium brine. Mixtures were selected to include materials included in the current leading candidate concrete for seals at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Some materials were included in the experimental matrix to answer questions that had arisen during study of the concrete used for construction of the liner of the WIPP waste-handling shaft. Mixture combinations compared Class C and Class F fly ashes, presence or absence of an expansive component, and presence or absence of salt as a mixture component. Experimental conditions exposed the pastes and mortars to extreme conditions, those being very high levels of Mg ion and an effectively unlimited supply of brine. All pastes and mortars showed deterioration with brine exposure. In general, mortars deteriorated more extensively than the corresponding pastes. Two-inch cube specimens of mortar were not uniformly deteriorated, but showed obvious zoning even after a year in the brine, with a relatively unreacted zone remaining at the center of each cube. Loss of calcium from the calcium hydroxide of paste/aggregate interfaces caused measurable strength loss in the reacted zone comprising the outer portion of every mortar specimen. The current candidate mass concrete for WIPP seals includes salt as an initial component, and has a relatively closed initial microstructure. Both of these features contribute to its suitability for use in large placements within the Salado Formation
Mass transfer in a salt repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pigford, T.H.; Chambre, P.L.

1985-05-01

To meet regulatory requirements for radioactive waste in a salt repository it is necessary to predict the rates of corrosion of the waste container, the release rates of radionuclides from the waste package, and the cumulative release of radionuclides into the accessible environment. The mechanisms that may control these rates and an approach to predicting these rates from mass-transfer theory are described. This new mechanistic approach is suggested by three premises: (a) a brine inclusion originally in a salt crystal moves along grain boundaries after thermal-induced migration out of the crystal, (b) brine moves along a grain boundary under the influence of a pressure gradient, and (c) salt surrounding a heat-generating waste package will soon creep and consolidate as a monolithic medium surrounding and in contact with the waste package. After consolidation there may be very little migration of intergranular and intragranular brine to the waste package. The corrosion rate of the waste container may then be limited by the rate at which brine reaches the container and may be calculable from mass-transfer theory, and the rate at which dissolved radionuclides leave the waste package may be limited by molecular diffusion in intragranular brine and may be calculable from mass-transfer theory. If porous nonsalt interbeds intersect the waste-package borehole, the release rate of dissolved radionuclides to interbed brine may also be calculable from mass-transfer theory. The logic of these conclusions is described, as an aid in formulating the calculations that are to be made
Review of the African distribution of the brine shrimp genus Artemia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Brine shrimp (genus Artemia) are small (8 to 12 mm long) cosmopolitan crustaceans (Anostraca) found predominately in hypersaline water bodies such as inland salt lakes and pans, coastal lagoons, and salt works at salinity levels above 40 g·ℓ-1. They have been extensively studied due to their high monetary value as ...
Preliminary state-of-the-art survey: mining techniques for salt and other rock types

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1976-12-01

This is a systematic review of the state-of-the-art of underground mining and excavation technology in the U.S. as applied to salt, limestone, shale, and granite. Chapter 2 covers the basic characteristics of these rock types, the most frequently used underground mining methods, shaft and slope entry construction, equipment, and safety and productivity data. Chapters 3 and 4 summarize underground salt and limestone mining in the U.S. Chapter 5 shows that large amounts of thick shale exist in the U.S., but little is mined. Chapter 6 discusses underground excavations into granite-type rocks. Suggestions are given in the last chapter for further study. (DLC)
A review of theories on the origins of saline waters and brines in the Canadian Precambrian Shield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bottomley, D.J.

1996-02-01

Groundwater at depths greater that 500 m in the Canadian Precambrian Shield is typically saline with a sodium-calcium/chloride chemical composition. Brines with dissolved solid concentrations exceeding 100 g/L have been encountered in several deep mines (>1000 m) on the Shield. Theories on the origins of these deep saline waters and brines can be grouped into two general categories: (1) autochthonous (in situ) origins attributable to silicate mineral hydrolysis over geologic time scales, leaching of fluid inclusions or radiolysis effects, and (2) allochthonous (external) sources caused by the infiltration of brine of modified seawater origins in the geologic past. Although the chemical and isotopic compositions of these waters clearly reflect the effects of reaction between the water and their silicate host rocks, it is unlikely that the high chlorinity of the brines is in an autochthonous attribute. It is proposed that the compositions of these brines are most compatible with the Paleozoic residual brine hypothesis of Spencer (1987). This theory invokes deep infiltration of a high-density residual brine, formed by the evaporation of seawater during Devonian time, into underlying Precambrian basement rocks where subsequent chemical modifications occurred. (author) 39 refs., 2 figs
Instability risk analysis and risk assessment system establishment of underground storage caverns in bedded salt rock

Science.gov (United States)

Jing, Wenjun; Zhao, Yan

2018-02-01

Stability is an important part of geotechnical engineering research. The operating experiences of underground storage caverns in salt rock all around the world show that the stability of the caverns is the key problem of safe operation. Currently, the combination of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation are the mainly adopts method of reserve stability analysis. This paper introduces the concept of risk into the stability analysis of underground geotechnical structure, and studies the instability of underground storage cavern in salt rock from the perspective of risk analysis. Firstly, the definition and classification of cavern instability risk is proposed, and the damage mechanism is analyzed from the mechanical angle. Then the main stability evaluating indicators of cavern instability risk are proposed, and an evaluation method of cavern instability risk is put forward. Finally, the established cavern instability risk assessment system is applied to the analysis and prediction of cavern instability risk after 30 years of operation in a proposed storage cavern group in the Huai’an salt mine. This research can provide a useful theoretical base for the safe operation and management of underground storage caverns in salt rock.
Investigations on boron isotopic geochemistry of salt lakes in Qaidam basin, Qinghai

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Xiao, Y; Shirodkar, P.V.; Liu, W.G.; Wang, Y; Jin, L.

of brine and are related to boron origin, the corrosion of salt and to certain chemical constituents. The distribution of boron isotopes in Quidam Basin showed a regional feature: salt lake brines in the west and northwest basin have the highest d11B values...
Effect of different brine concentrations and ripening period on some ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

2011-09-26

25240, Erzurum, Turkey. Accepted 25 ... ripened soft cheese that is maturated in brine to develop the desired ... functions, salt exerts a number of important effects on cheese. ..... In: Fox PF (ed) Cheese: chemistry, physics and.

Experimental Study of Cement - Sandstone/Shale - Brine - CO2 Interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, Susan A; McNab, Walt W; Torres, Sharon C

2011-11-11

Reactive-transport simulation is a tool that is being used to estimate long-term trapping of CO2, and wellbore and cap rock integrity for geologic CO2 storage. We reacted end member components of a heterolithic sandstone and shale unit that forms the upper section of the In Salah Gas Project carbon storage reservoir in Krechba, Algeria with supercritical CO2, brine, and with/without cement at reservoir conditions to develop experimentally constrained geochemical models for use in reactive transport simulations. We observe marked changes in solution composition when CO2 reacted with cement, sandstone, and shale components at reservoir conditions. The geochemical model for the reaction of sandstone and shale with CO2 and brine is a simple one in which albite, chlorite, illite and carbonate minerals partially dissolve and boehmite, smectite, and amorphous silica precipitate. The geochemical model for the wellbore environment is also fairly simple, in which alkaline cements and rock react with CO2-rich brines to form an Fe containing calcite, amorphous silica, smectite and boehmite or amorphous Al(OH)3. Our research shows that relatively simple geochemical models can describe the dominant reactions that are likely to occur when CO2 is stored in deep saline aquifers sealed with overlying shale cap rocks, as well as the dominant reactions for cement carbonation at the wellbore interface.
Textural and fluid phase analysis of rock salt subjected to the combined effects of pressure, heat and gamma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huertas, F.; Major, J.C.; Del Olmo, C.

1992-01-01

The formation of colloidal sodium by radiolytic processes is a main concern with respect to the safety of disposal of high-level radioactive waste in salt formations. The research work seeks to assess the irradiation damage in natural rock salt when exposed to a different dose, dose rate, temperature and time of gamma irradiation. The work encompasses four major tasks: (i) detailed characterization of both solid and fluid phases of natural rock salt; (ii) gamma irradiation of salt samples; (iii) determination of the amount of colloidal sodium present in irradiated samples; (iv) calculation of radiation damage. 40 refs., 36 figs., 34 tabs
Improving the performance of brine wells at Gulf Coast strategic petroleum reserve sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Owen, L.B.; Quong, R. (eds.)

1979-11-05

At the request of the Department of Energy, field techniques were developed to evaluate and improve the injection of brine into wells at Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) sites. These wells are necessary for the disposal of saturated brine removed from salt domes where oil is being stored. The wells, which were accepting brine at 50 percent or less of their initial design rates, were impaired by saturated brine containing particulates that deposited on the sand face and in the geologic formation next to the wellbore. Corrosion of the brine-disposal pipelines and injection wells contributed to the impairment by adding significant amounts of particulates in the form of corrosion products. When tests were implemented at the SPR sites, it was found that the poor quality of injected brines was the primary cause of impaired injection; that granular-media filtration, when used with chemical pretreatment, is an effective method for removing particulates from hypersaline brine; that satisfactory injection-well performance can be attained with prefiltered brines; and that corrosion rates can be substantially reduced by oxygen-scavenging.
Effect of simulated sampling disturbance on creep behaviour of rock salt

Science.gov (United States)

Guessous, Z.; Gill, D. E.; Ladanyi, B.

1987-10-01

This article presents the results of an experimental study of creep behaviour of a rock salt under uniaxial compression as a function of prestrain, simulating sampling disturbance. The prestrain was produced by radial compressive loading of the specimens prior to creep testing. The tests were conducted on an artifical salt to avoid excessive scattering of the results. The results obtained from several series of single-stage creep tests show that, at short-term, the creep response of salt is strongly affected by the preloading history of samples. The nature of this effect depends upon the intensity of radial compressive preloading, and its magnitude is a function of the creep stress level. The effect, however, decreases with increasing plastic deformation, indicating that large creep strains may eventually lead to a complete loss of preloading memory.
Water - rock interaction in different rock environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamminen, S.

1995-01-01

The study assesses the groundwater geochemistry and geological environment of 44 study sites for radioactive waste disposal. Initially, the study sites were divided by rock type into 5 groups: (1) acid - intermediate rocks, (2) mafic - ultramafic rocks, (3) gabbros, amphibolites and gneisses that contain calc-silicate (skarn) rocks, (4) carbonates and (5) sandstones. Separate assessments are made of acid - intermediate plutonic rocks and of a subgroup that comprises migmatites, granite and mica gneiss. These all belong to the group of acid - intermediate rocks. Within the mafic -ultramafic rock group, a subgroup that comprises mafic - ultramafic plutonic rocks, serpentinites, mafic - ultramafic volcanic rocks and volcanic - sedimentary schists is also evaluated separately. Bedrock groundwaters are classified by their concentration of total dissolved solids as fresh, brackish, saline, strongly saline and brine-class groundwaters. (75 refs., 24 figs., 3 tabs.)
Rock-brine chemical interactions. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1982-02-01

The results of experimental interaction of powdered volcanic rock with aqueous solutions are presented at temperatures from 200 to 400/sup 0/C, 500 to 1000 bars fluid pressure, with reaction durations of approximately 30 days under controlled laboratory conditions. The aim of this research is to develop data on the kinetics and equilibria of rock solution interactions that will provide insight into the complex geochemical processes attending geothermal reservoir development, stimulation, and reinjection. The research was done in the Stanford Hydrothermal Lab using gold cell equipment of the Dickson design. This equipment inverts the solution rock mixture several times a minute to ensure thorough mixing. Solution samples were periodically withdrawn without interruption of the experimental conditions. The data from these experiments suggests a path dependent series of reactions by which geothermal fluids might evolve from meteoric or magmatic sources.
Fermentation cover brine reformulation for cucumber processing with low salt to reduce bloater defect

Science.gov (United States)

Reformulation of calcium chloride cover brine for cucumber fermentation was explored as a mean to minimize the incidence of bloater defect. This study particularly focused on cover brine supplementation with calcium hydroxide, sodium chloride (NaCl), and acids to enhance buffer capacity, inhibit the...
Jahani Salt Diapir, Iran: hydrogeology, karst features and effect on surroundings environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahmoud Abirifard

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The Jahani Salt Diapir (JSD, with an area of 54 km2, is an active diapir in the Simply Folded Belt of the Zagros Orogeny, in the south of Iran. Most of the available studies on this diapir are focused on tectonics. The hydrogeology, schematic model of flow direction and hydrochemical effects of the JSD on the adjacent water resources are lacking, and thus, are the focus of this study. The morphology of the JSD was reevaluated by fieldwork and using available maps. The physicochemical characteristics of the springs and hydrometric stations were also measured. The vent of the diapir is located 250 m higher than the surrounding glaciers, and covered by small polygonal sinkholes (dolines. The glacier is covered by cap soils, sparse trees and pastures, and contains large sinkholes, numerous shafts, several caves, and 30 brine springs. Two main groups of caves were distinguished. Sub-horizontal or inclined stream passages following the surface valleys and vertical shafts (with short inlet caves at the bottoms of nearly circular blind valleys. Salt exposure is limited to steep slopes. The controlling variables of flow route within salt diapirs are the negligible porosity of the salt rocks at depth more than about ten meters below the ground surface and the rapid halite saturation along the flow route. These mechanisms prevent deep cave development and enforce the emergence points of brine springs with low flow rates and small catchment area throughout the JSD and above the local base of erosion. Tectonics do not affect karst development, because the distributions of sinkholes and brine springs show no preferential directions. The type of spring water is sodium chloride, with a TDS of 320 g/l, and saturated with halite, gypsum, calcite and dolomite. The water balance budget of the JSD indicates that the total recharge water is 1.46 MCM (million cubic meter/a, emerges from 30 brine springs, two springs from the adjacent karstic limestone, and flows into
Lattice stability of metastable AlN and wurtzite-to-rock-salt structural transformation by CALPHAD modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yanhui, E-mail: yanhui.z@hotmail.com [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Applied Materials-Applied Materials Physics (IAM-AWP), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); High-performance Ceramics Division, Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 110016, Shenyang (China); Franke, Peter; Li, Dajian; Seifert, Hans Jürgen [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Applied Materials-Applied Materials Physics (IAM-AWP), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

2016-12-01

Reliable lattice stability of cubic AlN with rock-salt structure (rs-AlN) is the prerequisite of accurate thermodynamic modeling of cubic (M, Al)N solid solutions (M = Ti, Zr, Cr etc.). In order to derive the Gibbs energy of metastable rs-AlN, and then its lattice stability, we did the pressure-temperature (P-T) assessment of AlN phases by equations-of-state modeling. Meanwhile, the molar volumes and the heat capacities of wurtzite and rock-salt AlN, as well as the wurtzite-to-rock-salt structural transition at high P&T were successfully incorporated in CALPHAD-type database by integrating thermodynamic data from experiments and ab-initio calculations. These results promise subsequent investigations on phase stabilities and transitions of solid solutions with AlN component and the development of novel multicomponent coatings. - Highlights: • Phase stability investigation for novel multi-component metastable coatings. • Structural transition at high temperature and high pressure. • Integrating thermodynamic data from ab-initio calculations and experiments. • Thermal expansion, isothermal compressibility and heat capacity of w-AlN and rs-AlN.
Precipitation of sparingly soluble salts in packed sandbeds

Science.gov (United States)

Pavlakou, Efstathia I.; Sygouni, Varvara; Paraskeva, Christakis A.

2015-04-01

One of the main problems encountered by the oil extraction industry, is the reduction of the local permeability of the rock formation near the extraction wells because of salt deposition in the pores of the rocks during the injection of brine water to displace the trapped oil ganglia within the oil formations. This phenomenon makes the oil recovery less efficient and under extreme cases the well is abandoned with a large amount of oil entrapped. Several detailed studies have been conducted in the past concerning sand bed consolidation using sparingly soluble salts for varying conditions (e.g. temperature, grain size, sand type, salt concentrations etc) and various salts [1]. Nevertheless, salt precipitation in the rock formation pores under the presence of other miscible or immiscible substances with water has not been investigated in details yet. In the present study, salt (CaCO3) precipitation experiments were performed in small beds packed with sea sand mixed with a low amount of CaCO3 seed grains. The experiments were performed using pure solutions (NaHCO3, CaCl2.2H2O) and solutions mixed with Ethylene Glycol in sand beds. Additionally, precipitation experiments were performed using pure solutions in sand beds saturated with oil phase (n-dodecane) for a wide range of solution supersaturation. During the experiments the ionic strength was kept constant. pH and concentration values of calcium ion of the effluent were measured and the precipitated salt crystals were identified using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) method. At the end of each experiment Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was conducted using a sample of the precipitated sand to identify the morphology of the precipitated crystals and their cohesion with sand grains. Acknowledgments This research was partially funded by the European Union (European Social Fund-ESF) and Greek National Funds through the Operational program "Education and Lifelong Learning" under the action Aristeia II (Code No 4420). References
Review and comparison of transient creep laws used for natural rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrmann, W.; Lauson, H.S.

1981-04-01

A number of creep laws are reviewed, which have been proposed to describe the transient creep of rock salt for use in design calculations of nuclear waste isolation and strategic petroleum reserve repositories. It is shown that they all have the same general form, and their ability to fit creep data for rock salt is tested. Four creep laws are found to fit the data for individual creep tests about equally well. Three of these include steady-state as well as transient creep, while the fourth, equivalent to power-law time hardening in the case of a creep test, does not. Extrapolations at constant stress and temperature of the three creep laws with steady-state creep essentially coincide for times longer than a few months, since the transient creep becomes negligible for such times. Power-law hardening, on the other hand, since it depends on time through a power less than one, predicts much smaller creep strains at very long times
Evolution characteristic of gypsum-salt rocks of the upper member of Oligocene Lower Ganchaigou Fm in the Shizigou area, western Qaidam Basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinghong Yi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Over years of oil and gas exploration in the Qaidam Basin, reservoirs have been discovered in many layers. In the Shizigou area, western Qaidam Basin, the upper member of Oligocene Lower Ganchaigou Fm is an important target for oil and gas exploration, and gypsum-salt rocks are the high-quality caprocks for the preservation of oil and gas reservoirs in this area. For predicting oil and gas exploration direction and target in the western Qaidam Basin and providing guidance for its oil and gas exploration deployment, its depositional characteristics and environment of gypsum-salt rocks in this area were investigated based on the core observation, thin section identification, and analysis of grain size, sensitivity parameter ratios (Sr/Cu, Fe/Mn, (Fe + Al/(Ca + Mg, V/(V + Ni and Pr/Ph, pyrite content and inclusions. The following characteristics are identified. First, gypsum-salt rocks are mainly distributed in the depocenter of the lake basin and their thickness decreases towards the margin of the basin. They are laterally transformed into carbonate rocks or terrigenous clastic rocks. They are areally distributed in the shape of irregular ellipse. Second, gypsum-salt rocks are vertically developed mainly in the middle and upper parts of the upper member of Lower Ganchaigou Fm and they are interbedded with carbonate rocks or terrigenous clastic rocks. Their single layer thickness changes greatly, and there are many layers with good continuity. Third, Sand Group III to Group I in the upper member of Lower Ganchaigou Fm (inter-salt are of reductive water environment of semi-deep to deep lake facies due to their sedimentation in an arid and hot climate. It is concluded that gypsum-salt rocks of the upper member of Lower Ganchaigou Fm are distributed widely with great accumulative thickness in this area; and that they are originated from deep lake water by virtue of evaporation, concentration and crystallization in an arid and hot climate instead
Influence of geological factors on the mechanical properties of rock in the Palo Duro Basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cregger, D.M.; Corkum, D.H.; Gokce, A.O.; Peck, J.H.

1985-01-01

Sedimentary formations in the Palo Duro Basin of the Texas Panhandle exhibit a variety of petrofabrics which contribute to different mechanical behavior. Similarly classified rock core specimens, upon closer inspection, are comprised of different textures and slight compositional variations. The resultant rock mass characteristics interpreted from laboratory tests and deep borehole geophysical logs are seen to be a direct result of the depositional environment and geologic history. Depositional environments include chemical precipitation in shallow brine pools, basin filling with terrigenous or eolian supply of clastics, restricted circulation, and transgression of normal marine waters. Geochemical transformations of the deposits, (diagenesis), can or may result in profound changes to the mechanical properties of the rock. Structural deformation of the bedded salts is slight and may be far less important in its effect on mechanical properties than diagenetic changes
Creep in rock salt with temperature. Testing methods and results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charpentier, J.P.; Berest, P.

1985-01-01

The growing interest shown in the delayed behaviour of rocks at elevated temperature has led the Solid Mechanics Laboratory to develop specific equipment designed for creep tests. The design and dimensioning of these units offer the possibility of investigating a wide range of materials. The article describes the test facilities used (uni-axial and tri-axial creep units) and presents the experimental results obtained on samples of Bresse salt [fr
Salt production by means of solution minig in The Netherlands using the exploitation activities of AkzoNobel; Salzgewinnung durch Aussolung in den Niederlanden am Beispiel der Gewinnungsaktivitaeten der AkzoNobel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paar, Wim; Wekenborg, Hubert [Akzo Nobel Industrial Chemicals B.V., Hengelo (Netherlands). sub-Business Unit Akzo Nobel Salt B.V.

2011-06-15

The Netherlands has a long history of salt production and salt trade. Since the prohibition of salt production in the year 1515, the Netherlands were dependent on salt imports especially from France, Portugal, Spain and from the Cape Verde Islands. In the 18th century, a two-stage process for extracting salt from sea water was developed. This method consisted of an evaporation of sea water and a subsequent concentration of the brine. In the 19th century, this process (grading) was forbidden because the amount of taxes could not be determined. Therefore, since 1871 The Netherlands were dependent on the import of rock salt from the United Kingdom and Germany. Due to the declining exports of salt, from the year 1900 the Dutch manufactures produced salt only for domestic needs.
Sorption-reagent treatment of brines produced by reverse osmosis unit for liquid radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avramenko, V. A.; Zheleznov, V. V.; Sergienko, V. I.; Chizhevsky, I. Yu

2003-01-01

The results of the pilot plant tests (2002-2003) of the sorption-reagent decontamination of high salinity radioactive waste (brines) remaining after the low-salinity liquid radioactive waste (LRW) treatment in the reverse-osmosis unit from long-lived radionuclides are presented. The sorption-reagent materials used in this work were developed in the Institute of Chemistry FEDRAS. They enable one to decontaminate brines with total salt content up to 50 g/l from long-lived radionuclides of Cs, Sr and Co. At joint application of the reverse-osmosis and sorption-reagent technologies total volume of solid radioactive waste (SRW) decreases up to 100-fold as compared to the technology of cementation of reverse osmosis brines. In this case total cost of LRW treatment and SRW disposal decreases more than 10-fold. Brines decontaminated from radionuclides are then diluted down to the ecologically safe total salts content in water to be disposed of. Tests were performed to compare the efficiency of technologies including evaporation of brines remaining after reverse osmosis process and their decontamination by means of the sorption-reagent method. It was shown that, as compared to evaporation, the sorption-reagent technology provides substantial advantages as in regard to radioactive waste total volume reduction as in view of total cost of the waste management
Recovery of energy from geothermal brine and other hot water sources

Science.gov (United States)

Wahl, III, Edward F.; Boucher, Frederic B.

1981-01-01

Process and system for recovery of energy from geothermal brines and other hot water sources, by direct contact heat exchange between the brine or hot water, and an immiscible working fluid, e.g. a hydrocarbon such as isobutane, in a heat exchange column, the brine or hot water therein flowing countercurrent to the flow of the working fluid. The column can be operated at subcritical, critical or above the critical pressure of the working fluid. Preferably, the column is provided with a plurality of sieve plates, and the heat exchange process and column, e.g. with respect to the design of such plates, number of plates employed, spacing between plates, area thereof, column diameter, and the like, are designed to achieve maximum throughput of brine or hot water and reduction in temperature differential at the respective stages or plates between the brine or hot water and the working fluid, and so minimize lost work and maximize efficiency, and minimize scale deposition from hot water containing fluid including salts, such as brine. Maximum throughput approximates minimum cost of electricity which can be produced by conversion of the recovered thermal energy to electrical energy.
Scanning electron microscope observations of brine shrimp larvae from space shuttle experiments

Science.gov (United States)

DeBell, L.; Paulsen, A.; Spooner, B.

1992-01-01

Brine shrimp are encysted as gastrula stage embryos, and may remain dehydrated and encysted for years without compromising their viability. This aspect of brine shrimp biology is desirable for studying development of animals during space shuttle flight, as cysts placed aboard a spacecraft may be rehydrated at the convenience of an astronaut, guaranteeing that subsequent brine shrimp development occurs only on orbit and not on the pad during launch delays. Brine shrimp cysts placed in 5 ml syringes were rehydrated with salt water and hatched during a 9 day space shuttle mission. Subsequent larvae developed to the 8th larval stage in the sealed syringes. We studied the morphogenesis of the brine shrimp larvae and found the larvae from the space shuttle experiments similar in rate of growth and extent of development, to larvae grown in sealed syringes on the ground. Extensive differentiation and development of embryos and larvae can occur in a microgravity environment.
Analysis of the corrosion of carbon steels in simulated salt repository brines and acid chloride solutions at high temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diercks, D.R.; Kassner, T.F.

1988-04-01

An analysis of literature data on the corrosion of carbon steels in anoxic brines and acid chloride solutions was performed, and the results were used to assess the expected life of high-level nuclear waste package containers in a salt repository environment. The corrosion rate of carbon steels in moderately acidic aqueous chloride environments obeys an Arrhenius dependence on temperature and a (pH 2 ) -1/2 dependence on hydrogen partial pressure. The cathodic reduction of water to produce hydrogen is the rate-controlling step in the corrosion process. An expression for the corrosion rate incorporating these two dependencies was used to estimate the corrosion life of several proposed waste package configurations. 42 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs
A history of salt.

Science.gov (United States)

Cirillo, M; Capasso, G; Di Leo, V A; De Santo, N G

1994-01-01

The medical history of salt begins in ancient times and is closely related to different aspects of human history. Salt may be extracted from sea water, mineral deposits, surface encrustations, saline lakes and brine springs. In many inland areas, wood was used as a fuel source for evaporation of brine and this practice led to major deafforestation in central Europe. Salt played a central role in the economies of many regions, and is often reflected in place names. Salt was also used as a basis for population censuses and taxation, and salt monopolies were practised in many states. Salt was sometimes implicated in the outbreak of conflict, e.g. the French Revolution and the Indian War of Independence. Salt has also been invested with many cultural and religious meanings, from the ancient Egyptians to the Middle Ages. Man's innate appetite for salt may be related to his evolution from predominantly vegetarian anthropoids, and it is noteworthy that those people who live mainly on protein and milk or who drink salty water do not generally salt their food, whereas those who live mainly on vegetables, rice and cereals use much more salt. Medicinal use tended to emphasize the positive aspects of salt, e.g. prevention of putrefaction, reduction of tissue swelling, treatment of diarrhea. Evidence was also available to ancient peoples of its relationship to fertility, particularly in domestic animals. The history of salt thus represents a unique example for studying the impact of a widely used dietary substance on different important aspects of man's life, including medical philosophy.

Results for the Brine Evaporation Bag (BEB) Brine Processing Test

Science.gov (United States)

Delzeit, Lance; Flynn, Michael; Fisher, John; Shaw, Hali; Kawashima, Brian; Beeler, David; Howard, Kevin

2015-01-01

The recent Brine Processing Test compared the NASA Forward Osmosis Brine Dewatering (FOBD), Paragon Ionomer Water Processor (IWP), UMPQUA Ultrasonic Brine Dewatering System (UBDS), and the NASA Brine Evaporation Bag (BEB). This paper reports the results of the BEB. The BEB was operated at 70 deg C and a base pressure of 12 torr. The BEB was operated in a batch mode, and processed 0.4L of brine per batch. Two different brine feeds were tested, a chromic acid-urine brine and a chromic acid-urine-hygiene mix brine. The chromic acid-urine brine, known as the ISS Alternate Pretreatment Brine, had an average processing rate of 95 mL/hr with a specific power of 5kWhr/L. The complete results of these tests will be reported within this paper.
Mechanical behavior of New Mexico rock salt in triaxial compression up to 2000C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wawersik, W.R.; Hannum, D.W.

1978-01-01

An extensive experimental program is being conducted to determine the mechanical behavior of New Mexico rock salt in support of the structural design of a Radioactive Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). In this initial report, three groups of tests are discussed to identify the relative and site-specific importance of deviator stress, confining pressure (mean stress), temperature, time (loading rate), and stress path. The three groups of experiments consist of (1) hydrostatic loading, (2) conventional triaxial compression tests (sigma 1 > sigma 2 = sigma 3 = const.), and (3) variable stress path tests including experiments at approximately constant sigma 1 and at constant mean stress. All data were generated on 100 mm diameter specimens. The rock salt exhibited nonlinear response under all loading conditions, practically zero initial elastic limit and an apparent inseparability of permanent deformations into time-independent and time-dependent components. Pressure and temperature did not alter the elastic constants but affected the principal strain ratio, the ratio volumetric strain/shear strain, rock salt ductility, and the ultimate stress. In particular, low pressure and temperature permitted pronounced dilatancy and loss in load bearing ability. Under such conditions the volumetric strains reach sizable fractions of the shear strains. Pressure remained important even at high temperature because it influenced the rate of shearing. Load path and stress history may be significant under deviatoric loading conditions and for large variations in pressure
Review of information on the radiation chemistry of materials around waste canisters in salt and assessment of the need for additional experimental information

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jenks, G.H.; Baes, C.F. Jr.

1980-03-01

The brines, vapors, and salts precipitated from the brines will be exposed to gamma rays and to elevated temperatures in the regions close to a waste package in the salt. Accordingly, they will be subject to changes in composition brought about by reactions induced by the radiations and heat. This report reviews the status of information on the radiation chemistry of brines, gases, and solids which might be present around a waste package in salt and to assess the need for additional laboratory investigations on the radiation chemistry of these materials. The basic aspects of the radiation chemistry of water and aqueous solutions, including concentrated salt solutions, were reviewed briefly and found to be substantially unchanged from those presented in Jenks's 1972 review of radiolysis and hydrolysis in salt-mine brines. Some additional information pertaining to the radiolytic yields and reactions in brine solutions has become available since the previous review, and this information will be useful in the eventual, complete elucidation of the radiation chemistry of the salt-mine brines. 53 references.
The influence of crushed rock salt particle gradation on compaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ran, C.; Daemen, J.J.K.

1994-01-01

This paper presents results of laboratory compaction testing to determine the influence of particle size, size gradation and moisture-content on compaction of crushed rock salt. Included is a theoretical analysis of the optimum size gradation. The objective is to evaluate the relative densities that can be achieved with tamping techniques. Initial results indicate that compaction increases with maximum particle size and compaction energy, and varies significantly with article size gradation and water content
Thermomechanical effects of the salt rock on the solidified waste product during ultimate stoage of radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoen, R.

1981-01-01

The thermal stresses in the salt to be expected in the elastic case are very much reduced by the viscous behavior of the salt rock. The occurrence of tensile stresses may be prevented by reducing the differential temperatures by means of a decrease of the mould heat rate and/or the mechanical behavior of the glass as well as design measures. As far as the mechanical aspect is concerned thicker coverings have no positive effect on the stress in the glass. In the course of time the three principal stresses in the salt rock are matching. At the terminal point of the reference calculations these stresses amount to 12.5 MPa and 15 MPa in the horizontal and vertical direction respectively. (DG) [de
Brine migration test for Asse Mine, Federal Republic of Germany: final test plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-07-01

The United States and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) will conduct a brine migration test in the Asse Salt Mine in the FRG as part of the US/FRG Cooperative Radioactive Waste Management Agreement. Two sets of two tests each will be conducted to study both liquid inclusion migration and vapor migration in the two salt types chosen for the experiments: (1) pure salt, for its characteristics similar to the salt that might occur in potential US repositories, and (2) transitional salt, for its similarity to the salt that might occur in potential repositories in Germany
Comparison of the Sr isotopic signatures in brines of the Canadian and Fennoscandian shields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Negrel, Philippe; Casanova, Joel

2005-01-01

A synthesis of Sr isotope data from shallow and deep groundwaters, and brines from the Fennoscandian and Canadian Shields is presented. A salinity gradient is evident in the water with concentrations varying from approximately 1-75 g L -1 below 1500 m depth in the Fennoscandian Shield and from 10 up to 300 g L -1 below 650 m depth in the Canadian Shield. Strontium isotope ratios were measured to assess the origin of the salinity and evaluate the degree of water-rock interaction in the systems. In both shields, the Sr concentrations are enriched relative to Cl, defining a positive trend parallel to the seawater dilution line and indicative of Sr addition through weathering processes. The depth distribution for Sr concentration increases strongly with increasing depth in both shields although the variation in Sr-isotope composition does not mirror that of Sr concentrations. Strontium-isotope compositions are presented for surface waters, and groundwaters in several sites in the Fennoscandian and Canadian Shields. Numerous mixing lines can be drawn reflecting water-rock interaction. A series of calculated lines links the surface end-members (surface water and shallow groundwater) and the deep brines; these mixing lines define a range of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios for the deep brines in different selected sites. All sites show a specific 87 Sr/ 86 Sr signature and the occurrence of large 87 Sr/ 86 Sr variations is site specific in both shields. In Canadian Shield brines, the Sr isotope ratios clearly highlight large water rock interaction that increases the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio from water that could have been of marine origin. In contrast to the Canadian Shield, groundwater does not occur in closed pockets in the Fennoscandian, and the well-constrained 87 Sr/ 86 Sr signatures in deep brines should correspond to a large, well-mixed and homogeneous water reservoir, whose Sr isotope signature results from water-rock interaction
Evaluation of Five Sedimentary Rocks Other Than Salt for Geologic Repository Siting Purposes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Croff, A.G.; Lomenick, T.F.; Lowrie, R.S.; Stow, S.H.

2003-11-15

The US Department of Energy (DOE), in order to increase the diversity of rock types under consideration by the geologic disposal program, initiated the Sedimary ROck Program (SERP), whose immediate objectiv eis to evaluate five types of secimdnary rock - sandstone, chalk, carbonate rocks (limestone and dolostone), anhydrock, and shale - to determine the potential for siting a geologic repository. The evaluation of these five rock types, together with the ongoing salt studies, effectively results in the consideration of all types of relatively impermeable sedimentary rock for repository purposes. The results of this evaluation are expressed in terms of a ranking of the five rock types with respect to their potential to serve as a geologic repository host rock. This comparative evaluation was conducted on a non-site-specific basis, by use of generic information together with rock evaluation criteria (RECs) derived from the DOE siting guidelines for geologic repositories (CFR 1984). An information base relevant to rock evaluation using these RECs was developed in hydrology, geochemistry, rock characteristics (rock occurrences, thermal response, rock mechanics), natural resources, and rock dissolution. Evaluation against postclosure and preclosure RECs yielded a ranking of the five subject rocks with respect to their potential as repository host rocks. Shale was determined to be the most preferred of the five rock types, with sandstone a distant second, the carbonate rocks and anhydrock a more distant third, and chalk a relatively close fourth.
Evaluation of Five Sedimentary Rocks Other Than Salt for Geologic Repository Siting Purposes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Croff, A.G.; Lomenick, T.F.; Lowrie, R.S.; Stow, S.H.

2003-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE), in order to increase the diversity of rock types under consideration by the geologic disposal program, initiated the Sedimary ROck Program (SERP), whose immediate objectiv eis to evaluate five types of secimdnary rock - sandstone, chalk, carbonate rocks (limestone and dolostone), anhydrock, and shale - to determine the potential for siting a geologic repository. The evaluation of these five rock types, together with the ongoing salt studies, effectively results in the consideration of all types of relatively impermeable sedimentary rock for repository purposes. The results of this evaluation are expressed in terms of a ranking of the five rock types with respect to their potential to serve as a geologic repository host rock. This comparative evaluation was conducted on a non-site-specific basis, by use of generic information together with rock evaluation criteria (RECs) derived from the DOE siting guidelines for geologic repositories (CFR 1984). An information base relevant to rock evaluation using these RECs was developed in hydrology, geochemistry, rock characteristics (rock occurrences, thermal response, rock mechanics), natural resources, and rock dissolution. Evaluation against postclosure and preclosure RECs yielded a ranking of the five subject rocks with respect to their potential as repository host rocks. Shale was determined to be the most preferred of the five rock types, with sandstone a distant second, the carbonate rocks and anhydrock a more distant third, and chalk a relatively close fourth.
Chemical composition of selected Kansas brines as an aid to interpreting change in water chemistry with depth

Science.gov (United States)

Dingman, R.J.; Angino, E.E.

1969-01-01

Chemical analyses of approximately 1,881 samples of water from selected Kansas brines define the variations of water chemistry with depth and aquifer age. The most concentrated brines are found in the Permian rocks which occupy the intermediate section of the geologic column of this area. Salinity decreases below the Permian until the Ordovician (Arbuckle) horizon is reached and then increases until the Precambrian basement rocks are reached. Chemically, the petroleum brines studied in this small area fit the generally accepted pattern of an increase in calcium, sodium and chloride content with increasing salinity. They do not fit the often-predicted trend of increases in the calcium to chloride ratio, calcium content and salinity with depth and geologic age. The calcium to chloride ratio tends to be asymptotic to about 0.2 with increasing chloride content. Sulfate tends to decrease with increasing calcium content. Bicarbonate content is relatively constant with depth. If many of the hypotheses concerning the chemistry of petroleum brines are valid, then the brines studied are anomolous. An alternative lies in accepting the thesis that exceptions to these hypotheses are rapidly becoming the rule and that indeed we still do not have a valid and general hypothesis to explain the origin and chemistry of petroleum brines. ?? 1969.
Geochemistry of two pressurized brines from the Castile Formation in the vicinity of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faith, S.; Spiegler, P.; Rehfeldt, K.R.

1983-04-01

The major and minor element data and isotopic data from the ERDA-6 and WIPP-12 testing indicate that the brine reservoirs encountered in the Upper Castile Formation are largely in equilibrium with their surrounding host rock environment. This contention is supported by thermodynamic and stable isotope data. It is not possible to assign an absolute age to the brine based on uranium disequilibrium considerations, but the data do indicate that the brine reequilibrated with a new rock environment at least two million years ago. Information and data evaluated herein indicate the likelihood that the brines encountered are predominantly, if not entirely, derived from a trapped seawater source subsequently modified by diagenesis. Major ion/bromide ratios indicate that halite dissolution has occurred to some extent subsequent to deposition of the Castile anhydrites and entrapment of the seawater brine. Mechanisms for additional halite dissolution are discussed. Based on the degree of present halite saturation, it is concluded that the potential for future dissolution of halite is minimal
Mathematical Modelling for Micropiles Embedded in Salt Rock

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rădan (Toader Georgiana

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This study presents the results of the mathematical modelling for the micropiles foundation of an investement objective located in Slanic, Prahova county. Three computing models were created and analyzed with software, based on Finite Element Method. With Plaxis 2D model was analyzed the isolated micropile and the three-dimensional analysis was made with Plaxis 3D model, for group of micropiles. For the micropiles foundation was used Midas GTS-NX model. The mathematical models were calibrated based with the in-situ tests results for axially loaded micropiles, embedded in salt rock. The paper presents the results obtained with the three software, the calibration and validation models.
Deformation and transport processes in salt rocks : An experimental study exploring effects of pressure and stress relaxation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Muhammad, Nawaz

2015-01-01

The presence of evaporitic formations in sedimentary basins, often dominated by the salt mineral halite, is of great influence on the structural style developed during tectonic events. On a somewhat smaller scale, salt rocks often host a variety of deep solution mined caverns, which are increasingly
ADDIGAS. Advective and diffusive gas transport in rock salt formations. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jockwer, Norbert; Wieczorek, Klaus

2008-04-01

Beside granite and clay formations also rock salt is investigated as potential host rock for the disposal or radioactive waste. As a result of the mining activities the stress and strain state is changed which leads to dilatancy (i.e., volume increase, manly caused by microfracturing) in the vicinity of the excavations. The affected area is termed as Excavation Disturbed Zone (EDZ) and is characterized by an increased porosity and permeability with micro- and potential macrofractures. For the radioactive waste disposal in a geologic formation the properties of the EDZ with its permeability, extent, and evolution with time is of importance especially for the construction and building of geotechnical barriers. In the recent years the EDZ in rock salt formations was investigated at GRS in the frame of various projects. Main subjects of these projects were the characterisation of the EDZ with regard to its extent, hydraulic behaviour and possible healing at the in-situ stress conditions. The main emphasis of the ADDIGAS project reported here was the evolution of the EDZ after cutting off the drift contour, the anisotropy of permeability, and the diffusive gas transport which had not been investigated in earlier projects. Moreover, an constitutive model for calculating EDZ behaviour which had been developed in the frame of the BAMBUS II project was tested. The experimental work was performed on the 800-m level of the ASSe salt mine. The project ran from 2004 to 2007 and was funded by German Ministry of Economics and Labour (BMWA) under the contract No. 02 E 9924. The modelling work was co-funded by the CEC in the frame of the Integrated Project NF-PRO under contract no. F16W-CT-2003-002389. (orig.)
Frost flowers and sea-salt aerosols over seasonal sea-ice areas in northwestern Greenland during winter–spring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Hara

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Sea salts and halogens in aerosols, frost flowers, and brine play an important role in atmospheric chemistry in polar regions. Simultaneous sampling and observations of frost flowers, brine, and aerosol particles were conducted around Siorapaluk in northwestern Greenland during December 2013 to March 2014. Results show that water-soluble frost flower and brine components are sea-salt components (e.g., Na+, Cl−, Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, Br−, and iodine. Concentration factors of sea-salt components of frost flowers and brine relative to seawater were 1.14–3.67. Sea-salt enrichment of Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, and halogens (Cl−, Br−, and iodine in frost flowers is associated with sea-salt fractionation by precipitation of mirabilite and hydrohalite. High aerosol number concentrations correspond to the occurrence of higher abundance of sea-salt particles in both coarse and fine modes, and blowing snow and strong winds. Aerosol number concentrations, particularly in coarse mode, are increased considerably by release from the sea-ice surface under strong wind conditions. Sulfate depletion by sea-salt fractionation was found to be limited in sea-salt aerosols because of the presence of non-sea-salt (NSS SO42−. However, coarse and fine sea-salt particles were found to be rich in Mg. Strong Mg enrichment might be more likely to proceed in fine sea-salt particles. Magnesium-rich sea-salt particles might be released from the surface of snow and slush layer (brine on sea ice and frost flowers. Mirabilite-like and ikaite-like particles were identified only in aerosol samples collected near new sea-ice areas. From the field evidence and results from earlier studies, we propose and describe sea-salt cycles in seasonal sea-ice areas.
Frost flowers and sea-salt aerosols over seasonal sea-ice areas in northwestern Greenland during winter-spring

Science.gov (United States)

Hara, Keiichiro; Matoba, Sumito; Hirabayashi, Motohiro; Yamasaki, Tetsuhide

2017-07-01

Sea salts and halogens in aerosols, frost flowers, and brine play an important role in atmospheric chemistry in polar regions. Simultaneous sampling and observations of frost flowers, brine, and aerosol particles were conducted around Siorapaluk in northwestern Greenland during December 2013 to March 2014. Results show that water-soluble frost flower and brine components are sea-salt components (e.g., Na+, Cl-, Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, Br-, and iodine). Concentration factors of sea-salt components of frost flowers and brine relative to seawater were 1.14-3.67. Sea-salt enrichment of Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, and halogens (Cl-, Br-, and iodine) in frost flowers is associated with sea-salt fractionation by precipitation of mirabilite and hydrohalite. High aerosol number concentrations correspond to the occurrence of higher abundance of sea-salt particles in both coarse and fine modes, and blowing snow and strong winds. Aerosol number concentrations, particularly in coarse mode, are increased considerably by release from the sea-ice surface under strong wind conditions. Sulfate depletion by sea-salt fractionation was found to be limited in sea-salt aerosols because of the presence of non-sea-salt (NSS) SO42-. However, coarse and fine sea-salt particles were found to be rich in Mg. Strong Mg enrichment might be more likely to proceed in fine sea-salt particles. Magnesium-rich sea-salt particles might be released from the surface of snow and slush layer (brine) on sea ice and frost flowers. Mirabilite-like and ikaite-like particles were identified only in aerosol samples collected near new sea-ice areas. From the field evidence and results from earlier studies, we propose and describe sea-salt cycles in seasonal sea-ice areas.
A carbon inventory for Orca Basin brines and sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sackett, W.M.; Brooks, J.M.; Bernard, B.B.; Schwab, C.R.; Chung, H.; Parker, R.A.

1979-01-01

Orca Basin, an intraslope depression at a depth of about 2400 m on the continental slope of the north-central Gulf of Mexico, contains an anoxic, hypersaline brine similar to composition to those reported in the Red Sea. Concentrations and stable carbon isotope compositions of various inorganic and organic carbon species have been determined on the brine and sediments in order to gain an understanding of the origin and cycling of carbon in this unique environment. ΣCO 2 in the brine (55 mg C/l) is about twice seawater with delta 13 C sub(PDB)=-16.4per thousand and Δ 14 C=-501per thousand. CH 4 has a concentration of 12 mg C/l and delta 13 C=-73.5per thousand. Dissolved and particulate organic carbon concentrations are seven times higher and have delta 13 C values several permil different than the overlying seawater, ΣCO 2 and CH 4 in the interstitial waters are considerably higher in concentrations and isotropically light than the overlying brine. Solution of near-surface salt deposits by seawater with subsequent microbial production and consumption of methane can be used to explain most of the data. (Auth.)
West Hackberry Strategic Petroleum Reserve site brine-disposal monitoring, Year I report. Volume III. Biological oceanography. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DeRouen, L.R.; Hann, R.W.; Casserly, D.M.; Giammona, C.; Lascara, V.J. (eds.)

1983-02-01

The Department of Energy's Strategic Petroleum Reserve Program began discharging brine into the Gulf of Mexico from its West Hackberry site near Cameron, Louisiana in May 1981. The brine originates from underground salt domes being leached with water from the Intracoastal Waterway, making available vast underground storage caverns for crude oil. The effects of brine discharge on aquatic organisms are presented in this volume. The topics covered are: benthos; nekton; phytoplankton; zooplankton; and data management.
Radiation damage studies on natural and synthetic rock salt utilizing measurements made during electron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swyler, K.J.; Levy, P.W.

1977-01-01

The numerous radiation damage effects which will occur in the rock salt surrounding radioactive waste disposal canisters are being investigated with unique apparatus for making optical and other measurements during 1 to 3 MeV electron irradiation. This equipment, consists of a computer controlled double beam spectrophotometer which simultaneously records 256 point absorption and radioluminescence spectra, in either the 200 to 400 or 400 to 800 nm region, every 40 seconds. Most often the measurements commence as the irradiation is started and continue after it is terminated. This procedure provides information on the kinetics and other details of the damage formation process and, when the irradiation is terminated, on both the transient and stable damage components. The exposure rates may be varied between 10 2 or 10 3 to more than 10 8 rad per hour and the sample temperature maintained between 25 and 800 or 900 0 C. Although this project was started recently, measurements have been made on synthetic NaCl and on natural rock salt from two disposal sites and two mines. Both unstrained and purposely strained samples have been used. Most recently, measurements at temperatures between 25 and 200 0 C have been started. The few measurements completed to date indicate that the damage formation kinetics in natural rock salt are quite different from those observed in synthetic NaCl
Salt concentrations during water production resulting from CO₂ storage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Walter, Lena; Class, Holger; Binning, Philip John

2014-01-01

present in the saline aquifer. The brine can be displaced over large areas and can reach shallower groundwater resources. High salt concentrations could lead to a degradation of groundwater quality. For water suppliers the most important information is whether and how much salt is produced at a water...... displacement and infiltration could result in hazards for human health and the environment and therefore have to be investigated in detail. In this work numerical simulations are performed to estimate the risk related to the displacement of brine. The injected CO2 will displace the brine that is initially...

Textural and biochemical changes during ripening of old-fashioned salted herrings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Mette; Andersen, Eva; Christensen, Line

2011-01-01

the ripening period could be explained by free-radical-induced cross-linking of myosin and the formation of aggregates. In addition, degradation of these aggregates correlated with the decrease in hardness observed at 371 days. CONCLUSIONS: Texture changes during ripening of salted herrings can be explained...... of salted herrings. The aim of this study was to measure the texture changes during ripening using two differentmethods and to correlate the texture changeswith brine composition andwith biochemical modifications at themolecular level. RESULTS: During ripening (up to 151 days), hardness was higher in salted...... herrings compared to raw herrings, irrespective of the brine composition. However, the increase in hardness of herring prepared with extra brine occurred later. After prolonged storage (371 days), hardness was found for both batches to decrease to the level of raw herring. The increase in hardness during...
Bead Evaporator for Complete Water and Salt Recovery from Brine, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — A microgravity-compatible Brine Evaporation and Mineralization System (BEMS) is proposed for 100% water recovery from highly contaminated wastewater as well as water...
Modelling CO2-Brine Interfacial Tension using Density Gradient Theory

KAUST Repository

Ruslan, Mohd Fuad Anwari Che

2018-03-01

Knowledge regarding carbon dioxide (CO2)-brine interfacial tension (IFT) is important for petroleum industry and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) strategies. In petroleum industry, CO2-brine IFT is especially importance for CO2 – based enhanced oil recovery strategy as it affects phase behavior and fluid transport in porous media. CCS which involves storing CO2 in geological storage sites also requires understanding regarding CO2-brine IFT as this parameter affects CO2 quantity that could be securely stored in the storage site. Several methods have been used to compute CO2-brine interfacial tension. One of the methods employed is by using Density Gradient Theory (DGT) approach. In DGT model, IFT is computed based on the component density distribution across the interface. However, current model is only applicable for modelling low to medium ionic strength solution. This limitation is due to the model only considers the increase of IFT due to the changes of bulk phases properties and does not account for ion distribution at interface. In this study, a new modelling strategy to compute CO2-brine IFT based on DGT was proposed. In the proposed model, ion distribution across interface was accounted for by separating the interface to two sections. The saddle point of tangent plane distance where ( ) was defined as the boundary separating the two sections of the interface. Electrolyte is assumed to be present only in the second section which is connected to the bulk liquid phase side. Numerical simulations were performed using the proposed approach for single and mixed salt solutions for three salts (NaCl, KCl, and CaCl2), for temperature (298 K to 443 K), pressure (2 MPa to 70 MPa), and ionic strength (0.085 mol·kg-1 to 15 mol·kg-1). The simulation result shows that the tuned model was able to predict with good accuracy CO2-brine IFT for all studied cases. Comparison with current DGT model showed that the proposed approach yields better match with the experiment data
SYSNET: A salt-site systems network model for scenario assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reeves, M.; Banda, R.S.

1986-12-01

This document contains a description of the initial version of the systems model SYSNET. This model is being developed to analyze potentially disruptive scenarios of salt repository systems. Currently the model features a general three-dimensional network topology and simulates the processes of flow, heat transport in rock, heat transport in fluid, brine transport, salt creep dissolution, and precipitation. Of necessity, the SYSNET Code uses relatively simple semi-analytic algorithms so that it may be implemented statistically. Uncertain parameters may be sampled with a compatible preprocessor and then analyzed statistically with a compatible postprocessor. When used in this fashion, SYSNET may be caused to calculate distributions of various performance measures and sensitivities of performance measures to uncertain parameters. The ultimate objective of the SYSNET development is to prioritize data needs by computing sensitivities relative to a particular performance measure, namely the 10,000-year cumulative release, and to evaluate repository systems for compliance with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Standard. 16 refs., 25 figs., 31 tabs
Chemical Characterization, Antioxidant and Enzymatic Activity of Brines from Scandinavian Marinated Herring Products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gringer, Nina; Osman, Ali; Nielsen, Henrik Hauch

2014-01-01

Brines generated during the last marination step in the production of marinated herring (Clupea harengus) were chemically characterized and analyzed for antioxidant and enzyme activities. The end-products were vinegar cured, spice cured and traditional barrel-salted herring with either salt...... or spices. The chemical characterization encompassed pH, dry matter, ash, salt, fatty acids, protein, polypeptide pattern, iron and nitrogen. The antioxidant activity was tested with three assays measuring: iron chelation, reducing power and radical scavenging activity. The enzymatic activity for peroxidase...
Effects of high salinity from desalination brine on growth, photosynthesis, water relations and osmolyte concentrations of seagrass Posidonia australis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cambridge, M L; Zavala-Perez, A; Cawthray, G R; Mondon, J; Kendrick, G A

2017-01-01

Highly saline brines from desalination plants expose seagrass communities to salt stress. We examined effects of raised salinity (46 and 54 psu) compared with seawater controls (37 psu) over 6 weeks on the seagrass, Posidonia australis, growing in tanks with the aim of separating effects of salinity from other potentially deleterious components of brine and determining appropriate bioindicators. Plants survived exposures of 2–4 weeks at 54 psu, the maximum salinity of brine released from a nearby desalination plant. Salinity significantly reduced maximum quantum yield of PSII (chlorophyll a fluorescence emissions). Leaf water potential (Ψ w ) and osmotic potential (Ψ π ) were more negative at increased salinity, while turgor pressure (Ψ p ) was unaffected. Leaf concentrations of K + and Ca 2+ decreased, whereas concentrations of sugars (mainly sucrose) and amino acids increased. We recommend leaf osmolarity, ion, sugar and amino acid concentrations as bioindicators for salinity effects, associated with brine released in desalination plant outfalls. - Highlights: • We separated salt effects of desalination brine from other deleterious components. • Sublethal salinity stress depended on both salinity increase and exposure time. • Very effective osmoregulation led to tolerance of short intervals of high salinity.
Calcium extraction from brine water and seawater using oxalic acid

Science.gov (United States)

Natasha, Nadia Chrisayu; Lalasari, Latifa Hanum

2017-01-01

Calcium can be extracted not only from rocks but also from natural liquor such as seawater and brine water. In order to extract the calcium from seawater and brine water, oxalic acid was used in this research. Effect of variations of the volume of the oxalic acid at a constant concentration in seawater and brine water to produce calcium was investigated. The concentration of oxalic acid was 100 g/l and the variations of its volume were 2 ml, 4 ml, 6 ml, 8 ml, 10 ml, 20 ml, 30 ml, 40 ml, and 50 ml. The used seawater and brine water were firstly evaporated from 100 ml into 50 ml and then the oxalic acid was added into them with mixing to produce the calcium precipitates. The precipitates were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the filtrates were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The SEM analysis showed that the precipitates from brine water were consisted of only calcium compound while from seawater sodium one was also found along with calcium compound. The XRD analysis showed that the calcium was present in the form of calcium oxalate for both seawater and brine water. The ICP-OES analysis of the filtrate from seawater precipitation showed that the its calcium content was decreased from 826.20 ppm to 0.04 ppm while from brine water, it decreased from 170.06 ppm to 1.96 ppm. These results showed that both seawater and brine water have the potential to be a raw material for calcium production.
Long-term gas and brine migration at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant: Preliminary sensitivity analyses for post-closure 40 CFR 268 (RCRA), May 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-12-01

This report describes preliminary probabilistic sensitivity analyses of long term gas and brine migration at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Because gas and brine are potential transport media for organic compounds and heavy metals, understanding two-phase flow in the repository and the surrounding Salado Formation is essential to evaluating long-term compliance with 40 CFR 268.6, which is the portion of the Land Disposal Restrictions of the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act that states the conditions for disposal of specified hazardous wastes. Calculations described here are designed to provide guidance to the WIPP Project by identifying important parameters and helping to recognize processes not yet modeled that may affect compliance. Based on these analyses, performance is sensitive to shaft-seal permeabilities, parameters affecting gas generation, and the conceptual model used for the disturbed rock zone surrounding the excavation. Brine migration is less likely to affect compliance with 40 CFR 268.6 than gas migration. However, results are preliminary, and additional iterations of uncertainty and sensitivity analyses will be required to provide the confidence needed for a defensible compliance evaluation. Specifically, subsequent analyses will explicitly include effects of salt creep and, when conceptual and computational models are available, pressure-dependent fracturing of anhydrite marker beds
A constitutive model for representing coupled creep, fracture, and healing in rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, K.S.; Bodner, S.R.; Munson, D.E.; Fossum, A.F.

1996-01-01

The development of a constitutive model for representing inelastic flow due to coupled creep, damage, and healing in rock salt is present in this paper. This model, referred to as Multimechanism Deformation Coupled Fracture model, has been formulated by considering individual mechanisms that include dislocation creep, shear damage, tensile damage, and damage healing. Applications of the model to representing the inelastic flow and fracture behavior of WIPP salt subjected to creep, quasi-static loading, and damage healing conditions are illustrated with comparisons of model calculations against experimental creep curves, stress-strain curves, strain recovery curves, time-to-rupture data, and fracture mechanism maps
In situ permeability testing of rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, E.W.; Lagus, P.L.; Broce, R.D.; Lie, K.

1981-04-01

Storage of transuranic (TRU) wastes in bedded salt formations requires a knowledge of the in situ permeability of SENM rock salt. Since assumptions for safety assessments have been made in which these wastes could generate gas pressures on the order of the lithostatic pressure over geologic time scales, the permeability of the surrounding formation becomes an important parameter for determining the manner in which the gases will be contained or dispersed. This report describes the series of tests conducted in the AEC-7 borehole, located near the WIPP site, to determine the in situ gas flow characteristics of the bedded salt. In these tests, compressed air was injected into the borehole and flow into the surrounding formation measured. These measured flow rates were interpreted in terms of formation permeabilities and porosities which were, in turn, used as modeling parameters for the repository response analysis. Two series of field tests were performed. The first series consisted of a number of whole-hole flow tests conducted to provide preliminary design information required for future operation of a guarded straddle packer system capable of measuring permeabilities > or = 0.1 μdarcy. The second series of tests were conducted using the Systems, Science and Software (S-Cubed) designed guarded straddle packer system. In these interval permeability tests, 100-foot lengths of borehole were isolated and the flow characteristics of the surrounding formation examined. In this report, a complete description of the test procedures, instrumentation, and measurement techniques is first given. The analytical/numerical methods used for data interpretation are then presented, followed by results of the interval and permeability tests. (The whole-hole tests are summarized in Appendix A.) Conclusions are presented in the final section
Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study of Carbon Dioxide, Methane, and Their Mixture in the Presence of Brine

KAUST Repository

Yang, Yafan

2017-10-03

We perform molecular dynamics simulation study of CO2, methane, and their mixture in the presence of brine over a broad range of temperature (311–473 K), pressure (up to about 100 MPa), and NaCl concentration (up to about 14 wt %). The general decrease in the interfacial tension (IFT) values of the CH4–brine system with pressure and temperature is similar to that obtained for the corresponding CH4–water system. The IFT of methane and brine is a linearly increasing function of salt concentration, and the resulting slopes are dependent on the pressure. A similar behavior as methane is observed for such systems containing CO2 and CO2–CH4 mixture. The IFT of CO2 and brine increases linearly with increasing salt content; however, the resulting slopes are independent of pressure. The simulations show that the presence of CO2 decreases the IFT values of the CH4–water and CH4–brine systems, but the degree of reduction depends on the amount of CO2 in each sample, which is consistent with experimental evidence. These IFT values show a linear correlation with the amount of CO2, and the resulting slopes are dependent on the temperature and pressure. Furthermore, our results for the mole fractions of the different species in the CO2–CH4–water system at 323 K and 9 MPa are in agreement with those of experiments. The mole fractions of methane and CO2 in the water-rich phase decrease with increasing salt concentration, whereas that of H2O in the methane- or CO2-rich phases remains almost unaffected in all of the studied cases. Our results could be useful because of the importance of carbon dioxide sequestration and shale gas production.
Fluid inclusions in salt: an annotated bibliography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isherwood, D.J.

1979-01-01

An annotated bibliography is presented which was compiled while searching the literature for information on fluid inclusions in salt for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's study on the deep-geologic disposal of nuclear waste. The migration of fluid inclusions in a thermal gradient is a potential hazard to the safe disposal of nuclear waste in a salt repository. At the present time, a prediction as to whether this hazard precludes the use of salt for waste disposal can not be made. Limited data from the Salt-Vault in situ heater experiments in the early 1960's (Bradshaw and McClain, 1971) leave little doubt that fluid inclusions can migrate towards a heat source. In addition to the bibliography, there is a brief summary of the physical and chemical characteristics that together with the temperature of the waste will determine the chemical composition of the brine in contact with the waste canister, the rate of fluid migration, and the brine-canister-waste interactions
Effect of iron cation on geochemical trapping of CO2 in brine

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qi; Maroto-Valer, Mercedes

2014-05-01

Carbon dioxide sequestration using brines has emerged as a promising technology to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change due to its large storage capacity and favorable chemistries. However, the permanent storage (mineral trapping) of CO2 in brines takes significantly long periods of time as the formation and precipitation of carbonates is very slow .[1]. The main parameters reported to effect on mineral trapping of CO2 sequestration in brines are brine composition, brine pH, system temperature and pressure.[2, 3]. It is suggested that the precipitation of mineral carbonates is mostly dependent on brine pH. Previous studies by the authors concluded that iron in natural brines causes pH instability, but it was not ascertained whether ferric iron or ferrous iron caused pH instability .[4]. Accordingly, the aim of this project is to study synthetic brines mimicking the major ions found in natural brines and including different concentrations of ferric and ferrous iron. Three brines were prepared, as follows: Brine 1 was prepared with ferric Fe3+ iron, Brine 2 prepared with ferrous Fe2+ iron and Brine 3 prepared with no iron. A series of pH stability studies and carbonation reactions were conducted using the above three brines. It is concluded that the ferrous iron causes pH instability, while ferric iron might promote carbonate precipitation. .1. Garcia, S., et al., Sequestration of non-pure carbon dioxide streams in iron oxyhydroxide-containing saline repositories. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 2012. 7: p. 89-97. 2. Liu, Q. and M.M. Maroto-Valer, Investigation of the pH effect of a typical host rock and buffer solution on CO 2 sequestration in synthetic brines. Fuel Processing Technology, 2010. 91(10): p. 1321-1329. 3. Liu, Q. and M.M. MarotoValer, Parameters affecting mineral trapping of CO2 sequestration in brines. Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, 2011. 1(3): p. 211-222. 4. Druckenmiller, M.L. and M.M. Maroto-Valer, Carbon
Evaporation Rates of Brine on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Sears, D. W. G.; Chittenden, J.; Moore, S. R.; Meier, A.; Kareev, M.; Farmer, C. B.

2004-01-01

While Mars is now largely a dry and barren place, recent data have indicated that water has flowed at specific locations within the last approx. 10(exp 6) y. This had led to a resurgence of interest in theoretical and experimental work aimed at understanding the behavior of water on Mars. There are several means whereby the stability of liquid water on Mars could be increased, one being the presence solutes that would depress the freezing point. Salt water on Earth is about 0.5M NaCl, but laboratory experiments suggest that martian salt water is quite different. We recently began a program of laboratory measurements of the stability of liquid water, ice and ice-dust mixtures under martian conditions and here report measurements of the evaporation rate of 0.25M brine.
Salt brickwork as long-term sealing in salt formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walter, F.; Yaramanci, U.

1993-01-01

Radioactive wastes can be disposed of in deep salt formations. Rock salt is a suitable geologic medium because of its unique characteristics. Open boreholes, shafts and drifts are created to provide physical access to the repository. Long-term seals must be emplaced in these potential pathways to prevent radioactive release into the biosphere. The sealing materials must be mechanically and, most important, geochemically stable within the host rock. Salt bricks made from compressed salt-powder are understood to be the first choice long-term sealing material. Seals built of salt bricks will be ductile. Large sealing systems are built by combining the individual bricks with mortar. Raw materials for mortar are fine-grained halite powder and ground saliferous clay. This provides for the good adhesive strength of the mortar to the bricks and the high shear-strength of the mortar itself. To test the interaction of rock salt with an emplaced long-term seal, experiments will be carried out in situ, in the Asse salt mine in Germany. Simple borehole sealing experiments will be performed in horizontal holes and a complicated drift sealing experiment is planned, to demonstrate the technology of sealing a standard size drift or shaft inside a disturbed rock mass. Especially, the mechanical stability of the sealing system has to be demonstrated
A chemical redox reaction to generate rock salt-type materials: the case of Na3V2O5.

Science.gov (United States)

Adamczyk, E; Anger, E; Freire, M; Pralong, V

2018-02-27

Chemical redox reactions are extremely efficient to prepare fully reduced or oxidized phases that are formed during the topotactic insertion/extraction of alkaline ions. Herein, we report these reactions and discuss the possibility to generate new ordered or disordered rock salt-type structures depending on the structure of the mother phase. We have shown that a disordered rock salt-type structure is formed when the transition element is located at the tetrahedral site, as exemplified by the formation of Na 3 V 2 O 5 upon chemical reduction of V 2 O 5 .
Effects of NaCl on Fermentative Metabolism of Mature Green Tomatoes cv. Ailsa Craig in Brine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sotirios Fragkostefanakis

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of osmotic strength on gene expression and activity of the major enzymes of fermentative metabolism of mature green tomato fruit (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Ailsa Craig has been studied by exposing fruit to brine containing 0 (water, 5 and 10 % NaCl. The fruits were surface sterilized prior to treatment to prevent the growth of microbes naturally present on the skin of the fruit. Changes in fruit expression of fermentation genes and the activity of the respective enzymes as well as physicochemical quality characteristics (soluble solid content, titratable acidity, pH and firmness were studied in both fruit and brine for 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 7 and 14 days. Discrepancies in responses that resulted from the different salt concentrations were obtained at molecular and quality levels. The complex kinetics of solutes between the fruit and the surrounding solution due to osmotic potential has led to different responses of the tissue to fermentation. Tomato fruit showed cracking soon after storage in water; water-stored fruit had higher titratable acidity, lower soluble solid content, and higher induction of anaerobic metabolism as indicated by the expression or the activity of the fermentation enzymes compared to fruit stored in brine with 5 or 10 % NaCl. No cracking was observed in fruit stored in 5 (isotonic or 10 % NaCl (hypertonic brine, though in the latter, signs of dehydration were observed. The presence of salt in brine reduced the intensity of fermentative metabolism as indicated by the lower gene expression and enzyme activity. However, fruit stored in brine with 5 % NaCl survived longer than with 0 or 10 % NaCl. The presence of 5 % NaCl in brine caused mild changes of both the fermentative metabolism and the physicochemical characteristics and prevented fruit deterioration during storage.
"Tepid" Geysers above salt caverns

Science.gov (United States)

Bérest, Pierre; Brouard, Benoît; Zakharov, Vassily

2018-06-01

The formation of a brine geyser erupting from the wellhead of a large underground salt cavern is described. In most cases, the brine outflow from an opened cavern is slow; it results from the cavern creep closure and the thermal expansion of the cavern brine. These two processes are smooth; however, the brine outflow often is bumpy, as it is modulated by atmospheric pressure variations that generate an elastic increase (or decrease) of both cavern and brine volumes. In addition, when the flow is fast enough, the brine thermodynamic behavior in the wellbore is adiabatic. The cold brine expelled from the cavern wellhead is substituted with warm brine entering the borehole bottom, resulting in a lighter brine column. The brine outflow increases. In some cases, the flow becomes so fast that inertia terms must be taken into account. A geyser forms, coming to an end when the pressure in the cavern has dropped sufficiently. A better picture is obtained when head losses are considered. A closed-form solution can be reached. This proves that two cases must be distinguished, depending on whether the cold brine initially contained in the wellbore is expelled fully or not. It can also be shown that geyser formation is a rare event, as it requires both that the wellbore be narrow and that the cavern be very compressible. This study stemmed from an actual example in which a geyser was observed. However, scarce information is available, making any definite interpretation difficult. xml:lang="fr"
Hydrological indications of aeolian salts in mid-latitude deserts of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The compositional differences between aeolian salts and local natural waters is evident,indicating the chemistry of aeolian salts and the associated parent brines may be significantly differentthan that predicted for hydrologically closed systems. The formation of aeolian salts in the studieddeserts is strongly controlled by ...
Geosphere migration studies as support for the comparison of candidate sites for disposal of radioactive waste in rock-salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glasbergen, P.; Hassanizadeh, S.M.; Noordijk, H.; Sauter, F.

1988-01-01

The Dutch research program on the geological disposal of radioactive waste was designed to supply a basis for the selection of combinations of three factors, i.e., type of rock-salt formation, site, and disposal technique, satisfying radiological standards and other criteria for final disposal. The potential sites have been grouped according to the type of rock-salt formation (e.g. bedded salt and salt domes) and two classes of depth below the surface of the ground. Values for geohydrological parameters were obtained by extrapolation of data from existing boreholes and analysis of the sedimentary environment. A three-dimensional model of groundwater flow and contaminant transport, called METROPOL, has been developed. To investigate the effect of high salinity on nuclide transport properly, a theoretical experimental study was carried out. Use of a thermodynamic approach showed that terms related to salt mass fraction have to be added to Darcy's and Fick's laws. An experimental study to investigate effects of these modifications is in progress. 8 refs.; 8 figs.; 1 table

WIPP air-intake shaft disturbed-rock zone study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dale, T.; Hurtado, L.D.

1996-01-01

The disturbed-rock zone surrounding the air-intake shaft at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site was investigated to determine the extent and the permeability of the disturbed-rock zone as a function of radial distance from the 6.1 m diameter shaft, at different elevations within the Salado. Gas- and brine-permeability tests were performed in the bedded halite of the Salado formation at two levels within the air-intake shaft. The gas- and brine-permeability test results demonstrated that the radial distance to an undisturbed formation permeability of 1 x 10 -21 m 2 was less than 3.0 m
Effect of sodium bicarbonate and varying concentrations of sodium chloride in brine on the liquid retention of fish (Pollachius virens L.) muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

Åsli, Magnus; Ofstad, Ragni; Böcker, Ulrike; Jessen, Flemming; Einen, Olai; Mørkøre, Turid

2016-03-15

Negative health effects associated with excessive sodium (Na) intake have increased the demand for tasty low-Na products (<2% NaCl) rather than traditional heavily salted fish products (∼20% NaCl). This study investigates the causes of improved yield and liquid retention of fish muscle brined with a combination of salt (NaCl) and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3 ). Water characteristics and microstructure of saithe (Pollachius virens L.) muscle brined in solutions of NaCl and NaHCO3 or NaCl alone were compared using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) T2 relaxometry, microscopy, salt content, liquid retention and colorimetric measurements. Saithe muscle was brined for 92 h in 0, 30, 60, 120 or 240 g kg(-1) NaCl or the respective solutions with added 7.5 g kg(-1) NaHCO3 . NaHCO3 inclusion improved the yield in solutions ranging from 0 to 120 g kg(-1) NaCl, with the most pronounced effect being observed at 30 g kg(-1) NaCl. The changes in yield were reflected in water mobility, with significantly shorter T2 relaxation times in all corresponding brine concentrations. Salt-dependent microstructural changes were revealed by light microscopy, where NaHCO3 supplementation resulted in greater intracellular space at 30 and 60 g kg(-1) NaCl. Sodium bicarbonate addition to low-salt solutions can improve yield and flesh quality of fish muscle owing to altered water mobility and wider space between the muscle cells. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.
Cost-effective bioregeneration of nitrate-laden ion exchange brine through deliberate bicarbonate incorporation.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qi; Huang, Bin; Chen, Xin; Shi, Yi

2015-05-15

Bioregeneration of nitrate-laden ion exchange brine is desired to minimize its environmental impacts, but faces common challenges, i.e., enriching sufficient salt-tolerant denitrifying bacteria and stabilizing brine salinity and alkalinity for stable brine biotreatment and economically removing undesired organics derived in biotreatment. Incorporation of 0.25 M bicarbonate in 0.5 M chloride brine little affected resin regeneration but created a benign alkaline condition to favor bio-based brine regeneration. The first-quarter sulfate-mainly enriched spent brine (SB) was acidified with carbon source acetic acid for using CaCl2 at an efficiency >80% to remove sulfate. Residual Ca(2+) was limited below 2 mM by re-mixing the first-quarter and remained SB to favor denitrification. Under [Formula: see text] system buffered pH condition (8.3-8.8), nitrate was removed at 0.90 gN/L/d by hematite-enriched well-settled activated sludge (SVI 8.5 ml/g) and the biogenic alkalinity was retained as bicarbonate. The biogenic alkalinity met the need of alkalinity in removing residual Ca(2+) after sulfate removal and in CaCl2-induced CaCO3 flocculation to remove 63% of soluble organic carbon (SOC) in biotreated brine. Carbon-limited denitrification was also operated after activated sludge acclimation with sulfide to cut SOC formation during denitrification. Overall, this bicarbonate-incorporation approach, stabilizing the brine salinity and alkalinity for stable denitrification and economical removal of undesired SOC, suits long-term cost-effective brine bioregeneration. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Corrosion of candidate iron-base waste package structural barrier materials in moist salt environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Westerman, R.E.; Pitman, S.G.

1984-11-01

Mild steels are considered to be strong candidates for waste package structural barrier (e.g., overpack) applications in salt repositories. Corrosion rates of these materials determined in autoclave tests utilizing a simulated intrusion brine based on Permian Basin core samples are low, generally <25 μm (1 mil) per year. When the steels are exposed to moist salts containing simulated inclusion brines, the corrosion rates are found to increase significantly. The magnesium in the inclusion brine component of the environment is believed to be responsible for the increased corrosion rates. 1 reference, 4 figures, 2 tables
Impacts of using salt and salt brine for roadway deicing.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-06-01

Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) uses a variety of methods to help ensure safe travel on the state highway system : following winter storm events. These methods include plowing, use of sand to improve traction, and use of salt and chemical : com...
Status Report on Laboratory Testing and International Collaborations in Salt.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuhlman, Kristopher L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Matteo, Edward N. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Hadgu, Teklu [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Reedlunn, Benjamin [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Sobolik, Steven R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Mills, Melissa Marie [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Kirkes, Leslie Dawn [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Xiong, Yongliang [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Icenhower, Jonathan [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-09-01

This report is a summary of the international collaboration and laboratory work funded by the US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy Spent Fuel and Waste Science & Technology (SFWST) as part of the Sandia National Laboratories Salt R&D work package. This report satisfies milestone levelfour milestone M4SF-17SN010303014. Several stand-alone sections make up this summary report, each completed by the participants. The first two sections discuss international collaborations on geomechanical benchmarking exercises (WEIMOS) and bedded salt investigations (KOSINA), while the last three sections discuss laboratory work conducted on brucite solubility in brine, dissolution of borosilicate glass into brine, and partitioning of fission products into salt phases.
Sodium Chloride Diffusion during Muscle Salting Evidenced by Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Filgueras, Rénata; Peyrin, Frédéric; Vénien, Annie; Hénot, Jean Marc; Astruc, Thierry

2016-01-27

To better understand the relationship between the muscle structure and NaCl transfers in meat, we used energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) coupled with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze brined and dry-salted rat muscles. The muscles were freeze-dried to avoid the delocalization of soluble ions that happens in regular dehydration through a graded series of ethanol. Na and Cl maps were superimposed on SEM images to combine the muscle structure and NaCl diffusion. Brining causes rapid diffusion of NaCl through the tissue. Most brine diffuses in a linear front from the muscle surface, but a small proportion enters through the perimysium network. The muscle area penetrated by brine shows heterogeneous patterns of NaCl retention, with some connective tissue islets containing more NaCl than other parts of perimysium. NaCl penetration is considerably slower after dry salting than after brining.
A fractional derivative approach to full creep regions in salt rock

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, H. W.; Wang, C. P.; Mishnaevsky, Leon

2013-01-01

Based on the definition of the constant-viscosity Abel dashpot, a new creep element, referred to as the variable-viscosity Abel dashpot, is proposed to characterize damage growth in salt rock samples during creep tests. Ultrasonic testing is employed to determine a formula of the variable viscosity...... coefficient, indicating that the change of the variable viscosity coefficient with the time meets a negative exponent law. In addition, by replacing the Newtonian dashpot in the classical Nishihara model with the variable-viscosity Abel dashpot, a damage-mechanism-based creep constitutive model is proposed...... on the basis of time-based fractional derivative. The analytic solution for the fractional-derivative creep constitutive model is presented. The parameters of the fractional derivative creep model are determined by the Levenberg–Marquardt method on the basis of the experimental results of creep tests on salt...
Experimental research data on stress state of salt rock mass around an underground excavation

Science.gov (United States)

Baryshnikov, VD; Baryshnikov, DV

2018-03-01

The paper presents the experimental stress state data obtained in surrounding salt rock mass around an excavation in Mir Mine, ALROSA. The deformation characteristics and the values of stresses in the adjacent rock mass are determined. Using the method of drilling a pair of parallel holes in a stressed area, the authors construct linear relationship for the radial displacements of the stress measurement hole boundaries under the short-term loading of the perturbing hole. The resultant elasticity moduli of rocks are comparable with the laboratory core test data. Pre-estimates of actual stresses point at the presence of a plasticity zone in the vicinity of the underground excavation. The stress state behavior at a distance from the excavation boundary disagrees with the Dinnik–Geim hypothesis.
GEOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF CO₂-BRINE-ROCK INTERACTIONS OF THE KNOX GROUP IN THE ILLINOIS BASIN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoksoulian, Lois; Berger, Peter; Freiburg, Jared; Butler, Shane; Leetaru, Hannes

2014-09-30

study suggests only limited potential for the release of United States Environmental Protection Agency regulated inorganic contaminants into potable water sources. Short-term core flood experiments further verify that the carbonate reactions occurring in Knox Group reservoir samples reach equilibrium rapidly. The core flood experiments also lend insight to pressure changes that may occur during CO₂ injection. The Maquoketa Shale experiments reveal that this rock is initially chemically reactive when in contact with CO₂ and brine. However, due to the conservative nature of silicate and clay reaction kinetics and the rapid equilibration of carbonate reactions that occur in the shale, these reactions would not present a significant risk to the competency of the shale as an effective seal rock.
Assessment of brine migration risks along vertical pathways due to CO2 injection

Science.gov (United States)

Kissinger, Alexander; Class, Holger

2015-04-01

Global climate change, shortage of resources and the growing usage of renewable energy sources has lead to a growing demand for the utilization of subsurface systems. Among these competing uses are Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), geothermal energy, nuclear waste disposal, 'renewable' methane or hydrogen storage as well as the ongoing production of fossil resources like oil, gas and coal. Additionally, these technologies may also create conflicts with essential public interests such as water supply. For example, the injection of CO2 into the subsurface causes an increase in pressure reaching far beyond the actual radius of influence of the CO2 plume, potentially leading to large amounts of displaced salt water. In this work we focus on the large scale impacts of CO2 storage on brine migration but the methodology and the obtained results may also apply to other fields like waste water disposal, where large amounts of fluid are injected into the subsurface. In contrast to modeling on the reservoir scale the spatial scale required for this work is much larger in both vertical and lateral direction, as the regional hydrogeology has to be considered. Structures such as fault zones, hydrogeological windows in the Rupelian clay or salt domes are considered as potential pathways for displaced fluids into shallow systems and their influence has to be taken into account. We put the focus of our investigations on the latter type of scenario, since there is still a poor understanding of the role that salt diapirs would play in CO2 storage projects. As there is hardly any field data available on this scale, we compare different levels of model complexity in order to identify the relevant processes for brine displacement and simplify the modeling process wherever possible, for example brine injection vs. CO2 injection, simplified geometries vs. the complex formation geometry and the role of salt induced density differences on flow. Further we investigate the impact of the
Freezing of perchlorate and chloride brines under Mars-relevant conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Primm, K. M.; Gough, R. V.; Chevrier, V. F.; Tolbert, M. A.

2017-09-01

Perchlorate and chloride salts on Mars could readily absorb water vapor and deliquesce into aqueous solutions. The deliquescence relative humidity (RH) as well as the efflorescence (recrystallization) RH of several Mars-relevant salts are now well known; however, the conditions that could cause a brine to freeze are not well established. It is often assumed that ice formation will occur whenever the saturation with respect to ice, Sice, of the system is greater than or equal to unity; however, ice nucleation is often hindered due to a kinetic barrier. For ice to form, a critical cluster of the ice crystal must first be achieved, often requiring Sice > 1. Here we use a Raman microscope and an environmental cell to examine the RH and temperature conditions required for Mg(ClO4)2 and MgCl2 brines to freeze into ice. By examining the salt phase present both optically and spectrally under different low temperature conditions, it is found that both salts exhibit Sice values much greater than unity, meaning that supersaturation readily occurs and brines can persist under conditions previously thought to lead to freezing. The RH range of ice formation for Mg(ClO4)2 from 218 to 245 K is 83-95%, respectively, corresponding to Sice = 1.30-1.54. The RH of ice formation for MgCl2 ranges from 80 to 100% for temperatures between 221 and 252 K, corresponding to Sice = 1.30-1.35. In addition to ice nucleation, the deliquescence and efflorescence relative humidity values for MgCl2 were determined. Two hydrates for MgCl2 were observed, and exhibited different deliquescence relative humidity (DRH) values. The DRH for MgCl2·4H2O was found to be 12.8 ± 0.3% at 243 K with slightly increasing DRH as temperature decreased. The DRH for MgCl2·6H2O was found to be 31.3 ± 0.6% at 242 K with little temperature dependence. The DRH of MgCl2·6H2O was measured below the previously reported eutectic, 240 K, suggesting that the eutectic might be incorrect or that there is a different relevant
Influence of radiolytic products on the chemistry of uranium VI in brines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucchini, J-F.; Reed, D.T.; Borkowski, M.; Rafalski, A.; Conca, J.

2004-01-01

In the near field of a salt repository of nuclear waste, ionizing radiations can strongly affect the chemistry of concentrated saline solutions. Radiolysis can locally modify the redox conditions, speciation, solubility and mobility of the actinide compounds. In the case of uranium VI, radiolytic products can not only reduce U(VI), but also react with uranium species. The net effect on the speciation of uranyl depends on the relative kinetics of the reactions and the buildup of molecular products in brine solutions. The most important molecular products in brines are expected to be hypochlorite ion, hypochlorous acid and hydrogen peroxide. Although U(VI) is expected not to be significantly affected by radiolysis, the combined effects of the major molecular radiolytic products on the chemistry of U(VI) in brines have not been experimentally established previously. (authors)
Conclusions from INTRAVAL working group 3: salt- and clay-related cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogorinski, P.

1995-01-01

A number of countries consider sedimentary rocks to host a nuclear waste repository, the isolation potential of which relies mainly on very low permeabilities of those formations. To establish confidence in models used in future safety assessments, INTRAVAL working group 3 analysed three test cases addressing the relevant processes which govern the transport of radionuclides in the host formation as well as in the overburden. The WIPP 1 test case studied the flow of brine from a bedded salt formation into open excavations under pressure gradients. Experiments carried out at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico, USA, were carefully analysed and compared to numerical simulations. The Mol test case studied the main transport mechanisms for solutes through clay. Experiments with radioactive tracers were carried out for several years at the Mol underground laboratory, Belgium, and compared to numerical simulations. The Gorleben test case studied the influences of salt leached from a salt dome on the groundwater flow field by density variations. Measurements from a pumping test and of salt content with depth collected at boreholes throughout the investigation area at Gorleben, Germany, were compared with the results of analytical and numerical studies. (J.S.). 8 figs., 1 tab
Brine transport studies in the bedded salt of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McTigue, D.F.; Nowak, E.J.

1987-01-01

Brine flow has been measured to unheated boreholes for periods of a few days and to heated holes for two years in the WIPP facility. It is suggested that Darcy flow may dominate the observed influx of brine. Exact solutions to a linearized model for one-dimensional, radial flow are evaluated for conditions approximating the field experiments. Flow rates of the correct order of magnitude are calculated for permeabilities in the range 10 -21 to 10 -20 m 2 (1 to 10 nanodarcy) for both the unheated and heated cases. 20 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab
Concepts and Technologies for Radioactive Waste Disposal in Rock Salt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wernt Brewitz

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In Germany, rock salt was selected to host a repository for radioactive waste because of its excellent mechanical properties. During 12 years of practical disposal operation in the Asse mine and 25 years of disposal in the disused former salt mine Morsleben, it was demonstrated that low-level wastes (LLW and intermediate-level wastes (ILW can be safely handled and economically disposed of in salt repositories without a great technical effort. LLW drums were stacked in old mining chambers by loading vehicles or emplaced by means of the dumping technique. Generally, the remaining voids were backfilled by crushed salt or brown coal filter ash. ILW were lowered into inaccessible chambers through a borehole from a loading station above using a remote control.Additionally, an in-situ solidification of liquid LLW was applied in the Morsleben mine. Concepts and techniques for the disposal of heat generating high-level waste (HLW are advanced as well. The feasibility of both borehole and drift disposal concepts have been proved by about 30 years of testing in the Asse mine. Since 1980s, several full-scale in-situ tests were conducted for simulating the borehole emplacement of vitrified HLW canisters and the drift emplacement of spent fuel in Pollux casks. Since 1979, the Gorleben salt dome has been investigated to prove its suitability to host the national final repository for all types of radioactive waste. The “Concept Repository Gorleben” disposal concepts and techniques for LLW and ILW are widely based on the successful test operations performed at Asse. Full-scale experiments including the development and testing of adequate transport and emplacement systems for HLW, however, are still pending. General discussions on the retrievability and the reversibility are going on.
The use of thick-walled hollow cylinder creep tests for evaluating flow criteria for rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, H.S.; Wawersik, W.R.

1990-01-01

Finite element simulations of two laboratory creep tests on thick-walled hollow cylinders of rock salt are evaluated to determine if such bench-scale experiments can be used to establish applicability of either von Mises or Tresca stress measures and associated flow conditions. In the tests, the cylinders were loaded axially and pressurized both internally and externally to produce stress fields similar to those found around underground excavations in rock salt. Several different loading stages were used in each test. The simulations show that for each of two creep models studied, quite different deformations of the cylinders are predicted with the Mises and Tresca flow criteria, especially if friction between the cylinders and axial loading platens is ignored. When friction is included in the simulations, the differences in deformation are changed but are sill clearly distinguishable. 10 refs., 10 figs
CONTACT ANGLE OF YUCCA MOUNTAIN WELDED TUFF WITH WATER AND BRINES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

H. Kalia

2006-01-01

A number of tests were performed to acquire contact angles between Yucca Mountain welded tuff from Topopah Springs Lower Lithophysal geologic unit and various brine solutions. The tests were performed on core disks received from Sample Management Facility (SMF), oven dried to a constant weight and the core disks vacuum saturated in: distilled water, J-13 water, calcium chloride brine and sodium chloride brine to constant weight. The contact angles were acquired from eight points on the surface of the core disks, four on rough surface, and four on polished surface. The contact angle was measured by placing a droplet of the test fluid, distilled water, J-13 water, calcium chloride brine and sodium chloride brine on the core disks. The objective of this test was to acquire contact angles as a potential input to estimating capillary forces in accumulated dust on the waste packages and drip shields slated for the proposed High-Level Radioactive Waste Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. It was noted that once the droplet contacts the test surface, it continues to spread hence the contact angle continues to decrease with elapsed time. The maximum observed angle was at time 0 or when the drop contacted the rock surface. The measured contact angle, in all cases has significant scatter. In general, the time zero contact angles for core disks saturated in sodium chloride brine were smaller than those saturated in calcium chloride brine, distilled water, and J-13 water. The contact angles for samples saturated in distilled water, J-13 water and calcium chloride brine at time zero were similar. There was slight difference between the observed contact angles for smooth and rough surface of the test samples. The contact angles for smooth surfaces were smaller than for the rough surfaces
Thermal neutron absorption cross-section measured on rock samples and brines in the Institute of Nuclear Physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czubek, J.A.; Drozdowicz, K.; Krynicka-Drozdowicz, E.; Igielski, A.; Woznicka, U.

1983-01-01

In consecutive measurements the rock sample (having a fixed and well known shape -in our case it is a sphere or a cylinder and the sample is powdered or liquid) is enveloped in shells of a plexiglass moderator (the neutron parameters of which are known) of variable thickness and irradiated with the pulsed beam of fast neutrons. The die-away rate of thermal neutrons escaping from the whole system is measured. The absorption cross-section of the sample is found as the intersection of the experimental curve (i.e. die -away rate vs thickness of the moderator) with the theoretical one. The theoretical curve is calculated for a given moderator under the assumption of a constant value of the neutron flux inside the sample. This method is independent of the value of the transport cross-section of the sample. It has been checked on artificial materials with a well known elemental composition (liquid or solid) and on the natural brines and rock samples (basalts and dolomite). A special method of calculation of the variance of the measurement has been established. It is based on the multiple computer simulations of all experimental data used in the computation. The one standard deviation of our methods is of the order of 1 up to 3 capture units (1 c.u. = 10 -3 cm -1 ). The volume of the sample needed is of the order of 500ccm. (author)
Modeling of brine migration in halite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheung, H.; Fuller, M.E.; Gaffney, E.S.

1979-01-01

When canisters containing radwastes are emplaced in a repository the heat produced by the decaying radwaste will cause moderate thermal gradients to develop which will cause the brine present in a halite medium (salt deposits) to accumulate around the canister. Four different models of the migration process have been reviewed to determine their suitability as a working model. One model predicts that inclusions smaller than 0.1 mm dimension probably will not migrate. The other models do not consider size as a factor. Thermal diffusion (Soret effect) is considered insignificant in three models, while in the fourth model it is added to the concentration diffusion term. The following conclusions can be made: Temperature is the most significant parameter in all models and must be known as a function of time, and distance from the canister. All four models predict about the same migration velocity for it is a given set of conditions; for 100 0 C and 1 0 C/cm thermal gradient, it is 3.0, 4.8, 5.6 and 6.4 mm/y. Diffusion of ions through the brine inclusions is the rate controlling mechanism. The difference between the thermal gradients in the liquid and in the solid should always be considered and is a function of droplet shape. The model based upon work by Nernst is easiest to use, but it predicts the lowest migration rate. The maximum volume of pure brine accumulated at the canister surface would be less than 20-40 liters in 50 years, for a canister initial thermal power of 3.5 kW.Bitterns would migrate proportionately less volume. A computer code, BRINE, was developed to make these calculations by means of any of the four models

Cryogenic formation of brine and sedimentary mirabilite in submergent coastal lake basins, Canadian Arctic

Science.gov (United States)

Grasby, Stephen E.; Rod Smith, I.; Bell, Trevor; Forbes, Donald L.

2013-06-01

Two informally named basins (Mirabilite Basins 1 and 2) along a submergent coastline on Banks Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago, host up to 1 m-thick accumulations of mirabilite (Na2SO4·10H2O) underlying stratified water bodies with basal anoxic brines. Unlike isostatically uplifting coastlines that trap seawater in coastal basins, these basins formed from freshwater lakes that were transgressed by seawater. The depth of the sill that separates the basins from the sea is shallow (1.15 m), such that seasonal sea ice formation down to 1.6 m isolates the basins from open water exchange through the winter. Freezing of seawater excludes salts, generating dense brines that sink to the basin bottom. Progressive freezing increases salinity of residual brines to the point of mirabilite saturation, and as a result sedimentary deposits of mirabilite accumulate on the basin floors. Brine formation also leads to density stratification and bottom water anoxia. We propose a model whereby summer melt of the ice cover forms a temporary freshwater lens, and rather than mixing with the underlying brines, it is exchanged with seawater once the ice plug that separates the basins from the open sea melts. This permits progressive brine development and density stratification within the basins.
Hydrogeochemical characterization and groundwater quality assessment in intruded coastal brine aquifers (Laizhou Bay, China).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoying; Miao, Jinjie; Hu, Bill X; Liu, Hongwei; Zhang, Hanxiong; Ma, Zhen

2017-09-01

The aquifer in the coastal area of the Laizhou Bay is affected by salinization processes related to intense groundwater exploitation for brine resource and for agriculture irrigation during the last three decades. As a result, the dynamic balances among freshwater, brine, and seawater have been disturbed and the quality of groundwater has deteriorated. To fully understand the groundwater chemical distribution and evolution in the regional aquifers, hydrogeochemical and isotopic studies have been conducted based on the water samples from 102 observation wells. Groundwater levels and salinities in four monitoring wells are as well measured to inspect the general groundwater flow and chemical patterns and seasonal variations. Chemical components such as Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Sr 2+ , Cl - , SO 4 2- , HCO 3 - , NO 3 - , F - , and TDS during the same period are analyzed to explore geochemical evolution, water-rock interactions, sources of salt, nitrate, and fluoride pollution in fresh, brackish, saline, and brine waters. The decreased water levels without typical seasonal variation in the southeast of the study area confirm an over-exploitation of groundwater. The hydrogeochemical characteristics indicate fresh-saline-brine-saline transition pattern from inland to coast where evaporation is a vital factor to control the chemical evolution. The cation exchange processes are occurred at fresh-saline interfaces of mixtures along the hydraulic gradient. Meanwhile, isotopic data indicate that the brine in aquifers was either originated from older meteoric water with mineral dissolution and evaporation or repeatedly evaporation of retained seawater with fresher water recharge and mixing in geological time. Groundwater suitability for drinking is further evaluated according to water quality standard of China. Results reveal high risks of nitrate and fluoride contamination. The elevated nitrate concentration of 560 mg/L, which as high as 28 times of the standard content
West Hackberry Strategic Petroleum Reserve site brine-disposal monitoring, Year I report. Volume II. Physical and chemical oceanography. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DeRouen, L.R.; Hann, R.W.; Casserly, D.M.; Giammona, C.; Lascara, V.J. (eds.)

1983-02-01

This project centers around the Strategic Petroleum Site (SPR) known as the West Hackberry salt dome which is located in southwestern Louisiana, and which is designed to store 241 million barrels of crude oil. Oil storage caverns are formed by injecting water into salt deposits, and pumping out the resulting brine. Studies described in this report were designed as follow-on studies to three months of pre-discharge characterization work, and include data collected during the first year of brine leaching operations. The objectives were to: (1) characterize the environment in terms of physical, chemical and biological attributes; (2) determine if significant adverse changes in ecosystem productivity and stability of the biological community are occurring as a result of brine discharge; and (3) determine the magnitude of any change observed. Contents of Volume II include: introduction; physical oceanography; estuarine hydrology and hydrography; analysis of discharge plume; and water and sediment quality.
A first-principles study of half-metallic ferromagnetism in binary alkaline-earth nitrides with rock-salt structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, G.Y.; Yao, K.L.; Liu, Z.L.; Zhang, J.; Min, Y.; Fan, S.W.

2008-01-01

In this Letter, using the first-principles full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave (FP-LAPW) method, we extend the electronic structure and magnetism studies on zinc-blende structure of II-V compounds MX (M=Ca,Sr,Ba; X=N,P,As) [M. Sieberer, J. Redinger, S. Khmelevskyi, P. Mohn, Phys. Rev. B 73 (2006) 024404] to the rock-salt structure. It is found that, in the nine compounds, only alkaline-earth nitrides CaN, SrN and BaN exhibit ferromagnetic half-metallic character with a magnetic moment of 1.00μ B per formula unit. Furthermore, compared with the zinc-blende structure of CaN, SrN and BaN, the rock-salt structure has lower energy, which makes them more promising candidates of possible growth of half-metallic films on suitable substrates
Stability of α-tocotrienol and α-tocopherol in salami-type sausages and curing brine depending on nitrite and pH.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerling, Eva-Maria; Ternes, Waldemar

2014-12-01

We studied the stability of the valuable vitamer nutrients α-tocotrienol and α-tocopherol and options for their protection in salami-type sausages (blended with α-tocotrienol-rich barley oil) and curing brine. Four different sausage formulations were produced containing nitrite curing salt; nitrite curing salt and ascorbic acid (300mg/kg); nitrite curing salt and carnosic acid (45mg/kg); or sodium chloride. Initial vitamer contents (100mg/kg) did not decrease significantly during ripening and decreased only slightly during storage. Ascorbic acid and carnosic acid were found to be effective in preserving the vitamers in fresh sausages. Freeze-drying of sausages resulted in a significant loss of vitamers (97%), particularly after 14-day storage at room temperature, even in the presence of shielding gases. The vitamer content in the curing brine decreased with decreasing pH in the presence of nitrite. A nitrite concentration of 136mg/L at pH4 resulted in significant loss (90%) of the vitamers. Sufficient stability of the vitamers in salami-type sausage and curing brine can be achieved by processing, formulation, and storage conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Experimental evaporation of hyperacid brines : Effects on chemical composition and chlorine isotope fractionation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rodríguez, Alejandro; van Bergen, Manfred J.; Eggenkamp, H. G.M.

2018-01-01

Hyperacid brines from active volcanic lakes are some of the chemically most complex aqueous solutions on Earth. Their compositions provide valuable insights into processes of elemental transfer from a magma body to the surface and interactions with solid rocks and the atmosphere. This paper
A1 and A2, two novel haloarchaeal isolates from bore cores of ancient Alpine rock salt deposits

Science.gov (United States)

Gruber, C.; Pfaffenhuemer, M.; Weidler, G.; Radax, C.; Stan-Lotter, H.

2003-04-01

Previously several novel halophilic archaea, for instance Haloccocus salifodinae BIp and Halococcus dombrowskii, were isolated from Permo-Triassic rock salt (age 200 - 250 million years) in our laboratory. By using molecular methods we found evidence for the presence of numerous additional haloarchaeal taxa. We investigated freshly drilled salt cores from a depth of about 600 m below surface in the salt mine of Altaussee, Austria, which were dissolved immediately in sterile water. After plating the dissolved salts on high salt nutrient agar, we were able to isolate, following incubation for 3 months, two red pigmented colonies, which were designated A1 and A2 and cultivated for further investigation. A1 and A2 showed the same antibiotic susceptibility as Halobacterium salinarum DSM 3754 and Halobacterium sp. NRC-1, which were cultivated from surface waters. Additionally, the cell morphology of the new isolates was highly similar to both reference strains. According to 16S rRNA gene sequences, whole cell protein patterns following SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and restriction digestion patterns of their DNA following pulsed field gel electrophoresis, the isolates A1 and A2 could not be distinguished. 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the closest relative of strains A1 and A2 was Halobacterium salinarum DSM 3754 (sequence similarity 97,1%). Our results suggest that the isolates A1 and A2 might constitute a new haloarchaeal species, entrapped in ancient rock salt.
The Applicability of Different Fluid Media to Measure Effective Stress Coefficient for Rock Permeability

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Ying Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Effective stress coefficient for permeability (ESCK is the key parameter to evaluate the properties of reservoir stress sensitivity. So far, little studies have clarified which ESCK is correct for a certain reservoir while rock ESCK is measured differently by different fluid media. Thus, three different fluids were taken to measure a fine sandstone sample’s ESCK, respectively. As a result, the ESCK was measured to be the smallest by injecting nitrogen, the largest by injecting water, and between the two by brine. Besides, those microcharacteristics such as rock component, clay mineral content, and pore structure were further analyzed based on some microscopic experiments. Rock elastic modulus was reduced when water-sensitive clay minerals were encountered with aqua fluid media so as to enlarge the rock ESCK value. Moreover, some clay minerals reacting with water can spall and possibly block pore throats. Compared with water, brine can soften the water sensitivity; however, gas has no water sensitivity effects. Therefore, to choose which fluid medium to measure reservoir ESCK is mainly depending on its own exploitation conditions. For gas reservoirs using gas to measure ESCK is more reliable than water or brine, while using brine is more appropriate for oil reservoirs.
Effect of different brine concentrations and ripening period on some ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Cheeses made from pasteurized milk (65°C for 30 min) were ripened in 11, 14 and 17 g 100 ml-1 NaCl for 90 days at 7±1°C. Some physicochemical and biochemical analyses were carried out during storage time. The effects of brine concentrations on total solids, protein, ash, salt, pH, and WSN values were found to be ...
Superconductivity of Rock-Salt Structure LaO Epitaxial Thin Film.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaminaga, Kenichi; Oka, Daichi; Hasegawa, Tetsuya; Fukumura, Tomoteru

2018-06-06

We report a superconducting transition in a LaO epitaxial thin film with the superconducting transition onset temperature ( T c ) at around 5 K. This T c is higher than those of other lanthanum monochalcogenides and opposite to their chemical trend: T c = 0.84, 1.02, and 1.48 K for LaX (X = S, Se, Te), respectively. The carrier control resulted in a dome-shaped T c as a function of electron carrier density. In addition, the T c was significantly sensitive to epitaxial strain in spite of the highly symmetric crystal structure. This rock-salt superconducting LaO could be a building block to design novel superlattice superconductors.
An improved brine shrimp larvae lethality microwell test method.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yi; Mu, Jun; Han, Jinyuan; Gu, Xiaojie

2012-01-01

This article described an improved brine shrimp larvae lethality microwell test method. A simply designed connecting vessel with alternative photoperiod was used to culture and collect high yield of active Artemia parthenogenetica nauplii for brine shrimp larvae lethality microwell test. Using this method, pure A. parthenogenetica nauplii suspension was easily cultured and harvested with high density about 100-150 larvae per milliliter and the natural mortality was reduced to near zero by elimination of unnecessary artificial disturbance. And its sensitivity was validated by determination of LC(50)-24 h of different reference toxicants including five antitumor agents, two pesticides, three organic pollutants, and four heavy metals salts, most of which exhibited LC(50)-24 h between 0.07 and 58.43 mg/L except for bleomycin and mitomycin C with LC(50)-24 h over 300 mg/L.
Effective Wettability Measurements of CO2-Brine-Sandstone System at Different Reservoir Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Menhali, Ali; Krevor, Samuel

2014-05-01

The wetting properties of CO2-brine-rock systems will have a major impact on the management of CO2 injection processes. The wettability of a system controls the flow and trapping efficiency during the storage of CO2 in geological formations as well as the efficiency of enhanced oil recovery operations. Despite its utility in EOR and the continued development of CCS, little is currently known about the wetting properties of the CO2-brine system on reservoir rocks, and no investigations have been performed assessing the impact of these properties on CO2 flooding for CO2 storage or EOR. The wetting properties of multiphase fluid systems in porous media have major impacts on the multiphase flow properties such as the capillary pressure and relative permeability. While recent studies have shown CO2 to generally act as a non-wetting phase in siliciclastic rocks, some observations report that the contact angle varies with pressure, temperature and water salinity. Additionally, there is a wide range of reported contact angles for this system, from strongly to weakly water-wet. In the case of some minerals, intermediate wet contact angles have been observed. Uncertainty with regard to the wetting properties of CO2-brine systems is currently one of the remaining major unresolved issues with regards to reservoir management of CO2 storage. In this study, we make semi-dynamic capillary pressure measurements of supercritical CO2 and brine at reservoir conditions to observe shifts in the wetting properties. We utilize a novel core analysis technique recently developed by Pini et al in 2012 to evaluate a core-scale effective contact angle. Carbon dioxide is injected at constant flow rate into a core that is initially fully saturated with water, while maintaining a constant outlet pressure. In this scenario, the pressure drop across the core corresponds to the capillary pressure at the inlet face of the core. When compared with mercury intrusion capillary pressure measurements
Study Effect of Salt Washing Process on Content and Iodium Stability of Salt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nelson Saksono

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Effect of Salt Washing Process on Content and Iodium Stability of Salt. Salt washing process should increase the saltquality. It should clean the salt from sludge or clay and also reduce the impurity compound such as Mg, Ca and the reductor content. The objective of these reseach is to assess the effect of washing process on the content og hygroscopic impurities compound (Ca and Mg, and reductor content of salt. The research also investigate the water absorbing, pH, KIO3 content as function of time to obtain effect of washing process on KIO3 stability in salt. The experiment result shows that the lowest content of Mg and reductor compound 0.016 % wt and 2.65 ppm respectively which is reached at the fi ne salt washing process using 27 % wt brine. The analysis of water content indicates an increase the Ca and Mg content, causing an water absorbtion in salt , However the effect on pH the is not clear.
Measurements of the Suitability of Large Rock Salt Formations for Radio Detection of High-Energy Neutrinos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Odian, Allen C.

2001-09-14

We have investigated the possibility that large rock salt formations might be suitable as target masses for detection of neutrinos of energies about 10 PeV and above. In neutrino interactions at these energies, the secondary electromagnetic cascade produces a coherent radio pulse well above ambient thermal noise via the Askaryan effect. We describe measurements of radio-frequency attenuation lengths and ambient thermal noise in two salt formations. Measurements in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), located in an evaporite salt bed in Carlsbad, NM yielded short attenuation lengths, 3-7 m over 150-300 MHz. However, measurements at United Salt's Hockley mine, located in a salt dome near Houston, Texas yielded attenuation lengths in excess of 250 m at similar frequencies. We have also analyzed early ground-penetrating radar data at Hockley mine and have found additional evidence for attenuation lengths in excess of several hundred meters at 440 MHz. We conclude that salt domes, which may individually contain several hundred cubic kilometer water-equivalent mass, provide attractive sites for next-generation high-energy neutrino detectors.
Measurements of the suitability of large rock salt formations for radio detection of high-energy neutrinos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorham, Peter; Saltzberg, David; Odian, Allen; Williams, Dawn; Besson, David; Frichter, George; Tantawi, Sami

2002-01-01

We have investigated the possibility that large rock salt formations might be suitable as target masses for detection of neutrinos of energies about 10 PeV and above. In neutrino interactions at these energies, the secondary electromagnetic cascade produces a coherent radio pulse well above ambient thermal noise via the Askaryan effect. We describe measurements of radio-frequency attenuation lengths and ambient thermal noise in two salt formations. Measurements in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, located in an evaporite salt bed in Carlsbad, NM yielded short attenuation lengths, 3-7 m over 150-300 MHz. However, measurements at United Salt's Hockley mine, located in a salt dome near Houston, Texas yielded attenuation lengths in excess of 250 m at similar frequencies. We have also analyzed early ground-penetrating radar data at Hockley mine and have found additional evidence for attenuation lengths in excess of several hundred meters at 440 MHz. We conclude that salt domes, which may individually contain several hundred cubic kilometer water-equivalent mass, provide attractive sites for next-generation high-energy neutrino detectors
Mechanical behavior of New Mexico rock salt in triaxial compression up to 2000C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wawersik, W.R.; Hannum, D.W.

1979-07-01

Three groups of tests are discussed to identify the relative and site-specific importance of deviator stress, confining pressure (mean stress), temperature, time (loading rate), and stress path. The three groups of experiments consist of (1) hydrostatic loading, (2) conventional triaxial compression tests (sigma 1 > sigma 2 = sigma 3 = const.), and (3) variable stress path tests including experiments at approximately constant sigma 1 and at constant mean stress. All data were generated on 100 mm-diameter specimens. The rock salt exhibited nonlinear response under all loading conditions, practically zero initial elastic limit and an apparent inseparability of permanent deformations into time-independent and time-dependent components. Pressure and temperature did not alter the elastic constants but affected the principal strain ratio, the ratio of volumetric to shear strain, rock salt ductility, and the ultimate stress. In particular, low pressure and temperature permitted pronounced dilatancy and loss in load bearing ability. Under such conditions the volumetric strains reached sizable fractions of the shear strains. Pressure remained important even at high temperature because it influenced the rate of shearing. Load path and stress history may be significant under deviatoric loading conditions and for large variations in pressure. 17 figures
Electronic Structure of the Metastable Epitaxial Rock-Salt SnSe {111} Topological Crystalline Insulator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wencan Jin

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Topological crystalline insulators have been recently predicted and observed in rock-salt structure SnSe {111} thin films. Previous studies have suggested that the Se-terminated surface of this thin film with hydrogen passivation has a reduced surface energy and is thus a preferred configuration. In this paper, synchrotron-based angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, along with density functional theory calculations, is used to demonstrate that a rock-salt SnSe {111} thin film epitaxially grown on Bi_{2}Se_{3} has a stable Sn-terminated surface. These observations are supported by low-energy electron diffraction (LEED intensity-voltage measurements and dynamical LEED calculations, which further show that the Sn-terminated SnSe {111} thin film has undergone a surface structural relaxation of the interlayer spacing between the Sn and Se atomic planes. In sharp contrast to the Se-terminated counterpart, the observed Dirac surface state in the Sn-terminated SnSe {111} thin film is shown to yield a high Fermi velocity, 0.50×10^{6} m/s, which suggests a potential mechanism of engineering the Dirac surface state of topological materials by tuning the surface configuration.
Antioxidant activities and functional properties of protein and peptide fractions isolated from salted herring brine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Taheri, Ali; Farvin, Sabeena; Jacobsen, Charlotte

2014-01-01

In the present study proteins isolated from herring brine, which is a by-product of marinated herring production were evaluated for their functional properties and antioxidant activity. Herring brine was collected from the local herring industry and proteins were precipitated by adjusting the p...... to delay iron catalyzed lipid oxidation in 5% fish oil in water emulsions and the 10–50kDa fraction was the best. These results show the potential of proteins and peptide fractions recovered from waste water from the herring industry as source of natural antioxidants for use in food products....
GRS/ISTec strategy for the treatment of gas-related issues for repositories located in rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muller-Lyda, I.; Javeri, V.; Muller, W.

2001-01-01

The treatment of gas-related issues for repositories located in rock salt by GRS and ISTec has followed a strategy which has been developed with increasing complexity and degree of detail in the past. The strategy today clearly indicates the direction to establish a comprehensive safety case and the work that remains to be done. For gas generation mainly long-term aspects are an issue to increase accuracy of predictions. Physical modelling especially for HLW is still incomplete with regard to the coupling of fluid flow with geomechanics, solution/precipitation effects and geochemistry. The appropriate tools to transform the physical models into numerical solutions are at hand in principle but have to be further developed collaterally to the physical modelling. The first full-scale demonstration of safety regarding gas issues in rock salt will have to be provided for the licensing of the Morsleben repository shut-down in the near future. (authors)
Development of mechanical-hydraulic models for the prediction of the long-term sealing capacity of concrete based sealing materials in rock salt. Project Titel LASA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Czaikowski, Oliver; Dittrich, Juergen; Hertes, Uwe; Jantschik, Kyra; Wieczorek, Klaus; Zehle, Bernd

2016-08-15

The research work leading to these results has received funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) under contract no. 02E11132. This report presents the current state of laboratory investigations and modelling activities related to the LASA project. The work is related to the research and development of plugging and sealing for repositories in salt rock and is of fundamental importance for the salt option which represents one of the three European repository options in addition to the clay rock and the crystalline rock options.

Construction of a cylindrical brine test room using a tunnel boring machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Likar, V.F.; Burrington, T.P.

1990-01-01

This paper discusses the construction of a horizontal cylindrical brine test room at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The room was constructed in the bedded salt formation at a depth of 655 meters with a tunnel boring machine. The machine leasing technical and operational management, parameters involved, and successful completion of this effort are included. 3 figs
Construction of a cylindrical brine test room using a tunnel boring machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Likar, V.F.; Burrington, T.P.

1990-01-01

This paper discusses the construction of a horizontal cylindrical brine test room at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The room was constructed in the bedded salt formation at a depth of 655 meters with a tunnel boring machine. The machine leasing, technical and operational management, parameters involved, and successful completion of this effort are included. 3 figs
Impact of rock salt creep law choice on subsidence calculations for hydrocarbon reservoirs overlain by evaporite caprocks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marketos, G.; Spiers, C.J.; Govers, R.

2016-01-01

Accurate forward modeling of surface subsidence above producing hydrocarbons reservoirs requires an understanding of the mechanisms determining how ground deformation and subsidence evolve. Here we focus entirely on rock salt, which overlies a large number of reservoirs worldwide, and specifically
Relative permeabilities of supercritical CO2 and brine in carbon sequestration by a two-phase lattice Boltzmann method

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Jian.-Fei.; He, S.; Zu, Y. Q.; Lamy-Chappuis, B.; Yardley, B. W. D.

2017-08-01

In this paper, the migration of supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) in realistic sandstone rocks under conditions of saline aquifers, with applications to the carbon geological storage, has been investigated by a two-phase lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Firstly the digital images of sandstone rocks were reproduced utilizing the X-ray computed microtomography (micro-CT), and high resolutions (up to 2.5 μm) were applied to the pore-scale LBM simulations. For the sake of numerical stability, the digital images were "cleaned" by closing the dead holes and removing the suspended particles in sandstone rocks. In addition, the effect of chemical reactions occurred in the carbonation process on the permeability was taken into account. For the wetting brine and non-wetting supercritical CO2 flows, they were treated as the immiscible fluids and were driven by pressure gradients in sandstone rocks. Relative permeabilities of brine and supercritical CO2 in sandstone rocks were estimated. Particularly the dynamic saturation was applied to improve the reliability of the calculations of the relative permeabilities. Moreover, the effects of the viscosity ratio of the two immiscible fluids and the resolution of digital images on the relative permeability were systematically investigated.
New scenario for the accumulation and release of radiation damage in rock salt and related materials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hartog, H.W. den; Vainshtein, D.I.; Dubinko, V.I.; Turkin, A.A.

2002-01-01

Rock salt might be a promising geological medium for a radioactive waste repository. However, we have observed that even a basically stable compound such as NaCl may become unstable after heavy irradiation. As a result of the irradiation, dislocations, Na and Cl2 precipitates and large voids are
Disposal/recovery options for brine waters from oil and gas production in New York State. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsumoto, M.R.; Atkinson, J.F.; Bunn, M.D.; Hodge, D.S.

1996-03-01

Produced water from oil and gas operations, or brine as it is typically referred, may be characterized as being highly saline, with total dissolved solids greater than 100 g/L. If these bribes are disposed improperly there may be severe adverse environmental effects. Thus, it is important that brine be disposed using environmentally sound methods. Unfortunately, costs for the disposal of brine water are a significant burden to oil and gas producers in New York State. These costs and the relatively low market price of oil and natural gas have contributed to the decline in gas and oil production in New York State during the past 10 years. The objectives of this study were to evaluate new and existing options for brine disposal in New York State, examine the technical and economic merits of these options, and assess environmental impacts associated with each option. Two new disposal options investigated for New York State oil and gas producers included construction of a regional brine treatment facility to treat brine prior to discharge into a receiving water and a salt production facility that utilizes produced water as a feed stock. Both options are technically feasible; however, their economic viability depends on facility size and volume of brine treated.
Disposal/recovery options for brine waters from oil and gas production in New York State. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, M.R.; Atkinson, J.F.; Bunn, M.D.; Hodge, D.S.

1996-03-01

Produced water from oil and gas operations, or brine as it is typically referred, may be characterized as being highly saline, with total dissolved solids greater than 100 g/L. If these bribes are disposed improperly there may be severe adverse environmental effects. Thus, it is important that brine be disposed using environmentally sound methods. Unfortunately, costs for the disposal of brine water are a significant burden to oil and gas producers in New York State. These costs and the relatively low market price of oil and natural gas have contributed to the decline in gas and oil production in New York State during the past 10 years. The objectives of this study were to evaluate new and existing options for brine disposal in New York State, examine the technical and economic merits of these options, and assess environmental impacts associated with each option. Two new disposal options investigated for New York State oil and gas producers included construction of a regional brine treatment facility to treat brine prior to discharge into a receiving water and a salt production facility that utilizes produced water as a feed stock. Both options are technically feasible; however, their economic viability depends on facility size and volume of brine treated
Elastic-plastic mechanical constitutive description for rock salt triaxial compression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butcher, B.M.

1981-06-01

A model for the time-independent part of the mechanical deformation of rock salt from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Site in southeastern New Mexico is presented. A recently published creep model was first used to correct conventional triaxial compression data for time-dependent deformation. The experimental data was from tests at a loading rate of approximately 11.9 N/s, 23 0 C, and confining pressures from 0 to -20.7 MPa. The corrected time-independent curves were then used to determine material constants for the model. Generalization to a three-dimensional plasticity-failure theory using a general constitutive relation proposed by Rudnicki and Rice was also performed. 7 figures, 3 tables
Experimental evaporation of hyperacid brines: Effects on chemical composition and chlorine isotope fractionation

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez, Alejandro; van Bergen, Manfred J.; Eggenkamp, H. G. M.

2018-02-01

Hyperacid brines from active volcanic lakes are some of the chemically most complex aqueous solutions on Earth. Their compositions provide valuable insights into processes of elemental transfer from a magma body to the surface and interactions with solid rocks and the atmosphere. This paper describes changes in chemical and δ37Cl signatures observed in a 1750 h isothermal evaporation experiment on hyperacid (pH 0.1) sulphate-chloride brine water from the active lake of Kawah Ijen volcano (Indonesia). Although gypsum was the only evaporite mineral identified in the evolving brine, decreasing Si concentrations may ultimately result in amorphous silica precipitation. Geochemical simulations predict the additional formation of elemental sulphur at lower water activities (aH2O ≤ 0.65) that were not reached in the experiment. Absence of other sulphates and halides despite the high load of dissolved elements (initial TDS ca. 100 g/kg) can be attributed to increased solubility of metals, promoted by extensive formation of complexes between the variety of cations and the major anions (HSO4-, Cl-, F-) present. Chlorine deviations from a conservative behaviour point to losses of gaseous hydrogen chloride (HCl(g)) and consequently an increase in Br/Cl ratios. Chlorine isotope fractionation that accompanied the escape of HCl(g) showed a marked change in sign and magnitude in the course of progressive evaporation of the brine. The calculated factor of fractionation between HCl(g) and dissolved Cl for the initial interval (before 500 h) is positive (1000lnαHCl(g)-Cldiss. = + 1.55 ± 0.49‰to + 3.37 ± 1.11‰), indicating that, at first, the escaping HCl(g) was isotopically heavier than the dissolved Cl remaining in the brine. Conversely, fractionation shifted to the opposite direction in the subsequent interval (1000lnαHCl(g)-Cldiss. = 5.67 ± 0.17‰to - 5.64 ± 0.08‰), in agreement with values reported in literature. It is proposed that Cl isotopic fractionation in
Sorption of cesium and strontium from concentrated brines by backfill barrier materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winslow, C.D.

1981-03-01

The sorption of radionuclides from potentially intruding groundwater at a nuclear waste repository is a major chemical function of backfill barriers. In this study, various materials (including clays, zeolites and an inorganic ion exchanger) were screened for the sorption of the fission products cesium and strontium in concentrated brines. Representative brines A and B for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a proposed radioactive waste repository and test facility in bedded salt were used. Sorption properties were quantified using empirical distribution coefficients, k/sub d/. Of the materials examined, sodium titanate had the highest k/sub d/ for the sorption of Sr(II) in both brine A (k/sub d/ = 125 ml/g) and brine B(k/sub d/ = 500 to 600 ml/g). A mordenite-type zeolite was the most effective getter for Cs(I) in brine A (k/sub d = 27 ml/g), while illite yielded the highest k/sub d/ for Cs(I) in brine B (k/sub d/ = 115 ml/g). The relative merit of these k/sub d/ values is evaluated in terms of calculated estimates of breakthrough times for a backfill barrier containing the getter. Results show that a backfill mixture containing these getters is potentially an effective barrier to the migration of Sr(II) and Cs(I), although further study (especially for the sorption of cesium from brine A) is recommended. Initial mechanistic studies revealed competing ion effects which would support an ion exchange mechanism. K/sub d/'s were constant over a Sr(II) concentration range of 10 -11 to 10 -5 M and a Cs(I) concentration range of 10 -8 to 10 -5 M, supporting the choice of a linear sorption isotherm as a model for the results. Constant batch composition was shown to be attained within one week
Qualitative and Quantitative Changes of Carbonate Rocks Exposed to SC CO2 (Basque-Cantabrian Basin, Northern Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edgar Berrezueta

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This study aims at the qualitative and quantitative determination of porosity, mineralogical and textural changes in carbonate rock samples after injection of (i supercritical CO2-rich brine and (ii dry supercritical CO2, under similar experimental conditions (P ≈ 75 bar, T ≈ 35 °C, 970 h exposure time and no CO2 flow. The studied rocks were sampled in the western Basque-Cantabrian Basin, North Spain, and consist of vuggy carbonates (“Carniolas” of the Puerto de la Palombera formation (Hettangian. Mineralogical and pore space characterization is completed using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and optical image analysis. In addition, X-ray fluorescence analyses are performed to refine the mineralogical information and to obtain whole rock geochemical data and the brine composition is analysed before and after the experiment. Mineralogical and chemical results indicate that the carbonate rocks exposed to supercritical CO2 in dry conditions do not suffer significant changes. However, the injection of supercritical CO2-rich brine induces chemical and physical changes in the rock due to the high reactivity of calcite at the low pH conditions produced by the acidified brine. Numerical modelling validates the experimental observations. These results can be used to characterize the behaviour of carbonate rocks under conditions similar to the vicinity of a CO2 injection well. The results should be considered only at the scale of the studied samples and not at reservoir scale.
Recovery of Lithium from Geothermal Brine with Lithium-Aluminum Layered Double Hydroxide Chloride Sorbents.

Science.gov (United States)

Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans; Li, Ling; Luo, Jiaqi; Hoke, Thomas; Ucar, Huseyin; Moyer, Bruce A; Harrison, Stephen

2017-11-21

We report a three-stage bench-scale column extraction process to selectively extract lithium chloride from geothermal brine. The goal of this research is to develop materials and processing technologies to improve the economics of lithium extraction and production from naturally occurring geothermal and other brines for energy storage applications. A novel sorbent, lithium aluminum layered double hydroxide chloride (LDH), is synthesized and characterized with X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and thermogravimetric analysis. Each cycle of the column extraction process consists of three steps: (1) loading the sorbent with lithium chloride from brine; (2) intermediate washing to remove unwanted ions; (3) final washing for unloading the lithium chloride ions. Our experimental analysis of eluate vs feed concentrations of Li and competing ions demonstrates that our optimized sorbents can achieve a recovery efficiency of ∼91% and possess excellent Li apparent selectivity of 47.8 compared to Na ions and 212 compared to K ions, respectively in the brine. The present work demonstrates that LDH is an effective sorbent for selective extraction of lithium from brines, thus offering the possibility of effective application of lithium salts in lithium-ion batteries leading to a fundamental shift in the lithium supply chain.
Imaging of forced-imbibition in carbonate rocks using synchrotron X-ray micro-tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, K.; Menke, H. P.; Andrew, M. G.; Lin, Q.; Saif, T.; Al-Khulaifi, Y.; Reynolds, C. A.; Bijeljic, B.; Rau, C.; Blunt, M. J.

2016-12-01

We have investigated the pore-scale behavior of brine-oil systems and oil trapping during forced-imbibition in a water-wet carbonate rock in a capillary-dominated flow regime at reservoir pressure conditions. To capture the dynamics of the brine-oil front progression and snap-off process, real-time tomograms with a time resolution of 38 s (24 s for imaging and 14 s for recording the data) and a spatial resolution of 3.28 µm were acquired at Diamond Light Source (UK). The data were first analyzed at global scale (complete imaged rock) for overall front behavior. From the saturation profiles, we obtain the location of the tail of the desaturation front that progresses with a velocity of 13 µm/min. This velocity is smaller than average flow velocity 16.88 µm/min, which explains why it needs slightly more than 1 pore volume of brine injection to reach the residual saturation of oil in a water-wet rock. The data were further analyzed at local scale to investigate the pore-scale mechanisms of oil trapping during brine flooding. We isolated various trapping events which resulted in the creation of discrete oil ganglia occupying one to several pore bodies. We perform pore-scale curvature analysis of brine-oil interfaces to obtain local capillary pressure that will be related to the shape and the size of throats in which ganglia were trapped.
Safety studies of HLW-disposal in the Mors salt dome - Support to the salt option of the Pagis project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindstroem Jensen, K.E.

1987-01-01

The study, which is a support to the Pagis project, covers three tasks concerning the evaluation of the Danish salt dome Mors (variant disposal site): evaluation of the human intrusion scenario where a cavern is excavated near the HLW-repository by solution mining technique. The waste is supposed to be leached during the operation period until the abandoned cavern is closed by convergence and the contaminated brine is pressed up into the overburden. Evaluation of the brine intrusion scenario, where the HLW-repository is inadvertently located close to a major brine pocket which subsequently releases its brine content through defects in the repository to the discharge stream for the catchment area. Collection and description of hydrological data of surface and deep layers (down to circa 700 metres) in the repository region. The data will be used by GSF to calculate the radionuclide migration in the geosphere
Soil washing for brine removal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ayyachamy, J.S.; Atalay, A.; Zaman, M.

1992-01-01

During the exploration for oil and thereafter, brine transfer lines get ruptured releasing the brine which contaminates the surrounding soil. The salinity level in brine is very high, sometimes approaching or exceeding that of sea water. Soils contaminated with brine are unproductive and unsuitable for plant growth. Several investigators have documented the pollution of surface water and groundwater due to brine disposal from oil and needed to clean up such sites. The objective of this study is to develop a soil washing technique that can be used to remove brine sites were collected and used in the study. This paper reports on results which indicate that soil washing using various surface active agents is effective in removing the brine
Character of meteoric leaks in the salt mines of south Louisiana, U.S.A.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Madhurendu B.

1983-10-01

The brine leaks of salt mines of south Louisiana are of two genetic categories: meteoric and non-meteoric (connate/formation water type), as established essentially on the basis of oxygen- and hydrogen-isotope analyses. This paper highlights the hydrochemical aspects of those mine leaks and develops simple non-isotopic criteria to differentiate the meteoric leaks from the non-meteoric. The meteoric leaks of the salt mines generally occur down to a depth level of 214 m (700 ft.) (below mean sea level) below which the leaks are mostly non-meteoric. The meteoric brine is essentially Na1bCl in type, reflecting the mineralogy of almost pure halite (with ˜ 1-2% anhydrite) of the Gulf (of Mexico) Coast dome salt. The meteoric leaks are distinctly different from the non-meteoric leaks on the log-log plots of chloride concentrations vs. those of Ca 2+, Mg 2+, K +, Sr + and Br -, in all of which the meteoric brines are conspicuously low. This study is potentially useful in the development of a mine or crypt in salt dome(s) under consideration for possible nuclear-waste isolation in the Gulf Coast region.
Jahani salt diapir, Iran: Hydrogeology, karst features and effect on surroundings environment

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Abirifard, M.; Raeisi, E.; Zarei, M.; Zare, M.; Filippi, Michal; Bruthans, J.; Talbot, J.

2017-01-01

Roč. 46, č. 3 (2017), s. 445-457 ISSN 0392-6672 Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : salt diapir * brine spring * sinkhole * flow model * halite dissolution * salt karst Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy OBOR OECD: Geology Impact factor: 1.439, year: 2016
Microcracking and Healing in Semibrittle Salt-Rock: Elastic and Plastic Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, J.; Chester, F. M.; Chester, J. S.; Shen, X.; Arson, C. F.

2017-12-01

Microcracking and healing during semibrittle deformation are important processes that affect physical properties such as elastic moduli and permeability. We study these processes through triaxial compression tests involving cyclic differential loading and isostatic-holds on synthetic salt-rock at room temperature and low confining pressure (Pc, 1 to 4 MPa). The salt samples are produced by uniaxial pressing of granular (300 µm dia.) halite to 75 MPa at 150˚C for 10^3 s, to create low-porosity ( 5%) aggregates of nearly equant, work-hardened grains. Alternating large- and small-load cycles are performed to track the evolution of plastic and elastic properties, respecitively, with progressive strain to 8% axial shortening. 24-hour holds are carried out at about 4% axial shortening followed by renewed cyclic loading to investigate healing. During large load cycles samples yield and exhibit distributed flow with dilatancy and small work hardening. Young's Modulus (YM) decreases and then tends to stabilize, while Poisson's Ratio (PR) increases at a reducing rate, with progressive strain. Microstructures at sequential stages show that opening-mode grain-boundary cracking, grain-boundary sliding, and some intracrystalline plasticity are the dominant deformation processes. Opening and shear occur preferentially on boundaries that are parallel and inclined to the shortening axis, respectively, leading to progressive redistribution of porosity. Opening-mode grain-boundary cracks increase in number and aperature with strain, and are linked by sliding grain-boundaries to form en echelon arrays. After a 24-hour hold, samples show yielding and flow behavior consistent with that prior to the hold, whereas YM and PR are reset to the same values documented at zero strain and subsequently evolve with additional strain similar to that documented at smaller strains prior to the hold. Open grain-boundary cracks are not closed or healed during the hold. Observations suggest that
Thermal responses in underground experiments in a dome salt formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Llewellyn, G.H.

1977-01-01

To provide design information for a radwaste repository in dome salt, in-situ experiments with nonradioactive heat sources are planned. Three such experiments using electrical heat sources are scheduled to be carried out in a salt dome. The purpose of these experiments is to acquire rock mechanics data to ascertain the structural deformation due to the thermal load imposed, to study brine migration and corrosion, and to provide thermal data. A data acquisition system is provided with these experiments to monitor temperatues, heat fluxes, stresses, and ground displacement. A thermal analysis was made on models of each of these experiments. The objective of the analysis is to verify the capability of making accurate transient temperature predictions by the use of computer modeling techniques. Another purpose is to measure in-situ thermal conductivity and compare the results with measurements taken from core samples. The HEATING5 computer program was used to predict transient temperatures around the experiments for periods up to 2 years using two-dimensional and three-dimensional heat transfer models. The results of analysis are presented with the associated boundary conditions used in the individual models
Two planets: Earth and Mars - One salt model: The Hydrothermal SCRIW-Model

Science.gov (United States)

Hovland, M. T.; Rueslaatten, H.; Johnsen, H. K.; Indreiten, T.

2011-12-01

One of the common characteristics of planets Earth and Mars is that both host water (H2O) and large accumulations of salt. Whereas Earth's surface-environment can be regarded as 'water-friendly' and 'salt hostile', the reverse can be said for the surface of Mars. This is because liquid water is stable on Earth, and the atmosphere transports humidity around the globe, whereas on planet Mars, liquid water is unstable, rendering the atmosphere dry and, therefore, 'salt-friendly'. The riddle as to how the salt accumulated in various locations on those two planets is one of long-lasting and great debate. The salt accumulations on Earth are traditionally termed 'evaporites', meaning that they formed by the evaporation of large masses of seawater. How the accumulations on Mars formed is much harder to explain, with a similar model, as surface water, representing a large ocean only existed briefly. Although water molecules and OH-groups may exist in abundance in bound form (crystal water, adsorbed water, etc.), the only place where free water is expected to be stable on Mars is within underground faults, fractures, and crevices. Here it likely occurs as brine or in the form of ice. Based on these conditions, a key to understanding the accumulation of large deposits of salt on both planets is linked to how brines behave in the subsurface when pressurized and heated beyond their supercritical point. At depths greater than about 3 km (i.e., a pressure, P>300 bars) water will no longer boil in a steam phase. Rather, it becomes supercritical and will form a supercritical water 'vapor' (SCRIW) with a specific gravity of typically 0.3 g/cm3. An important characteristic of SCRIW is its inability to dissolve the common sea salts. The salt dissolved in the brines will therefore precipitate as solid particles when brines (seawater on the Earth) move into the supercritical P&T-domain (above 400 C and 300 bars). Numerical modeling of a hydrothermal system in the Atlantis II Deep of the

The function of packing materials in a high-level nuclear waste repository and some candidate materials: Salt Repository Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunnell, L.R.; Shade, J.W.

1987-03-01

Packing materials should be included in waste package design for a high-level nuclear waste repository in salt. A packing material barrier would increase confidence in the waste package by alleviating possible shortcomings in the present design and prolonging confinement capabilities. Packing materials have been studied for uses in other geologic repositories; appropriately chosen, they would enhance the confinement capabilities of salt repository waste packages in several ways. Benefits of packing materials include retarding or chemically modifying brines to reduce corrosion of the waste package, providing good thermal conductivity between the waste package and host rock, retarding or absorbing radionuclides, and reducing the massiveness of the waste package. These benefits are available at low percentage of total repository cost, if the packing material is properly chosen and used. Several candidate materials are being considered, including oxides, hydroxides, silicates, cement-based mixtures, and clay mixtures. 18 refs
Laboratory Investigations on the Survival of Bacillus subtilis Spores in Deliquescent Salt Mars Analog Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Nuding, Danielle L.; Gough, Raina V.; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri J.; Spry, James A.; Tolbert, Margaret A.

2017-10-01

Observed features such as recurring slope lineae suggest that liquid water may exist on the surface and near-subsurface of Mars today. The presence of this liquid water, likely in the form of a brine, has important implications for the present-day water cycle, habitability, and planetary protection policies. It is possible that this water is formed, at least partially, by deliquescence of salts, a process during which hygroscopic salts absorb water vapor from the atmosphere and form a saturated liquid brine. We performed laboratory experiments to examine the ability of Bacillus subtilis (B-168) spores, alone or mixed with calcium perchlorate salt (Ca(ClO4)2), to form liquid water via deliquescence under Mars-relevant conditions. Spore survival after exposure to these conditions was examined. An environmental chamber was used to expose the samples to temperature and relative humidity (RH) values similar to those found on Mars, and Raman microscopy was used to identify the phases of water and salt that were present and to confirm the presence of spores. We found that B-168 spores did not condense any detectable water vapor on their own during the diurnal cycle, even at 100% RH. However, when spores were mixed with perchlorate salt, the entire sample deliquesced at low RH values, immersing the spores in a brine solution during the majority of the simulated martian temperature and humidity cycle. After exposure to the simulated diurnal cycles and, in some cases, perchlorate brine, the impact of each environmental scenario on spore survival was estimated by standard plate assay. We found that, if there are deliquescent salts in contact with spores, there is a mechanism for the spores to acquire liquid water starting with only atmospheric water vapor as the H2O source. Also, neither crystalline nor liquid Ca(ClO4)2 is sporicidal despite the low water activity.
Uranium, RADON and radon isotopes in selected brines of Poland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozlowska, B.; Walencik, A.; Zipper, W.; Dorda, J.; Przylibski, T.A.

2010-01-01

Natural radioactive isotopes were studied in nine different types of brines from four locations in Poland. Investigated brines are exploited from various geological structures composed of the rocks of different chemical and mineral composition as well as different age and depth. All investigated brines are used in balneotherapy (i.e. baths, inhalations, showers). The main goal of this study was to obtain some basic knowledge on the activity range of natural elements such as uranium, RADON and radon in different brine types in Poland and their variability depending on their location in certain geological structures. Activities of 234,238 U, 226,228 Ra and 222 Rn isotopes were measured with the use of two nuclear spectrometry techniques: liquid scintillation and alpha spectrometry. The activity concentrations of 222 Rn vary from below 1 to 76.1±3.7 Bq/l, for the 226 Ra isotope from 0.19±0.01 to 85.5±0.4 Bq/l and for 228 Ra from below 0.03 to 2.17±0.09 Bq/l. For uranium isotopes, the concentrations are in the range from below 0.5 to 5.1±0.4 mBq/l for 238 U and from 1.6±0.4 to 45.6±2.0 mBq/l for 2 34U . The obtained results indicate high RADON activity concentrations corresponding to high mineralization of waters. (authors)
Salt ingestion caves.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lundquist Charles A.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Large vertebrate herbivores, when they find a salt-bearing layer of rock, say in a cliff face, can produce sizable voids where, overgenerations, they have removed and consumed salty rock. The cavities formed by this natural animal process constitute a uniqueclass of caves that can be called salt ingestion caves. Several examples of such caves are described in various publications. Anexample in Mississippi U.S.A., Rock House Cave, was visited by the authors in 2000. It seems to have been formed by deer orbison. Perhaps the most spectacular example is Kitum Cave in Kenya. This cave has been excavated to a length over 100 metersby elephants. An ancient example is La Cueva del Milodon in Chile, which is reported to have been excavated by the now extinctmilodon, a giant ground sloth. Still other possible examples can be cited. This class of caves deserves a careful definition. First, thecavity in rock should meet the size and other conventions of the locally accepted definition of a cave. Of course this requirement differsin detail from country to country, particularly in the matter of size. The intent is to respect the local conventions. The characteristicthat human entry is possible is judged to be a crucial property of any recognized cave definition. Second, the cavity should besignificantly the result of vertebrate animal consumption of salt-bearing rock. The defining process is that rock removed to form thecave is carried away in the digestive track of an animal. While sodium salts are expected to be the norm, other salts for which thereis animal hunger are acceptable. Also some other speleogenesis process, such as solution, should not be excluded as long as it issecondary in formation of a cave in question.
Isolation of a 250 million-year-old halotolerant bacterium from a primary salt crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Vreeland, Russell H.; Rosenzweig, William D.; Powers, Dennis W.

2000-10-01

Bacteria have been found associated with a variety of ancient samples, however few studies are generally accepted due to questions about sample quality and contamination. When Cano and Borucki isolated a strain of Bacillus sphaericus from an extinct bee trapped in 25-30 million-year-old amber, careful sample selection and stringent sterilization techniques were the keys to acceptance. Here we report the isolation and growth of a previously unrecognized spore-forming bacterium (Bacillus species, designated 2-9-3) from a brine inclusion within a 250million-year-old salt crystal from the Permian Salado Formation. Complete gene sequences of the 16S ribosomal DNA show that the organism is part of the lineage of Bacillus marismortui and Virgibacillus pantothenticus. Delicate crystal structures and sedimentary features indicate the salt has not recrystallized since formation. Samples were rejected if brine inclusions showed physical signs of possible contamination. Surfaces of salt crystal samples were sterilized with strong alkali and acid before extracting brines from inclusions. Sterilization procedures reduce the probability of contamination to less than 1 in 10 9.
Brine flow up a borehole caused by pressure perturbation from CO2 storage: Static and dynamic evaluations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birkholzer, J.T.; Nicot, J.-P.; Oldenburg, C.M.; Zhou, Q.; Kraemer, S.; Bandilla, K.W.

2011-05-01

Industrial-scale storage of CO{sub 2} in saline sedimentary basins will cause zones of elevated pressure, larger than the CO{sub 2} plume itself. If permeable conduits (e.g., leaking wells) exist between the injection reservoir and overlying shallow aquifers, brine could be pushed upwards along these conduits and mix with groundwater resources. This paper discusses the potential for such brine leakage to occur in temperature- and salinity-stratified systems. Using static mass-balance calculations as well as dynamic well flow simulations, we evaluate the minimum reservoir pressure that would generate continuous migration of brine up a leaking wellbore into a freshwater aquifer. Since the brine invading the well is denser than the initial fluid in the wellbore, continuous flow only occurs if the pressure perturbation in the reservoir is large enough to overcome the increased fluid column weight after full invasion of brine into the well. If the threshold pressure is exceeded, brine flow rates are dependent on various hydraulic (and other) properties, in particular the effective permeability of the wellbore and the magnitude of pressure increase. If brine flow occurs outside of the well casing, e.g., in a permeable fracture zone between the well cement and the formation, the fluid/solute transfer between the migrating fluid and the surrounding rock units can strongly retard brine flow. At the same time, the threshold pressure for continuous flow to occur decreases compared to a case with no fluid/solute transfer.
Change in cap rock porosity triggered by pressure and temperature dependent CO2–water–rock interactions in CO2 storage systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina Hemme

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Carbon capture and storage in deep geological formations is a method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Supercritical CO2 is injected into a reservoir and dissolves in the brine. Under the impact of pressure and temperature (P–T the aqueous species of the CO2-acidified brine diffuse through the cap rock where they trigger CO2–water–rock interactions. These geochemical reactions result in mineral dissolution and precipitation along the CO2 migration path and are responsible for a change in porosity and therefore for the sealing capacity of the cap rock. This study focuses on the diffusive mass transport of CO2 along a gradient of decreasing P–T conditions. The process is retraced with a one-dimensional hydrogeochemical reactive mass transport model. The semi-generic hydrogeochemical model is based on chemical equilibrium thermodynamics. Based on a broad variety of scenarios, including different initial mineralogical, chemical and physical parameters, the hydrogeochemical parameters that are most sensitive for safe long-term CO2 storage are identified. The results demonstrate that P–T conditions have the strongest effect on the change in porosity and the effect of both is stronger at high P–T conditions because the solubility of the mineral phases involved depends on P–T conditions. Furthermore, modeling results indicate that the change in porosity depends strongly on the initial mineralogical composition of the reservoir and cap rock as well as on the brine compositions. Nevertheless, a wide range of conditions for safe CO2 storage is identified.
Salinity-Dependent Contact Angle Alteration in Oil/Brine/Silicate Systems: the Critical Role of Divalent Cations.

Science.gov (United States)

Haagh, M E J; Siretanu, I; Duits, M H G; Mugele, F

2017-04-11

The effectiveness of water flooding oil recovery depends to an important extent on the competitive wetting of oil and water on the solid rock matrix. Here, we use macroscopic contact angle goniometry in highly idealized model systems to evaluate how brine salinity affects the balance of wetting forces and to infer the microscopic origin of the resultant contact angle alteration. We focus, in particular, on two competing mechanisms debated in the literature, namely, double-layer expansion and divalent cation bridging. Our experiments involve aqueous droplets with a variable content of chloride salts of Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , and Mg 2+ , wetting surfaces of muscovite and amorphous silica, and an environment of ambient decane containing small amounts of fatty acids to represent polar oil components. By diluting the salt content in various manners, we demonstrate that the water contact angle on muscovite, not on silica, decreases by up to 25° as the divalent cation concentration is reduced from typical concentrations in seawater to zero. Decreasing the ionic strength at a constant divalent ion concentration, however, has a negligible effect on the contact angle. We discuss the consequences for the interpretation of core flooding experiments and the identification of a microscopic mechanism of low salinity water flooding, an increasingly popular, inexpensive, and environment-friendly technique for enhanced oil recovery.
Metagenomic insights into the uncultured diversity and physiology of microbes in four hypersaline soda lake brines

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vavourakis, Charlotte D.; Ghai, Rohit; Rodriguez-Valera, Francisco; Sorokin, Dimitry Y.; Tringe, Susannah G.; Hugenholtz, Philip; Muyzer, Gerard

2016-01-01

Soda lakes are salt lakes with a naturally alkaline pH due to evaporative concentration of sodium carbonates in the absence of major divalent cations. Hypersaline soda brines harbor microbial communities with a high species- and strain-level archaeal diversity and a large proportion of still
Metagenomic Insights into the Uncultured Diversity and Physiology of Microbes in Four Hypersaline Soda Lake Brines

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vavourakis, C.D.; Ghai, R.; Rodriguez-valera, F.; Sorokin, D.Y.; Tringe, S.G.; Hugenholtz, P.; Muyzer, G.

2016-01-01

Soda lakes are salt lakes with a naturally alkaline pH due to evaporative concentration of sodium carbonates in the absence of major divalent cations. Hypersaline soda brines harbor microbial communities with a high species- and strain-level archaeal diversity and a large proportion of still
Radioactivity levels in soil of salt field area Kelambakkam, Tamil Nadu, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ravisankar, R.; Rajalakshmi, A.; Manikandan, E.; Gajendiran, V.; Meenakshisundaram, V.

2006-01-01

Mother nature has gifted mankind with lot of precious gifts. Common salt is one of them. In the globe, Tamilnadu is one of the ideal locations for producing salt. Kelambakkam salt field area is one of the leading producers of salt in global market. The climate, soil and availability of brine are a great asset for producing quality salts. In the present work, the primordial radionuclides concentration in soil samples collected in and around the salt field area, Kelambakkam, Tamilnadu was measured using gamma ray spectrometer
Dynamic structure mediates halophilic adaptation of a DNA polymerase from the deep-sea brines of the Red Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Masateru; Takahashi, Etsuko; Joudeh, Luay I; Marini, Monica; Das, Gobind; Elshenawy, Mohamed M; Akal, Anastassja; Sakashita, Kosuke; Alam, Intikhab; Tehseen, Muhammad; Sobhy, Mohamed A; Stingl, Ulrich; Merzaban, Jasmeen S; Di Fabrizio, Enzo; Hamdan, Samir M

2018-01-24

The deep-sea brines of the Red Sea are remote and unexplored environments characterized by high temperatures, anoxic water, and elevated concentrations of salt and heavy metals. This environment provides a rare system to study the interplay between halophilic and thermophilic adaptation in biologic macromolecules. The present article reports the first DNA polymerase with halophilic and thermophilic features. Biochemical and structural analysis by Raman and circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that the charge distribution on the protein's surface mediates the structural balance between stability for thermal adaptation and flexibility for counteracting the salt-induced rigid and nonfunctional hydrophobic packing. Salt bridge interactions via increased negative and positive charges contribute to structural stability. Salt tolerance, conversely, is mediated by a dynamic structure that becomes more fixed and functional with increasing salt concentration. We propose that repulsive forces among excess negative charges, in addition to a high percentage of negatively charged random coils, mediate this structural dynamism. This knowledge enabled us to engineer a halophilic version of KOD DNA polymerase.-Takahashi, M., Takahashi, E., Joudeh, L. I., Marini, M., Das, G., Elshenawy, M. M., Akal, A., Sakashita, K., Alam, I., Tehseen, M., Sobhy, M. A., Stingl, U., Merzaban, J. S., Di Fabrizio, E., Hamdan, S. M. Dynamic structure mediates halophilic adaptation of a DNA polymerase from the deep-sea brines of the Red Sea.
Dynamic structure mediates halophilic adaptation of a DNA polymerase from the deep-sea brines of the Red Sea

KAUST Repository

Takahashi, Masateru; Takahashi, Etsuko; Joudeh, Luay I.; Marini, Monica; Das, Gobind; Elshenawy, Mohamed; Akal, Anastassja; Sakashita, Kosuke; Alam, Intikhab; Tehseen, Muhammad; Sobhy, Mohamed Abdelmaboud; Stingl, Ulrich; Merzaban, Jasmeen; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.; Hamdan, Samir

2018-01-01

The deep-sea brines of the Red Sea are remote and unexplored environments characterized by high temperatures, anoxic water, and elevated concentrations of salt and heavy metals. This environment provides a rare system to study the interplay between halophilic and thermophilic adaptation in biologic macromolecules. The present article reports the first DNA polymerase with halophilic and thermophilic features. Biochemical and structural analysis by Raman and circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that the charge distribution on the protein’s surface mediates the structural balance between stability for thermal adaptation and flexibility for counteracting the salt-induced rigid and nonfunctional hydrophobic packing. Salt bridge interactions via increased negative and positive charges contribute to structural stability. Salt tolerance, conversely, is mediated by a dynamic structure that becomes more fixed and functional with increasing salt concentration. We propose that repulsive forces among excess negative charges, in addition to a high percentage of negatively charged random coils, mediate this structural dynamism. This knowledge enabled us to engineer a halophilic version of KOD DNA polymerase.—Takahashi, M., Takahashi, E., Joudeh, L. I., Marini, M., Das, G., Elshenawy, M. M., Akal, A., Sakashita, K., Alam, I., Tehseen, M., Sobhy, M. A., Stingl, U., Merzaban, J. S., Di Fabrizio, E., Hamdan, S. M. Dynamic structure mediates halophilic adaptation of a DNA polymerase from the deep-sea brines of the Red Sea.
Dynamic structure mediates halophilic adaptation of a DNA polymerase from the deep-sea brines of the Red Sea

KAUST Repository

Takahashi, Masateru

2018-01-24

The deep-sea brines of the Red Sea are remote and unexplored environments characterized by high temperatures, anoxic water, and elevated concentrations of salt and heavy metals. This environment provides a rare system to study the interplay between halophilic and thermophilic adaptation in biologic macromolecules. The present article reports the first DNA polymerase with halophilic and thermophilic features. Biochemical and structural analysis by Raman and circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that the charge distribution on the protein’s surface mediates the structural balance between stability for thermal adaptation and flexibility for counteracting the salt-induced rigid and nonfunctional hydrophobic packing. Salt bridge interactions via increased negative and positive charges contribute to structural stability. Salt tolerance, conversely, is mediated by a dynamic structure that becomes more fixed and functional with increasing salt concentration. We propose that repulsive forces among excess negative charges, in addition to a high percentage of negatively charged random coils, mediate this structural dynamism. This knowledge enabled us to engineer a halophilic version of KOD DNA polymerase.—Takahashi, M., Takahashi, E., Joudeh, L. I., Marini, M., Das, G., Elshenawy, M. M., Akal, A., Sakashita, K., Alam, I., Tehseen, M., Sobhy, M. A., Stingl, U., Merzaban, J. S., Di Fabrizio, E., Hamdan, S. M. Dynamic structure mediates halophilic adaptation of a DNA polymerase from the deep-sea brines of the Red Sea.
Surface diffusivity of cleaved NaCl crystals as a function of humidity: Impedance spectroscopy measurements and implications for crack healing in rock salt

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koelemeijer, P.J.; Peach, C.J.; Spiers, C.J.

2012-01-01

Rock salt offers an attractive host rock for geological storage applications, because of its naturally low permeability and the ability of excavation-induced cracks to heal by fluid-assisted diffusive mass transfer. However, while diffusive transport rates in bulk NaCl solution are rapid and well
In-situ corrosion studies on selected high-level waste packaging materials under simulated disposal conditions in rock salt formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwarzkopf, W.; Smailos, E.; Koester, R.

1988-01-01

This work reports about in situ corrosion experiments on unalloyed steels, Ti 99,8-Pd, Hastelloy C4, and iron-base alloys, as modular cast iron, Ni-Resist D4 and Si-cast iron, under simulated disposal conditions. The experiments were carried out in the frame of the German/US Brine Migration Test in heated tubed boreholes in the Asse salt mine at T = 150 0 C to 210 0 C, both in the absence and in the presence of a γ-radiation field of 3x10 2 Gy/h (Co-60 source). In addition, the material used to protect the tubing from corrosion (Inconel 600) as well as the backfill material for the annular gap (Al 2 O 3 spheres) were investigated for possible corrosion attack. All materials investigate exhibited high resistance to corrosion under the conditions prevailing in the Brine Migration Test. All material specimens corroded at much lower rates than determined in the previous laboratory-scale tests. All materials and above all the materials with passivating oxide layers such as Ti 99.8-Pd and Hastelloy C4 which may corrode selectively already in the presence of minor amounts of brine had been resistant with respect to any type of local corrosion attack. The γ-radiation of 3x10 2 Gy/h did not exert an influence on the corrosion behaviour of the materials. No corrosion attacks were observed on the Al 2 O 3 spheres. In the case of Inconel 600 traces of sulphur were detected probably resulting from the reaction of Ni with H 2 S to NiS. Measurable general and local corrosion, however, have not been observed. (orig./IHOE) [de
Asse salt mine nuclear waste repository simulation experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coyle, A.J.

1983-01-01

The field tests underway in Asse, Federal Republic of Germany are dicected toward the development of test plans, techniques and equipment to be used in Exploratory Shafts or At Depth Test Facilities confirmation tests. These simulated repository tests will also provide information which address the following issues: brine migration (liquid and vapor); radiation effects of gamma rays; gas generation caused by radiation and corrosion; accelerated corrosion and leaching; altered properties of salt (the effects of heat, radiation and brine); and the effects of heat and radiation on test assemblies, instruments, and various materials exposed to repository conditions. This paper is a status of the first 82 days of operation of the Asse Brine Migration Tests, which were initiated on May 25, 1983. 6 references
Model for transient creep of southeastern New Mexico rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrmann, W.; Wawersik, W.R.; Lauson, H.S.

1980-11-01

In a previous analysis, existing experimental data pertaining to creep tests on rock salt from the Salado formation of S.E. New Mexico were fitted to an exponential transient creep law. While very early time portions of creep strain histories were not fitted very well for tests at low temperatures and stresses, initial creep rates in particular generally being underestimated, the exponential creep law has the property that the transient creep strain approaches a finite limit with time, and is therefore desirable from a creep modelling point of view. In this report, an analysis of transient creep is made. It is found that exponential transient creep can be related to steady-state creep through a universal creep curve. The resultant description is convenient for creep analyses where very early time behavior is not important
Definition of the waste package environment for a repository located in salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, D.E.; Bradley, D.J.

1983-01-01

The expected environmental conditions for emplaced waste packages in a salt repository are simulated in the materials testing program to evaluate performance. Synthetic brines, based on the analyses of actual brines (both intrusion and inclusion), are used for corrosion and leach testing. Elevated temperatures (to 150 0 C) and radiation fields of up to 10 3 rad/h are employed as conservative conditions to bracket expected performance and provide data for worst case scenarios. Obtaining a precise definition of the waste package environment in a salt repository and its change with time is closely tied to detailed site characterization of the candidate salt repository horizon. It is expected that field testing can augment some of the materials testing currently under way and can provide increased confidence in the predicted site-specific near-field conditions. 17 references, 5 figures, 1 table
Design of the Brine Evaporation Bag for Increased Water Recovery in Microgravity

Science.gov (United States)

Hayden, Anna L.; Delzeit, Lance D.

2015-01-01

The existing water recovery system on the International Space Station (ISS) is limited to 75% reclamation; consequently, long duration space missions are currently unfeasible due to the large quantity of water necessary to sustain the crew. The Brine Evaporation Bag (BEB) is a proposed system to supplement the existing water recovery system aboard the ISS that can to increase water recovery to 99%. The largest barrier to high water recovery is mineral scaling inside the water recovery equipment, which leads to equipment failure; therefore, some water must remain to keep the minerals dissolved. This waste stream is liquid brine containing salts, acids, organics, and water. The BEB is designed to recover this remaining water while protecting the equipment from scale. The BEB consists of a sealed bag containing a hydrophobic membrane that allows water vapor and gas to pass through. It is operated under vacuum, heated, and continuously filled with brine to boil away the water. The water vapor is recovered and the solids are contained inside the bag for disposal. The BEB can dry the brine to a solid block. Ongoing work includes improving the design of the BEB and the evaporator to prevent leaks, maximize the rate of water removal, and minimize energy use and weight. Additional testing will determine whether designs are heat- or mass-transfer limited and the optimal water recovery rate.

Laboratory Investigations on the Survival of Bacillus subtilis Spores in Deliquescent Salt Mars Analog Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Nuding, Danielle L; Gough, Raina V; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri J; Spry, James A; Tolbert, Margaret A

2017-10-01

Observed features such as recurring slope lineae suggest that liquid water may exist on the surface and near-subsurface of Mars today. The presence of this liquid water, likely in the form of a brine, has important implications for the present-day water cycle, habitability, and planetary protection policies. It is possible that this water is formed, at least partially, by deliquescence of salts, a process during which hygroscopic salts absorb water vapor from the atmosphere and form a saturated liquid brine. We performed laboratory experiments to examine the ability of Bacillus subtilis (B-168) spores, alone or mixed with calcium perchlorate salt (Ca(ClO 4 ) 2 ), to form liquid water via deliquescence under Mars-relevant conditions. Spore survival after exposure to these conditions was examined. An environmental chamber was used to expose the samples to temperature and relative humidity (RH) values similar to those found on Mars, and Raman microscopy was used to identify the phases of water and salt that were present and to confirm the presence of spores. We found that B-168 spores did not condense any detectable water vapor on their own during the diurnal cycle, even at 100% RH. However, when spores were mixed with perchlorate salt, the entire sample deliquesced at low RH values, immersing the spores in a brine solution during the majority of the simulated martian temperature and humidity cycle. After exposure to the simulated diurnal cycles and, in some cases, perchlorate brine, the impact of each environmental scenario on spore survival was estimated by standard plate assay. We found that, if there are deliquescent salts in contact with spores, there is a mechanism for the spores to acquire liquid water starting with only atmospheric water vapor as the H 2 O source. Also, neither crystalline nor liquid Ca(ClO 4 ) 2 is sporicidal despite the low water activity. Key Words: Raman microscopy-Mars-Planetary protection-Salts-Water activity. Astrobiology 17, 997-1008.
Accelerator Measurments of the Askaryan Effect in Rock Salt: A Roadmap Toward Teraton Underground Neutrino Detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gorham, P.

2004-12-15

We report on further SLAC measurements of the Askaryan effect: coherent radio emission from charge asymmetry in electromagnetic cascades. We used synthetic rock salt as the dielectric medium, with cascades produced by GeV bremsstrahlung photons at the Final Focus Test Beam. We extend our prior discovery measurements to a wider range of parameter space and explore the effect in a dielectric medium of great potential interest to large scale ultra-high energy neutrino detectors: rock salt (halite), which occurs naturally in high purity formations containing in many cases hundreds of cubic km of water-equivalent mass. We observed strong coherent pulsed radio emission over a frequency band from 0.2-15 GHz. A grid of embedded dual-polarization antennas was used to confirm the high degree of linear polarization and track the change of direction of the electric-field vector with azimuth around the shower. Coherence was observed over 4 orders of magnitude of shower energy. The frequency dependence of the radiation was tested over two orders of magnitude of UHF and microwave frequencies. We have also made the first observations of coherent transition radiation from the Askaryan charge excess, and the result agrees well with theoretical predictions. Based on these results we have performed detailed and conservative simulation of a realistic GZK neutrino telescope array within a salt-dome, and we find it capable of detecting 10 or more contained events per year from even the most conservative GZK neutrino models.
Ultra-high chlorine in submarine Kı̄lauea glasses: Evidence for direct assimilation of brine by magma

Science.gov (United States)

Coombs, Michelle L.; Sisson, Thomas W.; Kimura, Jun-Ichi

2004-01-01

Basaltic glass grains from the submarine south flank of Kı̄lauea, Hawai′i, have Cl concentrations of 0.01–1.68 wt%, the latter being the highest Cl content yet recorded for a Hawaiian glass. The high-Cl glass grains are products of brine assimilation by tholeiite magma. The glasses are grains in a sandstone clast from bedded breccias draping the southwestern margin of Kı̄lauea’s submarine midslope bench. The clast contains two distinct suites of glass grains: abundant degassed tholeiites, perhaps derived from subaerial lavas of Mauna Loa that shattered upon ocean entry, and a smaller population of Kea-type tholeiite (n=17 analyzed) that erupted subaqueously, based on elevated S (780–1050 ppm), H2O (0.42–1.27 wt%), and CO2 (1000 ppm, six >5000 ppm, and two grains have >10 000 ppm dissolved Cl. Abundances of H2O, Na2O, K2O, and several trace elements increase regularly with Cl concentration, and we estimate that Cl enrichment was due to up to 13 wt% addition of a brine consisting of 78% H2O (wt), 13% Cl, 4.4% Na, 2.6% K, 2.6% Ca, 620 ppm Ba, 360 ppm Sr, 65 ppm Rb, and 7 ppm Pb. The large amounts of brine addition argue against bulk assimilation of low-porosity brine-bearing rock. The brine’s composition is appropriate for a seawater-derived hydrothermal fluid that reacted with basaltic wall rocks at T>100°C, losing Mg and S and gaining K, Ca, Rb, Ba, Sr, and Pb, followed by phase separation near 500°C and ∼50 MPa (5 km below sea level at hydrostatic pressure). Brine was assimilated at or near the depth it formed, as estimated on petrologic grounds, but under lithostatic conditions. The highest extents of assimilation either forced volatile saturation of the magma or enriched already coexisting magmatic vapor in H2O. Possible mechanisms for assimilation are: (1) forcible injection of brine into magma during bursting of overpressured pockets heated by new dikes, or (2) intrusion of magma into lenses or sills occupied by trapped brine.
Drafting of the closure of the Asse salt mine. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneefuss, J.U.

2001-01-01

The report of the R and D-project 'Drafting of the closure of the Asse salt mine' contains the results of the first phases 'Basic findings' and 'Predrafting'. These phases were started after the backfilling of the south flank of the Asse salt mine was permitted in accordance to 2.2 of the operating program 'Future work at the Asse salt mine'. The knowledge status of May 2000 is reported. The result obtained in this program provides the basis for future drafting the closure of the Asse salt mine. The final results will include the long-term safety assessment to obtain the permission of the mining authorities for the closure of the Asse salt mine. The evaluation of the basic data has shown that further investigations are necessary. During the predrafting period the method for backfilling of the cavities, transport of the backfill and backfill and closure of the shafts were developed. Other parts of the concept for the closure are not finalized (control of the brine inflow when starting backfilling above the 658-m-level, minimizing of the possible effects of dissolution of carnallitite, avoiding of squeezing brines from deeper cavities through the disposal chambers etc.). (orig.) [de
Alteration of non-metallic barriers and evolution of solution chemistry in salt formations in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herbert, H.J.; Becker, D.; Hagemann, S.; Meyer, Th.; Noseck, U.; Rubel, A.; Mauke, R.; Wollrath, J.

2005-01-01

Different Engineered Barrier Systems (EBS) materials considered in Germany for the sealing of repositories in salt formations are presented. Their long term behaviour in terms of interactions with salt solutions is discussed and evaluated. The discussed EBS materials are crushed salt, self sealing salt backfill, bentonite and salt concrete. Whereas the knowledge concerning the geochemical, geomechanical, hydrological and thermal behavior of crushed salt and salt concrete is well advanced further research is needed for other EBS materials. The self healing salt backfill has also been investigated in depth recently. In order to fully qualify this material large scale in situ experiments are still needed. The present knowledge on compacted bentonites in a salt environment is not yet sufficient for reliable predictions of the long-term performance in salt formations. The sealing concept of the low- and intermediate-level Radioactive Waste Repository Morsleben (ERAM) in a former rock salt and potash mine is presented. This concept is based on cementitious materials, i.e. salt concrete. The geochemical stability of different salt concretes in contact with brines expected in ERAM is addressed. It is shown how the results from leaching experiments and geochemical modelling are used in the safety analyses and how the chemical boundary conditions prevailing in the EBS influence the development of the permeability of the sealing system and thus control the radionuclide release. As a result of modelling the behaviour of the seals in the safety assessment it is shown, that the seals are corroded within a time span of about 20 000 years. The influence of the uncertainty in the model parameters on the safety of the repository was assessed by a variation of the initial permeability of the seal. The maximum dose rate resulting from the radionuclide release from ERAM is nearly independent of the variation of the initial permeability within four orders of magnitude. (authors)
High-salt brines compromise autoinducer-mediated bacteriocinogenic Lactobacillus plantarum survival in Spanish-style green olive fermentations.

Science.gov (United States)

Caballero-Guerrero, Belén; Lucena-Padrós, Helena; Maldonado-Barragán, Antonio; Ruiz-Barba, José Luis

2013-02-01

The effect of NaCl on plantaricin production by five Lactobacillus plantarum strains was investigated. Plantaricin production in these strains was found to be regulated by three-component regulatory systems ruled by two different autoinducer peptides (AIPs), either PLNC8IF or Plantaricin A. Bacteriocin activity exhibited by these strains came to a halt in liquid medium containing NaCl concentrations of or above 2%. In contrast, bacteriocin activity was still observed when the producing strains were growing on solid medium containing up to 4% NaCl. Bacteriocin activity in liquid medium containing up to 2% NaCl could be restored by coculturing the producing strains with a selected plantaricin-production inducing strain of Lactococcus lactis. Growth of these bacteriocinogenic L. plantarum strains was monitored in traditional Spanish-style green olive fermentations. Survival of these strains could not be enhanced when provided with a range of plantaricin-production inducing mechanisms previously described, such as constitutive AIP production or coinoculation with a specific bacteriocin-production inducing strain of L. lactis. Our results suggest that it is advisable the use of constitutive bacteriocin producers, or at least non-AIP-dependant ones, as starters for olive fermentations due to the intrinsic physical characteristics of this food fermentation, especially the high salt concentration of the brines currently used. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Electrokinetic mechanism of wettability alternation at oil-water-rock interface

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Huanhuan; Wang, Moran

2017-12-01

Design of ions for injection water may change the wettability of oil-brine-rock (OBR) system, which has very important applications in enhanced oil recovery. Though ion-tuned wettability has been verified by various experiments, the mechanism is still not clear. In this review paper, we first present a comprehensive summarization of possible wettability alteration mechanisms, including fines migration or dissolution, multicomponent ion-exchange (MIE), electrical double layer (EDL) interaction between rock and oil, and repulsive hydration force. To clarify the key mechanism, we introduce a complete frame of theories to calculate attribution of EDL repulsion to wettability alteration by assuming constant binding forces (no MIE) and rigid smooth surface (no fines migration or dissolution). The frame consists of three parts: the classical Gouy-Chapman model coupled with interface charging mechanisms to describe EDL in oil-brine-rock systems, three methods with different boundary assumptions to evaluate EDL interaction energy, and the modified Young-Dupré equation to link EDL interaction energy with contact angle. The quantitative analysis for two typical oil-brine-rock systems provides two physical maps that show how the EDL interaction influences contact angle at different ionic composition. The result indicates that the contribution of EDL interaction to ion-tuned wettability for the studied system is not quite significant. The classical and advanced experimental work using microfabrication is reviewed briefly on the contribution of EDL repulsion to wettability alteration and compared with the theoretical results. It is indicated that the roughness of real rock surface may enhance EDL interaction. Finally we discuss some pending questions, perspectives and promising applications based on the mechanism.
Influence of the design temperature on long-term safety of a salt dome repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buhmann, D.; Brenner, J.; Storck, R.

1993-03-01

All studies made so far within the framwork of the mixed concept system analysis proceeded from a design temperature of the mine structure of 200 C. The concept based on a design temperature of 150 C was aimed at studying whether it made sense to maintain lower temperatures, if necessary. Deterministic and probabilistic calculations were made in order to determine the influence of the lower design temperature on long-term safety. The calculations were based on concept A of Joint Borehole and Gallery Storage. Assuming reference values of the input parameters, the deterministic calculations do not produce any radionuclide release from the mine structure. If, however, one assumes a lower rate for rock convergence, radionuclides are released at maximum dose rates of about 3.10 -5 Sv/a. Even a larger volume of limited brine inclusions may lead to radionuclide releases, in that case with dose commitments of the order of magnitude of 1.10 -5 Sv/a. The probabilistic calculations show that a design temperature of 150 C for long-term safety is less favourable than a higher design temperature. The share of simulations in the probabilistic calculations with a radionuclide release, and the expected value of dose commitment, are almost double as high as in the concept based on 200 C design temperature. Thus a higher design temperature is preferable with regard to the long-term safety of a salt repository. The most important parameters concerning dose commitment are the volume of limited brine inclusions, the convergence rate, and the permeability of barriers and backfilling rock. (orig./HP) [de
Accumulated energy determination in salts rocks irradiated by means of thermoluminescence techniques: application to the high level radioactive wastes repositories analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dies, J.; Ortega. J.; Tarrasa. F.; Cuevas, C.

1995-01-01

The report summarizes the study carried out to develop the radiation effects on salt rocks in order to repository the high level radioactive wastes. The study is structured into 3 main aspects: 1.- Analysis of irradiation experiences in Haw project of Pet ten reactor. 2.- Irradiation of salt sample of CESAR industrial irradiator. 3.- Correlation study between the accumulated energy, termoluminescence answer and the defect concentration
Salinity-Dependent Contact Angle Alteration in Oil/Brine/Silicate Systems : the Critical Role of Divalent Cations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haagh, Martinus Everardus Johannes; Sîretanu, Igor; Duits, Michel; Mugele, Friedrich Gunther

2017-01-01

The effectiveness of water flooding oil recovery depends to an important extent on the competitive wetting of oil and water on the solid rock matrix. Here, we use macroscopic contact angle goniometry in highly idealized model systems to evaluate how brine salinity affects the balance of wetting
CO2-Water-Rock Wettability: Variability, Influencing Factors, and Implications for CO2 Geostorage.

Science.gov (United States)

Iglauer, Stefan

2017-05-16

Carbon geosequestration (CGS) has been identified as a key technology to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and thus significantly mitigate climate change. In CGS, CO 2 is captured from large point-source emitters (e.g., coal fired power stations), purified, and injected deep underground into geological formations for disposal. However, the CO 2 has a lower density than the resident formation brine and thus migrates upward due to buoyancy forces. To prevent the CO 2 from leaking back to the surface, four trapping mechanisms are used: (1) structural trapping (where a tight caprock acts as a seal barrier through which the CO 2 cannot percolate), (2) residual trapping (where the CO 2 plume is split into many micrometer-sized bubbles, which are immobilized by capillary forces in the pore network of the rock), (3) dissolution trapping (where CO 2 dissolves in the formation brine and sinks deep into the reservoir due to a slight increase in brine density), and (4) mineral trapping (where the CO 2 introduced into the subsurface chemically reacts with the formation brine or reservoir rock or both to form solid precipitates). The efficiency of these trapping mechanisms and the movement of CO 2 through the rock are strongly influenced by the CO 2 -brine-rock wettability (mainly due to the small capillary-like pores in the rock which form a complex network), and it is thus of key importance to rigorously understand CO 2 -wettability. In this context, a substantial number of experiments have been conducted from which several conclusions can be drawn: of prime importance is the rock surface chemistry, and hydrophilic surfaces are water-wet while hydrophobic surfaces are CO 2 -wet. Note that CO 2 -wet surfaces dramatically reduce CO 2 storage capacities. Furthermore, increasing pressure, salinity, or dissolved ion valency increases CO 2 -wettability, while the effect of temperature is not well understood. Indeed theoretical understanding of CO 2 -wettability and the
Origin of the brines near WIPP from the drill holes ERDA-6 and WIPP-12 based on stable isotope concentrations of hydrogen and oxygen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spiegler, P.; Updegraff, D.

1983-03-01

Pathways which might alter the isotopic compositions of deuterium and oxygen-18 meteoric water, seawaters, and in hydration waters in gypsum to the isotopic compositions of brines encountered at ERDA-6 and WIPP-12 are discussed. Present geologic conditions do not favor the alteration of the isotopic compositions of waters that exist near the WIPP site to those of the brines by these pathways. It is concluded that the brines encountered at ERDA-6 and WIPP-12 are probably derived from ancient ocean waters that have been isotopically enriched in oxygen-18 by exchange interaction with rock. The dehydration of gypsum as a process of origin of these brines cannot be ruled out
Radiation induced color center and colloid formation in synthetic NaCl and natural rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levy, P.W.; Swyler, K.J.; Klaffky, R.W.

1979-01-01

F-center and colloid particle formation has been studied in synthetic NaCl and natural rock salt crystals with apparatus for making optical absorption measurements during irradiation. F-center and colloid formation are functions of temperature, dose, dose rate, strain applied prior to irradiation and numerous other factors. Many of the observed properties are in accord with the Jain-Lidiard theory for radiation induced F-center and colloid growth above room temperature
Effects of high salinity from desalination brine on growth, photosynthesis, water relations and osmolyte concentrations of seagrass Posidonia australis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cambridge, M L; Zavala-Perez, A; Cawthray, G R; Mondon, J; Kendrick, G A

2017-02-15

Highly saline brines from desalination plants expose seagrass communities to salt stress. We examined effects of raised salinity (46 and 54psu) compared with seawater controls (37psu) over 6weeks on the seagrass, Posidonia australis, growing in tanks with the aim of separating effects of salinity from other potentially deleterious components of brine and determining appropriate bioindicators. Plants survived exposures of 2-4weeks at 54psu, the maximum salinity of brine released from a nearby desalination plant. Salinity significantly reduced maximum quantum yield of PSII (chlorophyll a fluorescence emissions). Leaf water potential (Ψ w ) and osmotic potential (Ψ π ) were more negative at increased salinity, while turgor pressure (Ψ p ) was unaffected. Leaf concentrations of K + and Ca 2+ decreased, whereas concentrations of sugars (mainly sucrose) and amino acids increased. We recommend leaf osmolarity, ion, sugar and amino acid concentrations as bioindicators for salinity effects, associated with brine released in desalination plant outfalls. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Geochemical evidence for the existence of high-temperature hydrothermal brines at Vesuvio volcano, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Chiodini, Giovanni; Marini, Luigi; Russo, Massimo

2001-07-01

A high-temperature hydrothermal system is present underneath the crater area of Vesuvio volcano. It is suggested that NaCl brines reside in the high-temperature reservoir and influence the chemical composition of the gases discharged by the fumaroles of the crater bottom (vents FC1, FC2, and FC5). These have typical hydrothermal compositions, with H 2O and CO 2 as major components, followed by H 2, H 2S, N 2, CH 4, and CO (in order of decreasing contents) and undetectable SO 2, HCl, and HF. Fumarolic H 2O is either meteoric water enriched in 18O through high-temperature water-rock oxygen isotope exchange or a mixture of meteoric and arc-type magmatic water. Fumarolic CO 2 is mainly generated by decarbonation reactions of marine carbonates, but the addition of small amounts of magmatic CO 2 is also possible. All investigated gas species (H 2O, CO 2, CO, CH 4, H 2, H 2S, N 2, and NH 3) equilibrate, probably in a saturated vapor phase, at temperatures of 360 to 370°C for vent FC1 and 430 to 445°C for vents FC2 and FC5. These temperatures are confirmed by the H 2-Ar geoindicator. The minimum salt content of the liquid phase coexisting with the vapor phase is ˜14.9 wt.% NaCl, whereas its maximum salinity corresponds to halite saturation (49.2-52.5 wt.% NaCl). These poorly constrained salinities of NaCl brines reflect in large uncertainties in total fluid pressures, which are estimated to be 260 to 480 bar for vents FC2 and FC5 and 130 to 220 bar for vent FC1. Pressurization in some parts of the hydrothermal system, and its subsequent discharge through hydrofracturing, could explain the relatively frequent seismic crises recorded in the Vesuvio area after the last eruption. An important heat source responsible for hydrothermal circulation is represented by the hot rocks of the eruptive conduits, which have been active from 1631 to 1944. Geochemical evidence suggests that no input of fresh magma at shallow depths took place after the end of the last eruptive period.
West Hackberry Strategic Petroleum Reserve site brine-disposal monitoring, Year I report. Volume IV. Bibliography and supporting data for physical oceanography. Final report. [421 references

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DeRouen, L.R.; Hann, R.W.; Casserly, D.M.; Giammona, C.; Lascara, V.J. (eds.)

1983-02-01

This project centers around the Strategic Petroleum Site (SPR) known as the West Hackberry salt dome which is located in southwestern Louisiana and which is designed to store 241 million barrels of crude oil. Oil storage caverns are formed by injecting water into salt deposits, and pumping out the resulting brine. Studies described in this report were designed as follow-on studies to three months of pre-discharge characterization work, and include data collected during the first year of brine leaching operations. The objectives were to: (1) characterize the environment in terms of physical, chemical and biological attributes; (2) determine if significant adverse changes in ecosystem productivity and stability of the biological community are occurring as a result of brine discharge; and (3) determine the magnitude of any change observed. Volume IV contains the following: bibliography; appendices for supporting data for physical oceanography, and summary of the physical oceanography along the western Louisiana coast.
Specific investigations related to salt rock behaviour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vons, L.H.

1985-01-01

In this paper results are given of work in various countries in rather unrelated areas of research. Nevertheless, since the studies have been undertaken to better understand salt behaviour, both from mechanical and chemical points of view, some connection between the studies can be found. In the French contribution the geological conditions have been investigated that might promote or prevent the formation of salt domes from layers in view of possible use of the latter type of formation. This was done theoretically by the finite element method, and a start was made with centrifuge tests. The density of a number of samples from salt and overburden from the Bresse basin was measured and it was shown that a favourable condition exists in this region for waste disposal. In the German contribution various subjects are touched upon, one being the effect of water on the mobility in the early stages of salt dome formation. Evidence was found for an anisotropy in salt. One Dutch contribution describes results of studies on the effect of small amounts of water on the rheology of salt. The results imply that flow laws obtained for salt at rapid strain rates and/or low confining pressure cannot be reliably extrapolated to predict the long term behaviour of wet or even very dry material under natural conditions. Preliminary results on the effect of water upon ion-mobility indicate a certain pseudo-absorptive capacity of salt e.g. for Sr
Salt deposits of Los Medanos Area, Eddy and Lea counties, New Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, C.L.; Cooley, M.E.; Bachman, G.O.

1973-01-01

The salt deposits of Los Medanos area, in Eddy and Lea Counties, southeastern New Mexico, are being considered for possible use as a receptacle for radioactive wastes in a pilot-plant repository. The salt deposits of the area are in three evaporite formations: the Castile, Salado, and Rustler formations, in ascending order. The three formations are dominantly anhydrite and rock salt; but some gypsum, potassium ores, carbonate rock, and fine-grained clastic rocks are present. They have combined thicknesses of slightly more than 4000 feet, of which roughly one-half belongs to the Salado. Both the Castile and the Rustler are richer in anhydrite and poorer in rock salt than the Salado, and they provide this salt-rich formation with considerable protection from any fluids which might be present in underlying or overlying rocks. The Salado Formation contains many thick seams of rock salt at moderate depths below the surface. The rock salt has a substantial cover of well-consolidated rocks, and it is very little deformed structurally. 37 refs., 48 figs., 4 tabs
Formation and development of salt crusts on soil surfaces

KAUST Repository

Dai, Sheng; Shin, Hosung; Santamarina, Carlos

2015-01-01

The salt concentration gradually increases at the soil free surface when the evaporation rate exceeds the diffusive counter transport. Eventually, salt precipitates and crystals form a porous sodium chloride crust with a porosity of 0.43 ± 0.14. After detaching from soils, the salt crust still experiences water condensation and salt deliquescence at the bottom, brine transport across the crust driven by the humidity gradient, and continued air-side precipitation. This transport mechanism allows salt crust migration away from the soil surface at a rate of 5 μm/h forming salt domes above soil surfaces. The surface characteristics of mineral substrates and the evaporation rate affect the morphology and the crystal size of precipitated salt. In particular, substrate hydrophobicity and low evaporation rate suppress salt spreading.
Formation and development of salt crusts on soil surfaces

KAUST Repository

Dai, Sheng

2015-12-14

The salt concentration gradually increases at the soil free surface when the evaporation rate exceeds the diffusive counter transport. Eventually, salt precipitates and crystals form a porous sodium chloride crust with a porosity of 0.43 ± 0.14. After detaching from soils, the salt crust still experiences water condensation and salt deliquescence at the bottom, brine transport across the crust driven by the humidity gradient, and continued air-side precipitation. This transport mechanism allows salt crust migration away from the soil surface at a rate of 5 μm/h forming salt domes above soil surfaces. The surface characteristics of mineral substrates and the evaporation rate affect the morphology and the crystal size of precipitated salt. In particular, substrate hydrophobicity and low evaporation rate suppress salt spreading.

Requirements for a long-term safety certification for chemotoxic substances stored in a final storage facility for high radioactive and heat-generating radioactive waste in rock salt formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tholen, M.; Hippler, J.; Herzog, C.

2007-01-01

Within the scope of a project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (Bundesministerium fuer Wirtschaft und Technologie, BMWi), a safety certification concept for a future permanent final storage for high radioactive and heat-generating radioactive waste (HAW disposal facility) in rock salt formations is being prepared. For a reference concept, compliance with safety requirements in regard to operational safety as well as radiological and non-radiological protection objectives related to long-term safety, including ground water protection, will be evaluated. This paper deals with the requirements for a long-term safety certification for the purpose of protecting ground water from chemotoxic substances. In particular, longterm safety certifications for the permanent disposal of radioactive waste in a HAW disposal facility in rock salt formations and for the dumping of hazardous waste in underground storage facilities in rock salt formations are first discussed, followed by an evaluation as to whether these methods can be applied to the long-term safety certification for chemotoxic substances. The authors find it advisable to apply the long-term safety certification for underground storage facilities to the long-term safety certification for chemotoxic substances stored in a HAW disposal facility in rock salt formations. In conclusion, a corresponding certification concept is introduced. (orig.)
Secondary halite deposits in the Iranian salt karst: general description and origin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filippi Michal

2011-07-01

Full Text Available This paper summaries 12 years of documentation of secondary halite deposits in the Iranian salt karst. A variety of secondary halitedeposits was distinguished and classified into several groups, on the basis of the site and mechanism of their origin. Deposits formed:i via crystallization in/on streams and pools, ii from dripping, splashing and aerosol water, iii from evaporation of seepage and capillarywater, and iv other types of deposits. The following examples of halite forms were distinguished in each of the above mentionedgroup: i euhedral crystals, floating rafts (raft cones, thin brine surface crusts and films; ii straw stalactites, macrocrystalline skeletaland hyaline deposits, aerosol deposits; iii microcrystalline forms (crusts, stalactites and stalagmites, helictites; iv macrocrystallinehelictites, halite bottom fibers and spiders, crystals in fluvial sediments, euhedral halite crystals in rock salt, combined or transientforms and biologically induced deposits. The occurrence of particular forms depends strongly on the environment, especially on thetype of brine occurrence (pool, drip, splashing brine, microscopic capillary brine, etc., flow rate and its variation, atmospheric humidity,evaporation rate and, in some cases, on the air flow direction. Combined or transitional secondary deposits can be observed if theconditions changed during the deposition. Euhedral halite crystals originate solely below the brine surface of supersaturated streamsand lakes. Macrocrystalline skeletal deposits occur at places with rich irregular dripping and splashing (i.e., waterfalls, places withstrong dripping from the cave ceilings, etc.. Microcrystalline (fine grained deposits are generated by evaporation of capillary brineat places where brine is not present in a macroscopically visible form. Straw stalactites form at places where dripping is concentratedin small spots and is frequent sufficient to assure that the tip of the stalactite will not be
Radiant energy dissipation during final storage of high-level radioactive waste in rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramthun, H.

1981-08-01

A final disposal concept is assumed where the high-active waste from 1400 t of uranium, remaining after conditioning, is solidified in borosilicate glass and distributed in 1.760 waste casks. These containers 1.2 m in height and 0.3 m in diameter are to be buried 10 years after the fuel is removed from the reactor in the 300 m deep boreholes of a salt dome. For this design the mean absorbed dose rates are calculated in the glass die (3.9 Gy/s), the steel mantle (0.26 Gy/s) and in the salt rock (0.12 Gy/s at a distance of 1 cm and 0.034 Gy/s at a distance of 9 cm from the container surface) valid at the beginning of disposal. The risk involved with these amounts of stored lattice energy is shortly discussed. (orig.) [de
Statistical methods for mechanistic model validation: Salt Repository Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eggett, D.L.

1988-07-01

As part of the Department of Energy's Salt Repository Program, Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is studying the emplacement of nuclear waste containers in a salt repository. One objective of the SRP program is to develop an overall waste package component model which adequately describes such phenomena as container corrosion, waste form leaching, spent fuel degradation, etc., which are possible in the salt repository environment. The form of this model will be proposed, based on scientific principles and relevant salt repository conditions with supporting data. The model will be used to predict the future characteristics of the near field environment. This involves several different submodels such as the amount of time it takes a brine solution to contact a canister in the repository, how long it takes a canister to corrode and expose its contents to the brine, the leach rate of the contents of the canister, etc. These submodels are often tested in a laboratory and should be statistically validated (in this context, validate means to demonstrate that the model adequately describes the data) before they can be incorporated into the waste package component model. This report describes statistical methods for validating these models. 13 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs
Partition behavior of virgin olive oil phenolic compounds in oil-brine mixtures during thermal processing for fish canning.

Science.gov (United States)

Sacchi, Raffaele; Paduano, Antonello; Fiore, Francesca; Della Medaglia, Dorotea; Ambrosino, Maria Luisa; Medina, Isabel

2002-05-08

The chemical modifications and partitioning toward the brine phase (5% salt) of major phenol compounds of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) were studied in a model system formed by sealed cans filled with oil-brine mixtures (5:1, v/v) simulating canned-in-oil food systems. Filled cans were processed in an industrial plant using two sterilization conditions commonly used during fish canning. The partitioning of phenolic compounds toward brine induced by thermal processing was studied by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of the phenol fraction extracted from oils and brine. Hydroxytyrosol (1), tyrosol (2), and the complex phenolic compounds containing 1 and 2 (i.e., the dialdehydic form of decarboxymethyl oleuropein aglycon 3, the dialdehydic form of decarboxymethyl ligstroside aglycon 4, and the oleuropein aglycon 6) decreased in the oily phase after sterilization with a marked partitioning toward the brine phase. The increase of the total amount of 1 and 2 after processing, as well as the presence of elenolic acid 7 released in brine, revealed the hydrolysis of the ester bond of hydrolyzable phenolic compounds 3, 4, and 6 during thermal processing. Both phenomena (partitioning toward the water phase and hydrolysis) contribute to explain the loss of phenolic compounds exhibited by EVOO used as filling medium in canned foods, as well as the protection of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in canned-in-EVOO fish products.
Gypsum and hydrohalite dynamics in sea ice brines

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, Benjamin M.; Papadimitriou, Stathys; Day, Sarah J.; Kennedy, Hilary

2017-09-01

Mineral authigenesis from their dissolved sea salt matrix is an emergent feature of sea ice brines, fuelled by dramatic equilibrium solubility changes in the large sub-zero temperature range of this cryospheric system on the surface of high latitude oceans. The multi-electrolyte composition of seawater results in the potential for several minerals to precipitate in sea ice, each affecting the in-situ geochemical properties of the sea ice brine system, the habitat of sympagic biota. The solubility of two of these minerals, gypsum (CaSO4 ·2H2O) and hydrohalite (NaCl · 2H2O), was investigated in high ionic strength multi-electrolyte solutions at below-zero temperatures to examine their dissolution-precipitation dynamics in the sea ice brine system. The gypsum dynamics in sea ice were found to be highly dependent on the solubilities of mirabilite and hydrohalite between 0.2 and - 25.0 ° C. The hydrohalite solubility between - 14.3 and - 25.0 ° C exhibits a sharp change between undersaturated and supersaturated conditions, and, thus, distinct temperature fields of precipitation and dissolution in sea ice, with saturation occurring at - 22.9 ° C. The sharp changes in hydrohalite solubility at temperatures ⩽-22.9 °C result from the formation of an ice-hydrohalite aggregate, which alters the structural properties of brine inclusions in cold sea ice. Favourable conditions for gypsum precipitation in sea ice were determined to occur in the region of hydrohalite precipitation below - 22.9 ° C and in conditions of metastable mirabilite supersaturation above - 22.9 ° C (investigated at - 7.1 and - 8.2 ° C here) but gypsum is unlikely to persist once mirabilite forms at these warmer (>-22.9 °C) temperatures. The dynamics of hydrohalite in sea ice brines based on its experimental solubility were consistent with that derived from thermodynamic modelling (FREZCHEM code) but the gypsum dynamics derived from the code were inconsistent with that indicated by its
Brine Sampling and Evaluation Program, 1990 report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deal, D.E.; Abitz, R.J.; Myers, J.; Case, J.B.; Martin, M.L.; Roggenthen, W.M. [International Technology Corp., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Belski, D.S. [Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM (United States). Waste Isolation Div.

1991-08-01

The data presented in this report are the result of Brine Sampling and Evaluation Program (BSEP) activities at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) during 1990. When excavations began in 1982, small brine seepages (weeps) were observed on the walls. These brine occurrences were initially described as part of the Site Validation Program. Brine studies were formalized in 1985. The BSEP activities document and investigate the origins, hydraulic characteristics, extent, and composition of brine occurrences in the Permian Salado Formation and seepage of that brine into the excavations at the WIPP. The brine chemistry is important because it assists in understanding the origin of the brine and because it may affect possible chemical reactions in the buried waste after sealing the repository. The volume of brine and the hydrologic system that drives the brine seepage also need to be understood to assess the long-term performance of the repository. After more than eight years of observations (1982--1990), no credible evidence exists to indicate that enough naturally occurring brine will seep into the WIPP excavations to be of practical concern. The detailed observations and analyses summarized herein and in previous BSEP reports confirm the evidence apparent during casual visits to the underground workings -- that the excavations are remarkably dry.
Brine Sampling and Evaluation Program, 1990 report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deal, D.E.; Abitz, R.J.; Myers, J.; Case, J.B.; Martin, M.L.; Roggenthen, W.M.; Belski, D.S.

1991-08-01

The data presented in this report are the result of Brine Sampling and Evaluation Program (BSEP) activities at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) during 1990. When excavations began in 1982, small brine seepages (weeps) were observed on the walls. These brine occurrences were initially described as part of the Site Validation Program. Brine studies were formalized in 1985. The BSEP activities document and investigate the origins, hydraulic characteristics, extent, and composition of brine occurrences in the Permian Salado Formation and seepage of that brine into the excavations at the WIPP. The brine chemistry is important because it assists in understanding the origin of the brine and because it may affect possible chemical reactions in the buried waste after sealing the repository. The volume of brine and the hydrologic system that drives the brine seepage also need to be understood to assess the long-term performance of the repository. After more than eight years of observations (1982--1990), no credible evidence exists to indicate that enough naturally occurring brine will seep into the WIPP excavations to be of practical concern. The detailed observations and analyses summarized herein and in previous BSEP reports confirm the evidence apparent during casual visits to the underground workings -- that the excavations are remarkably dry
Perchlorate-Coupled Carbon Monoxide (CO Oxidation: Evidence for a Plausible Microbe-Mediated Reaction in Martian Brines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marisa R. Myers

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The presence of hydrated salts on Mars indicates that some regions of its surface might be habitable if suitable metabolizable substrates are available. However, several lines of evidence have shown that Mars’ regolith contains only trace levels of the organic matter needed to support heterotrophic microbes. Due to the scarcity of organic carbon, carbon monoxide (CO at a concentration of about 700 parts per million (about 0.4 Pa might be the single most abundant readily available substrate that could support near-surface bacterial activity. Although a variety of electron acceptors can be coupled to CO oxidation, perchlorate is likely the most abundant potential oxidant in Mars’ brines. Whether perchlorate, a potent chaotrope, can support microbial CO oxidation has not been previously documented. We report here the first evidence for perchlorate-coupled CO oxidation based on assays with two distinct euryarchaeal extreme halophiles. CO oxidation occurred readily in 3.8 M NaCl brines with perchlorate concentrations from 0.01 to 1 M. Both isolates were able to couple CO with perchlorate or chlorate under anaerobic conditions with or without nitrate as an inducer for nitrate reductase, which serves as a perchlorate reductase in extreme halophiles. In the presence of perchlorate, CO concentrations were reduced to levels well below those found in Mars’ atmosphere. This indicates that CO could contribute to the survival of microbial populations in hydrated salt formations or brines if water activities are suitably permissive.
Hydrological indications of aeolian salts in mid-latitude deserts of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

soils in low-latitude deserts, but is less common in the aeolian sediments from the ... indicating the chemistry of aeolian salts and the associated parent brines may ... erosion, deposition and other processes on sediment properties will bias the ...
Fate of Brine Applied to Unpaved Roads at a Radioactive Waste Subsurface Disposal Area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larry C. Hull; Carolyn W. Bishop

2004-01-01

Between 1984 and 1993, MgCl 2 brine was used to suppress dust on unpaved roads at a radioactive waste subsurface disposal area. Because Cl - might enhance corrosion of buried metals in the waste, we investigated the distribution and fate of Cl - in the vadose zone using pore water samples collected from suction lysimeters and soluble salt concentrations extracted from sediment samples. The Cl/Br mass ratio and the total dissolved Cl - concentration of pore water show that brine contamination occurs primarily within 13 m of treated roads, but can extend as much as 30 m laterally in near-surface sedimentary deposits. Within the deep vadose zone, which consists of interlayered basalt lava flows and sedimentary interbeds, brine has moved up to 110 m laterally. This lateral migration suggests formation of perched water and horizontal transport during periods of high recharge. In a few locations, brine migrated to depths of 67 m within 3 to 5 yr. Elevated Cl - concentrations were found to depths of 2 m in roadbed material. In drainage ditches along roads, where runoff accumulates and recharge of surface water is high, Cl - was flushed from the sediments in 3 to 4 yr. In areas of lower recharge, Cl - remained in the sediments after 5 yr. Vertical brine movement is directly related to surface recharge through sediments. The distribution of Cl - in pore water and sediments is consistent with estimates of vadose zone residence times and spatial distribution of surface water recharge from other investigations at the subsurface disposal area
An experimental study of relative permeability hysteresis, capillary trapping characteristics, and capillary pressure of CO2/brine systems at reservoir conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Akbarabadi, Morteza

We present the results of an extensive experimental study on the effects of hysteresis on permanent capillary trapping and relative permeability of CO2/brine and supercritical (sc)CO2+SO2/brine systems. We performed numerous unsteady- and steady-state drainage and imbibition full-recirculation flow experiments in three different sandstone rock samples, i.e., low and high-permeability Berea, Nugget sandstones, and Madison limestone carbonate rock sample. A state-of-the-art reservoir conditions core-flooding system was used to perform the tests. The core-flooding apparatus included a medical CT scanner to measure in-situ saturations. The scanner was rotated to the horizontal orientation allowing flow tests through vertically-placed core samples with about 3.8 cm diameter and 15 cm length. Both scCO2 /brine and gaseous CO2 (gCO2)/brine fluid systems were studied. The gaseous and supercritical CO2/brine experiments were carried out at 3.46 and 11 MPa back pressures and 20 and 55°C temperatures, respectively. Under the above-mentioned conditions, the gCO2 and scCO2 have 0.081 and 0.393 gr/cm3 densities, respectively. During unsteady-state tests, the samples were first saturated with brine and then flooded with CO2 (drainage) at different maximum flow rates. The drainage process was then followed by a low flow rate (0.375 cm 3/min) imbibition until residual CO2 saturation was achieved. Wide flow rate ranges of 0.25 to 20 cm3/min for scCO2 and 0.125 to 120 cm3min for gCO2 were used to investigate the variation of initial brine saturation (Swi) with maximum CO2 flow rate and variation of trapped CO2 saturation (SCO2r) with Swi. For a given Swi, the trapped scCO2 saturation was less than that of gCO2 in the same sample. This was attributed to brine being less wetting in the presence of scCO2 than in the presence of gCO 2. During the steady-state experiments, after providing of fully-brine saturated core, scCO2 was injected along with brine to find the drainage curve and as
Effect of gas field production and CO2 injection on brine flow and salt precipitation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loeve, D.; Tambach, T.J.; Hofstee, C.; Plug, W.J.; Maas, J.

2012-01-01

This paper reports modeling of gas field produc-tion and CO2 injection from a theoretical reser-voir based on characteristics of the P18 gas field in the Dutch offshore, which consists of four geological deposits with different petrophysical properties. We especially focus on the brine flow during
Constitutive parameters for salt and nonsalt rocks from the Detten, G. Friemel, and Zeeck wells in the Palo Duro Basin, Texas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Senseny, P.E.; Pfeifle, T.W.; Mellegard, K.D.

1985-01-01

Results are presented from laboratory tests performed on salt and nonsalt rocks from the Palo Duro Basin in Texas. The Unit 5 salt from the Lower San Andres is assumed to be the repository horizon and is more completely characterized than other strata. For the Unit 5 salt, values are given for the parameters in the exponential-time constitutive law that models the time-independent elastic deformation and the time-dependent inelastic deformation. Both linear and nonlinear failure envelopes for this salt at 20 0 C are also determined. Data reported for twenty other salt and nonsalt horizons include tangent moduli and principal strain ratios, as well as linear failure envelopes at 20 0 C. The matrix of tests performed is adequate for conceptual repository design and performance analysis. However, final repository design and performance analysis requires more extensive characterization of the constitutive behavior of the stratigraphy, especially the repository-horizon salt
Composition of fluid inclusions in Permian salt beds, Palo Duro Basin, Texas, U.S.A.

Science.gov (United States)

Roedder, E.; d'Angelo, W. M.; Dorrzapf, A.F.; Aruscavage, P. J.

1987-01-01

Several methods have been developed and used to extract and chemically analyze the two major types of fluid inclusions in bedded salt from the Palo Duro Basin, Texas. Data on the ratio K: Ca: Mg were obtained on a few of the clouds of tiny inclusions in "chevron" salt, representing the brines from which the salt originally crystallized. Much more complete quantitative data (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Sr, Cl, SO4 and Br) were obtained on ??? 120 individual "large" (mostly ???500 ??m on an edge, i.e., ??? ??? 1.6 ?? 10-4 g) inclusions in recrystallized salt. These latter fluids have a wide range of compositions, even in a given piece of core, indicating that fluids of grossly different composition were present in these salt beds during the several (?) stages of recrystallization. The analytical results indicating very large inter-and intra-sample chemical variation verify the conclusion reached earlier, from petrography and microthermometry, that the inclusion fluids in salt and their solutes are generally polygenetic. The diversity in composition stems from the combination of a variety of sources for the fluids (Permian sea, meteoric, and groundwater, as well as later migrating ground-, formation, or meteoric waters of unknown age), and a variety of subsequent geochemical processes of dissolution, precipitation and rock-water interaction. The compositional data are frequently ambiguous but do provide constraints and may eventually yield a coherent history of the events that produced these beds. Such an understanding of the past history of the evaporite sequence of the Palo Duro Basin should help in predicting the future role of the fluids in the salt if a nuclear waste repository is sited there. ?? 1987.
Submarine Salt Karst Terrains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nico Augustin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Karst terrains that develop in bodies of rock salt (taken as mainly of halite, NaCl are special not only for developing in one of the most soluble of all rocks, but also for developing in one of the weakest rocks. Salt is so weak that many surface-piercing salt diapirs extrude slow fountains of salt that that gravity spread downslope over deserts on land and over sea floors. Salt fountains in the deserts of Iran are usually so dry that they flow at only a few cm/yr but the few rain storms a decade so soak and weaken them that they surge at dm/day for a few days. We illustrate the only case where the rates at which different parts of one of the many tens of subaerial salt karst terrains in Iran flows downslope constrains the rates at which its subaerial salt karst terrains form. Normal seawater is only 10% saturated in NaCl. It should therefore be sufficiently aggressive to erode karst terrains into exposures of salt on the thousands of known submarine salt extrusions that have flowed or are still flowing over the floors of hundreds of submarine basins worldwide. However, we know of no attempt to constrain the processes that form submarine salt karst terrains on any of these of submarine salt extrusions. As on land, many potential submarine karst terrains are cloaked by clastic and pelagic sediments that are often hundreds of m thick. Nevertheless, detailed geophysical and bathymetric surveys have already mapped likely submarine salt karst terrains in at least the Gulf of Mexico, and the Red Sea. New images of these two areas are offered as clear evidence of submarine salt dissolution due to sinking or rising aggressive fluids. We suggest that repeated 3D surveys of distinctive features (± fixed seismic reflectors of such terrains could measure any downslope salt flow and thus offer an exceptional opportunity to constrain the rates at which submarine salt karst terrains develop. Such rates are of interest to all salt tectonicians and the many
Brine Sampling and Evaluation Program, 1991 report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deal, D.E.; Abitz, R.J.; Myers, J.; Martin, M.L.; Milligan, D.J.; Sobocinski, R.W.; Lipponer, P.P.J. [International Technology Corp., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Belski, D.S. [Westinghouse Electric Corp., Carlsbad, NM (United States). Waste Isolation Div.

1993-09-01

The data presented in this report are the result of Brine Sampling and Evaluation Program (BSEP) activities at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plan (WIPP) during 1991. These BSEP activities document and investigate the origins, hydraulic characteristics, extent, and composition of brine occurrences in the Permian Salado Formation and seepage of that brine into the excavations at the WIPP. When excavations began at the WIPP in 1982, small brine seepages (weeps) were observed on the walls. Brine studies began as part of the Site Validation Program and were formalized as a program in its own right in 1985. During nine years of observations (1982--1991), evidence has mounted that the amount of brine seeping into the WIPP excavations is limited, local, and only a small fraction of that required to produce hydrogen gas by corroding the metal in the waste drums and waste inventory. The data through 1990 is discussed in detail and summarized by Deal and others (1991). The data presented in this report describes progress made during the calendar year 1991 and focuses on four major areas: (1) quantification of the amount of brine seeping across vertical surfaces in the WIPP excavations (brine ``weeps); (2) monitoring of brine inflow, e.g., measuring brines recovered from holes drilled downward from the underground drifts (downholes), upward from the underground drifts (upholes), and from subhorizontal holes; (3) further characterization of brine geochemistry; and (4) preliminary quantification of the amount of brine that might be released by squeezing the underconsolidated clays present in the Salado Formation.
Variations in isotopic compositions of chlorine in evaporation-controlled salt lake brines of Qaidam Basin, China

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Xiao, Ying-kai; Liu, Wei-guo; Zhou, Y.M.; Wang, Yun-hui; Shirodkar, P.V.

The variations in the isotopic compositions of chlorine in evaporation-controlled saline lake brines were determined by using an improved procedure for precise measurement of chlorine isotopes based on Cs sub(2) Cl sup(+) ion by thermal ionization...
Properties of salt-saturated concrete and grout after six years in situ at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wakeley, L.D.; Harrington, P.T.; Weiss, C.A. Jr.

1993-06-01

Samples of concrete and grout were recovered from short boreholes in the repository floor at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant more than six years after the concrete and grout were placed. Plugs from the Plug Test Matrix of the Plugging and Sealing Program of Sandia National Laboratories were overcored to include a shell of host rock. The cores were analyzed at the Waterways Experiment Station to assess their condition after six years of service, having potentially been exposed to those aspects of their service environment (salt, brine, fracturing, anhydrite, etc.) that could cause deterioration. Measured values of compressive strength and pulse velocity of both the grout and the concrete equaled or exceeded values from tests performed on laboratory-tested samples of the same mixtures at ages of one month to one year after casting. The phase assemblages had changed very little. Materials performed as intended and showed virtually no chemical or physical evidence of deterioration. The lowest values for strength and pulse velocity were measured for samples taken from the Disturbed Rock Zone, indicating the influence of cracking in this zone on the properties of enclosed seal materials. There was evidence of movement of brine in the system. Crystalline phases containing magnesium, potassium, sulfate, and other ions had been deposited on free surfaces in fractures and pilot holes. There was a reaction rim in the anhydrite immediately surrounding each recovered borehole plug, suggesting interaction between grout or concrete and host rock. However, the chemical changes apparent in this reaction rim were not reflected in the chemical composition of the adjacent concrete or grout. The grout and concrete studied here showed no signs of the deterioration found to have occurred in some parts of the concrete liner of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant waste handling shaft
Intrusion of lamprophyre dyke and related deformation effects in the host rock salt: A case study from the Loulé diapir, Portugal

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Machek, Matěj; Roxerová, Zuzana; Závada, Prokop; Silva, P. F.; Henry, B.; Dědeček, Petr; Petrovský, Eduard; Marques, F. O.

2014-01-01

Roč. 629, August (2014), s. 165-178 ISSN 0040-1951 Institutional support: RVO:67985530 Keywords : AMS * lamprophyre dyke * rock salt * paleomagnetism * microstructure * CPO Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy Impact factor: 2.872, year: 2014

Water recovery from brines and salt-saturated solutions: operability and thermodynamic efficiency considerations for desalination technologies

Science.gov (United States)

This review provides an overview of desalination technologies and discusses the thermodynamic efficiencies and operational issues associated with the various technologies particularly with regard to high salinity streams. When water is recovered from a saline source, a brine conc...
Carbonate dissolution rates in high salinity brines: Implications for post-Noachian chemical weathering on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips-Lander, Charity M.; Parnell, S. R.; McGraw, L. E.; Elwood Madden, M. E.

2018-06-01

.12 log mol m-2 s-1), while dissolution slowed in both NaCl solutions (0.1 mol kg-1; -8.23 ± 0.10 log mol m-2 s-1 and (5.7 mol kg-1; -8.44 ± 0.11 log mol m-2 s-1), as well as near-saturated MgSO4 brine (2.7 mol kg-1; -8.35 ± 0.05 log mol m-2 s-1). The slowest calcite dissolution rates observed in the near-saturated NaCl brine. Magnesite dissolution rates were ∼5 times faster in the dilute salt solutions relative to UPW, but similar to UPW (-8.47 ± 0.06 log mol m-2 s-1) in near-saturated Na2SO4 brines (-8.41 ± 0.18 log mol m-2 s-1). Magnesite dissolution slowed significantly in near-saturated CaCl2 brine (-9.78 ± 0.10 log mol m-2 s-1), likely due to the significantly lower water activity in these experiments. Overall, magnesite dissolution rates are slower than calcite dissolution rates and follow the trend: All dilute salt solutions >2.5 mol kg-1 Na2SO4 ≈ UPW > 5.7 mol kg-1 NaCl >> 9 mol kg-1 CaCl2. Calcite rates follow the trend 3 mol kg-1 MgCl2 > 2.5 mol kg-1 Na2SO4 ≈ UPW ≈ all dilute salt solutions >2.7 mol kg-1 MgSO4 ≈ 5.7 mol kg-1 NaCl. Magnesite dissolution rates in salt solutions generally decrease with decreasing aH2O in both chloride and sulfate brines, which indicates water molecules act as ligands and participate in the rate-limiting magnesite dissolution step. However, there is no general trend associated with water activity observed in the calcite dissolution rates. Calcite dissolution accelerates in near-saturated MgCl2, but slows in near-saturated NaCl brine despite both brines having similar water activities (aH2O = 0.73 and 0.75, respectively). High Mg calcite was observed as a reaction product in the near-saturated MgCl2, indicating Mg2+ from solution likely substituted for Ca2+ in the initial calcite, releasing additional Ca2+ into solution and increasing the observed calcite dissolution rate. Calcite dissolution rates also increase slightly as Na2SO4 concentration increases, while calcite dissolution rates slow slightly with increasing
Assessment of Brine Management for Geologic Carbon Sequestration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Breunig, Hanna M. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division; Birkholzer, Jens T. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division; Borgia, Andrea [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division; Price, Phillip N. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division; Oldenburg, Curtis M. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division; McKone, Thomas E. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division

2013-06-13

reluctant to invest in capital intensive, high risk GCS projects; early technical, economic, and environmental assessments of brine management are extremely valuable for determining the potential role of GCS in the US. We performed a first order feasibility and economic assessment, at three different locations in the US, of twelve GCS extracted-water management options, including: geothermal energy extraction, desalination, salt and mineral harvesting, rare-earth element harvesting, aquaculture, algae biodiesel production, road de-icing, enhanced geothermal system (EGS) recharge, underground reinjection, landfill disposal, ocean disposal, and evaporation pond disposal. Three saline aquifers from different regions of the US were selected as hypothetical GCS project sites to encompass variation in parameters that are relevant to the feasibility and economics of brine disposal. The three aquifers are the southern Mt. Simon Sandstone Formation in the Illinois Basin, IL; the Vedder Formation in the southern San Joaquin Basin, CA; and the Jasper Interval in the eastern Texas Gulf Basin, TX. These aquifers are candidates for GCS due to their physical characteristics and their close proximity to large CO₂ emission sources. Feasibility and impacts were calculated using one mt-CO₂ injected as the functional unit of brine management. Scenarios were performed for typical 1000MW coal-fired power plants (CFPP) that incurred an assumed 24 percent carbon capture energy penalty (EP), injected 90 percent of CO₂ emissions (~9 million mt- CO₂ injected annually), and treated extracted water onsite. Net present value (NPV), land requirements, laws and regulations, and technological limits were determined for each stage of disposal, and used to estimate feasibility. The boundary of the assessment began once extracted water was brought to the surface, and ended once the water evaporated, was injected underground, or was discharged into
Pore-network model of evaporation-induced salt precipitation in porous media: The effect of correlations and heterogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Dashtian, Hassan; Shokri, Nima; Sahimi, Muhammad

2018-02-01

Salt transport and precipitation in porous media constitute a set of complex and fascinating phenomena that are of considerable interest to several important problems, ranging from storage of CO2 in geological formations, to soil fertility, and protection of pavements and roads, as well as historical monuments. The phenomena occur at the pore scale and are greatly influenced by the heterogeneity of the pore space morphology. We present a pore-network (PN) model to study the phenomena. Vapor diffusion, capillary effect at the brine-vapor interface, flow of brine, and transport of salt and its precipitation in the pores that plug the pores partially or completely are all accounted for. The drying process is modeled by the invasion percolation, while transport of salt in brine is accounted for by the convective-diffusion equation. We demonstrate that the drying patterns, the clustering and connectivity of the pore throats in which salt precipitation occurs, the saturation distribution, and the drying rate are all strongly dependent upon the pore-size distribution, the correlations among the pore sizes, and the anisotropy of the pore space caused by stratification that most natural porous media contain. In particular, if the strata are more or less parallel to the direction of injection of the gas that dries out the pore space (air, for example) and/or causes salt precipitation (CO2, for example), the drying rate increases significantly. Moreover, salt tends to precipitate in clusters of neighboring pores that are parallel to the open surface of the porous medium.
Halorubrum laminariae sp. nov., isolated from the brine of salted brown alga Laminaria.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Dong; Cui, Heng-Lin

2015-01-01

Two halophilic archaeal strains, R60(T) and R61, were isolated from the brine of salted brown alga Laminaria. Cells of the two strains were observed to be rod-shaped, stain Gram-negative and to lyse in distilled water. Strain R60(T) was found to contain gas vacuoles and to produce pink-pigmented colonies, while strain R61 lacked gas vacuoles and produces red-pigmented colonies. Both strains were found to be able to grow at 20-50 °C (optimum 30 °C), at 1.7-4.8 M NaCl (optimum 2.6-3.1 M NaCl), at 0-1.0 M MgCl2 (optimum 0.005-0.1 M MgCl2) and at pH 6.0-9.5 (optimum pH 7.0). The major polar lipids were identified as phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester, phosphatidylglycerol sulfate and one major glycolipid chromatographically identical to a sulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether produced by Halorubrum members of the Halobacteriaceae. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of the two strains were 99.9 % identical, showing 94.6-98.0 % similarity to those of members of the genus Halorubrum. The EF-2 gene similarity between strains R60(T) and R60 was 100 % and showed 84.6-94.5 % similarity to those of members of the genus Halorubrum. The DNA G+C contents of the two strains were determined to be 63.0 mol %. The DNA-DNA hybridization value between strain R60(T) and strain R61 was 92 % and the two strains showed low DNA-DNA relatedness with the most related members of Halorubrum. The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic properties suggest that strain R60(T) (= CGMCC 1.12689(T) = JCM 30040(T)) and strain R61 (= CGMCC 1.12696) represent a novel species of the genus Halorubrum, for which the name Halorubrum laminariae sp. nov. is proposed.
Effects of salting treatment on the physicochemical properties, textural properties, and microstructures of duck eggs

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Lilan; Zhao, Yan; Xu, Mingsheng; Yao, Yao; Nie, Xuliang; Du, Huaying

2017-01-01

In order to illuminate the forming process of salted egg, the effects of the brine solution with different salt concentrations on the physicochemical properties, textural properties, and microstructures of duck eggs were evaluated using conventional physicochemical property determination methods. The results showed that the moisture contents of both the raw and cooked egg whites and egg yolks, the springiness of the raw egg yolks and cooked egg whites exhibited a decreasing trend with the increase in the salting time and salt concentration. The salt content, oil exudation and the hardness of the raw egg yolks showed a constantly increasing trend. Viscosity of the raw egg whites showed an overall trend in which it first deceased and then increased and decreased again, which was similar to the trend of the hardness of the cooked egg whites and egg yolks. As the salting proceeded, the pH value of the raw and cooked egg whites declined remarkably and then declined slowly, whereas the pH of the raw and cooked egg yolks did not show any noticeable changes. The effect of salting on the pH value varied significantly with the salt concentration in the brine solution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that salted yolks consist of spherical granules and embedded flattened porosities. It was concluded that the treatment of salt induces solidification of yolk, accompanied with higher oil exudation and the development of a gritty texture. Different salt concentrations show certain differences. PMID:28797071
Corrosion processes of alloyed steels in salt solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kienzler, Bernhard [Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (KIT), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany). Institut fuer Nukleare Entsorgung

2018-02-15

A summary is given of the corrosion experiments with alloyed Cr-Ni steels in salt solutions performed at Research Centre Karlsruhe (today KIT), Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (INE) in the period between 1980 and 2004. Alloyed steels show significantly lower general corrosion in comparison to carbon steels. However, especially in salt brines the protective Cr oxide layers on the surfaces of these steels are disturbed and localized corrosion takes place. Data on general corrosion rates, and findings of pitting, crevice and stress corrosion cracking are presented.
Behavior of crushed salt under heat source in boreholes in a salt mine (Amelie Mine, Alsace Potash Mines, France)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghoreychi, M.

1991-01-01

The study of thermomechanical interaction between rock salt and crushed salt, used as a backfilling material at the final stage of radioactive waste disposal in salt formations, led to perform an in situ test at the Amelie Mine(The Alsace Potash Mines in France). The field tests site is located at a depth of 520m and the tests were performed in six parallel boreholes. Five boreholes were backfilled using three types of crushed salt, changing by their grain size (fine = 0.4 mm; natural = 1 mm; coarse = 2 mm). The sixth borehole was not backfilled in order to witness for rock salt behavior without backfilling confinement. Except the first borehole used as a pilot test, the four backfilled boreholes were heated during four months with two levels of heat output (1.6 kW, then 2.2 kW). Cooling was also followed during four months after heating interruption. The maximum of temperature obtained on the wall of the backfilled boreholes was about 100 0 C during the first field test and 130 0 C during the second. The thermal diffusivity of rock mass and the coefficient of heat exchange by convection are studied. In spite of the case that the crushed salt thermal conductivity is initially ten times less than of rock salt, no excessive temperature concentration was obtained on the heat sources
Corrosion aspects of high-level waste disposal in salt domes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roerbo, K.

1979-12-01

In the ELSAM/ELKRAT waste management project it is planned that the high-level waste is glassified, encapsuled in canisters and finally deposited in a deep hole drilled in a salt dome. In the present report corrosion aspects of the canisters after deposition are discussed. The chemical environment will probably be a limited amount of brine coming from brine inclusions in the surrounding salt and moving up against the temperature gradient, the temperature at the canister surface being in the range of 100-150degC. The possible types of corrosion and the expected corrosion rates for a number of potential canister materials (mild steel, austenitic and ferritic stainless steels, Ni-base alloys, copper, titanium and a few combinations of materials) are discussed. Mild steel (possibly combined with an inner layer of copper or titanium) might possibly be an appropriate choice of material for the canister. (author)
Building a Geochemical View of Microbial Salt Tolerance: Halophilic Adaptation of Marinococcus in a Natural Magnesium Sulfate Brine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark G. Fox-Powell

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Current knowledge of life in hypersaline habitats is mostly limited to sodium and chloride-dominated environments. This narrow compositional window does not reflect the diversity of brine environments that exist naturally on Earth and other planetary bodies. Understanding the limits of the microbial biosphere and predicting extraterrestrial habitability demands a systematic effort to characterize ionic specificities of organisms from a representative range of saline habitats. Here, we investigated a strain of Marinococcus isolated from the magnesium and sulfate-dominated Basque Lakes (British Columbia, Canada. This organism was the sole isolate obtained after exposure to exceptionally high levels of Mg2+ and SO42- ions (2.369 and 2.840 M, respectively, and grew at extremes of ionic strength not normally encountered in Na+/Cl- brines (12.141 mol liter-1. Its association at the 16S rDNA level with bacterial halophiles suggests that ancestral halophily has allowed it to adapt to a different saline habitat. Growth was demonstrated in media dominated by NaCl, Na2SO4, MgCl2, and MgSO4, yet despite this plasticity the strain was still restricted; requiring either Na+ or Cl- to maintain short doubling times. Water activity could not explain growth rate differences between media, demonstrating the importance of ionic composition for dictating microbial growth windows. A new framework for understanding growth in brines is required, that accounts for the geochemical history of brines as well as the various stresses that ions impose on microbes. Studies such as this are required to gain a truly universal understanding of the limits of biological ion tolerance.
Building a Geochemical View of Microbial Salt Tolerance: Halophilic Adaptation of Marinococcus in a Natural Magnesium Sulfate Brine.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox-Powell, Mark G; Cockell, Charles S

2018-01-01

Current knowledge of life in hypersaline habitats is mostly limited to sodium and chloride-dominated environments. This narrow compositional window does not reflect the diversity of brine environments that exist naturally on Earth and other planetary bodies. Understanding the limits of the microbial biosphere and predicting extraterrestrial habitability demands a systematic effort to characterize ionic specificities of organisms from a representative range of saline habitats. Here, we investigated a strain of Marinococcus isolated from the magnesium and sulfate-dominated Basque Lakes (British Columbia, Canada). This organism was the sole isolate obtained after exposure to exceptionally high levels of Mg 2+ and SO 4 2- ions (2.369 and 2.840 M, respectively), and grew at extremes of ionic strength not normally encountered in Na + /Cl - brines (12.141 mol liter -1 ). Its association at the 16S rDNA level with bacterial halophiles suggests that ancestral halophily has allowed it to adapt to a different saline habitat. Growth was demonstrated in media dominated by NaCl, Na 2 SO 4 , MgCl 2 , and MgSO 4 , yet despite this plasticity the strain was still restricted; requiring either Na + or Cl - to maintain short doubling times. Water activity could not explain growth rate differences between media, demonstrating the importance of ionic composition for dictating microbial growth windows. A new framework for understanding growth in brines is required, that accounts for the geochemical history of brines as well as the various stresses that ions impose on microbes. Studies such as this are required to gain a truly universal understanding of the limits of biological ion tolerance.
Results from simulated contact-handled transuranic waste experiments at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molecke, M.A.; Sorensen, N.R.; Krumhansl, J.L.

1993-01-01

We conducted in situ experiments with nonradioactive, contact-handled transuranic (CH TRU) waste drums at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) facility for about four years. We performed these tests in two rooms in rock salt, at WIPP, with drums surrounded by crushed salt or 70 wt % salt/30 wt % bentonite clay backfills, or partially submerged in a NaCl brine pool. Air and brine temperatures were maintained at ∼40C. These full-scale (210-L drum) experiments provided in situ data on: backfill material moisture-sorption and physical properties in the presence of brine; waste container corrosion adequacy; and, migration of chemical tracers (nonradioactive actinide and fission product simulants) in the near-field vicinity, all as a function of time. Individual drums, backfill, and brine samples were removed periodically for laboratory evaluations. Waste container testing in the presence of brine and brine-moistened backfill materials served as a severe overtest of long-term conditions that could be anticipated in an actual salt waste repository. We also obtained relevant operational-test emplacement and retrieval experience. All test results are intended to support both the acceptance of actual TRU wastes at the WIPP and performance assessment data needs. We provide an overview and technical data summary focusing on the WIPP CH TRU envirorunental overtests involving 174 waste drums in the presence of backfill materials and the brine pool, with posttest laboratory materials analyses of backfill sorbed-moisture content, CH TRU drum corrosion, tracer migration, and associated test observations
Application of the collapsing method to acoustic emissions in a rock salt sample during a triaxial compression experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manthei, G.; Eisenblaetter, J.; Moriya, H.; Niitsuma, H.; Jones, R.H.

2003-01-01

Collapsing is a relatively new method. It is used for detecting patterns and structures in blurred and cloudy pictures of multiple soundings. In the case described here, the measurements were made in a very small region with a length of only a few decimeters. The events were registered during a triaxial compression experiment on a compact block of rock salt. The collapsing method showed a cellular structure of the salt block across the whole length of the test piece. The cells had a length of several cm, enclosing several grains of salt with an average grain size of less than one cm. In view of the fact that not all cell walls corresponded to acoustic emission events, it was assumed that only those grain boundaries are activated that are oriented at a favourable angle to the field of tension of the test piece [de
Experimental results on salt concrete for barrier elements made of salt concrete in a repository for radioactive waste in a salt mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutsch, Alex-W.; Preuss, Juergen; Mauke, Ralf

2012-01-01

The Bartensleben rock salt mine in Germany was used as a repository for low and intermediate level radioactive waste from 1971 to 1991 and from 1994 to 1998. The repository with an overall volume of about 6 million m 3 has to be closed. Salt concrete is used for the refill of the voids of the repository. The concrete mixtures contain crushed salt instead of natural aggregates as the void filling material should be as similar to the salt rock as possible. Very high requirements regarding low heat development and little or even no cracking during concrete hardening had to be fulfilled even for the barrier elements made from salt concrete which separate the radioactive waste from the environment. Requirements for the salt concrete were set up with regard to the fluidity of the fresh concrete during the hardening process and its durability. In the view of a comprehensive numerical calculations of the temperature development and thermal stresses in the massive salt concrete elements of the backfill of the voids, experimental results for material properties of the salt concrete are presented: mixture of the salt concrete, thermodynamic properties (adiabatic heat release, thermal dilatation, thermal conductivity and heat capacity), mechanical short term properties, creep (under tension, under compression), autogenous shrinkage
West Hackberry Strategic Petroleum Reserve site brine-disposal monitoring, year 1 report. Volume 1. Executive summary. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DeRouen, L.R.; Hann, R.W.; Casserly, D.M.; Giammona, C.; Lascara, V.J. (eds.)

1983-02-01

The physical, chemical and biological attributes are described for: (1) a coastal marine environment centered about a Department of Energy Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) brine disposal site located 11.4 km off the southwest coast of Louisiana; and (2) the lower Calcasieu and Sabine estuarine systems that provide leach waters for the SPR project. During the study period, the daily discharge averaged 529,000 barrels of 216 0/00 brine, representing a loading of 18,000 metric tons of salt per day. The objective of this study are: (1) characterize the environment in terms of physical, chemical and biological attributes; (2) determine if significant adverse changes in ecosystem productivity and stability of the biological community are occurring as a result of brine discharge; and (3) determine the magnitude of any change observed. This report describes the methodology and significant results of the first year's monitoring effort of the West Hackberry brine disposal site. The investigative tasks, presented as separate sections, are: Physical Oceanography, Estuarine Hydrology and Hydrography, Analysis of Discharge Plume, Water and Sediment Quality, Special Pollutant Surveys, Benthos, Nekton, Phytoplankton, Zooplankton and Data Management.
Permeability of natural rock salt from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) during damage evolution and healing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pfeifle, T.W.; Hurtado, L.D.

1998-06-01

The US Department of Energy has developed the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in the bedded salt of southeastern New Mexico to demonstrate the safe disposal of radioactive transuranic wastes. Four vertical shafts provide access to the underground workings located at a depth of about 660 meters. These shafts connect the underground facility to the surface and potentially provide communication between lithologic units, so they will be sealed to limit both the release of hazardous waste from and fluid flow into the repository. The seal design must consider the potential for fluid flow through a disturbed rock zone (DRZ) that develops in the salt near the shafts. The DRZ, which forms initially during excavation and then evolves with time, is expected to have higher permeability than the native salt. The closure of the shaft openings (i.e., through salt creep) will compress the seals, thereby inducing a compressive back-stress on the DRZ. This back-stress is expected to arrest the evolution of the DRZ, and with time will promote healing of damage. This paper presents laboratory data from tertiary creep and hydrostatic compression tests designed to characterize damage evolution and healing in WIPP salt. Healing is quantified in terms of permanent reduction in permeability, and the data are used to estimate healing times based on considerations of first-order kinetics
Sealing of boreholes using natural, compatible materials: Granular salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finley, R.E.; Zeuch, D.H.; Stormont, J.C.; Daemen, J.J.K.

1994-01-01

Granular salt can be used to construct high performance permanent seals in boreholes which penetrate rock salt formations. These seals are described as seal systems comprised of the host rock, the seal material, and the seal rock interface. The performance of these seal systems is defined by the complex interactions between these seal system components through time. The interactions are largely driven by the creep of the host formation applying boundary stress on the seal forcing host rock permeability with time. The immediate permeability of these seals is dependent on the emplaced density. Laboratory test results suggest that careful emplacement techniques could results in immediate seal system permeability on the order of 10 -16 m 2 to 10 -18 m 2 (10 -4 darcy to 10 -6 ). The visco-plastic behavior of the host rock coupled with the granular salts ability to ''heal'' or consolidate make granular salt an ideal sealing material for boreholes whose permanent sealing is required
Acute effects of road salts and associated cyanide compounds on the early life stages of the unionid mussel Villosa iris.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandolfo, Tamara J; Cope, W Gregory; Young, George B; Jones, Jess W; Hua, Dan; Lingenfelser, Susan F

2012-08-01

The toxicity of cyanide to the early life stages of freshwater mussels (order Unionida) has remained unexplored. Cyanide is known to be acutely toxic to other aquatic organisms. Cyanide-containing compounds, such as sodium ferrocyanide and ferric ferrocyanide, are commonly added to road deicing salts as anticaking agents. The purpose of the present study was to assess the acute toxicity of three cyanide compounds (sodium cyanide, sodium ferrocyanide, and ferric ferrocyanide), two road salts containing cyanide anticaking agents (Morton and Cargill brands), a brine deicing solution (Liquidow brand), and a reference salt (sodium chloride) on glochidia (larvae) and juveniles of the freshwater mussel Villosa iris. Sodium ferrocyanide and ferric ferrocyanide were not acutely toxic to glochidia and juvenile mussels at concentrations up to 1,000 mg/L and 100 mg/L, respectively. Lowest observed effect concentrations (LOECs) for these two chemicals ranged from 10 to >1,000 mg/L. Sodium cyanide was acutely toxic to juvenile mussels, with a 96-h median effective concentration (EC50) of 1.10 mg/L, although glochidia tolerated concentrations up to 10 mg/L. The EC50s for sodium chloride, Liquidow brine, Morton road salt, and Cargill road salt were not significantly different for tests within the same life stage and test duration (range, 1.66-4.92 g/L). These results indicate that cyanide-containing anticaking agents do not exacerbate the toxicity of road salts, but that the use of road salts and brine solutions for deicing or dust control on roads may warrant further investigation. Copyright © 2012 SETAC.
CO2/ brine substitution experiments at simulated reservoir conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Kummerow, Juliane; Spangenberg, Erik

2015-04-01

Capillary properties of rocks affect the mobility of fluids in a reservoir. Therefore, the understanding of the capillary pressure behaviour is essential to assess the long-term behaviour of CO2 reservoirs. Beyond this, a calibration of the petrophysical properties on water saturation of reservoir rocks at simulated in situ conditions is crucial for a proper interpretation of field monitoring data. We present a set-up, which allows for the combined measurements of capillary pressure, electric resistivity, and elastic wave velocities under controlled reservoir conditions (pconf = 400 bar, ppore = 180 bar, T = 65 ° C) at different brine-CO2 saturations. The capillary properties of the samples are measured using the micropore membrane technique. The sample is jacketed with a Viton tube (thickness = 4 mm) and placed between two current electrode endcaps, which as well contain pore fluid ports and ultrasonic P and S wave transducers. Between the sample and the lower endcap the hydrophilic semi-permeable micro-pore membrane (pore size = 100 nm) is integrated. It is embedded into filter papers to establish a good capillary contact and to protect the highly sensitive membrane against mechanical damage under load. Two high-precision syringe pumps are used to displace a quantified volume of brine by CO2 and determine the corresponding sample saturation. The fluid displacement induces a pressure gradient along the sample, which corresponds to the capillary pressure at a particular sample saturation. It is measured with a differential pressure sensor in the range between 0 - 0.2 MPa. Drainage and imbibition cycles are performed to provide information on the efficiency of capillary trapping and to get a calibration of the petrophysical parameters of the sample.
Lithium- and boron-bearing brines in the Central Andes: exploring hydrofacies on the eastern Puna plateau between 23° and 23°30'S

Science.gov (United States)

Steinmetz, R. L. López

2017-01-01

Internally drained basins of the Andean Plateau are lithium- and boron-bearing systems. The exploration of ionic facies and parental links in a playa lake located in the eastern Puna (23°-23°30'S) was assessed by hydrochemical determinations of residual brines, feed waters and solutions from weathered rocks. Residual brines have been characterized by the Cl- (SO4 =)/Na+ (K+) ratio. Residual brines from the playa lake contain up to 450 mg/l of boron and up to 125 mg/l of lithium, and the Las Burras River supplies the most concentrated boron (20 mg/l) and lithium (3.75 mg/l) inflows of the basin. The hydro-geochemical assessment allowed for the identification of three simultaneous sources of boron: (1) inflow originating from granitic areas of the Aguilar and Tusaquillas ranges; (2) weathering of the Ordovician basement; and (3) boron-rich water from the Las Burras River. Most of the lithium input of the basin is likely generated by present geothermal sources rather than by weathering and leaching of ignimbrites and plutonic rocks. However, XRD analyses of playa lake sediments revealed the presence of lithian micas of clastic origin, including taeniolite and eucriptite. This study is the first to document these rare Li-micas from the Puna basin. Thus, both residual brines and lithian micas contribute to the total Li content in the studied hydrologic system.

Extension of the EQ3/6 computer codes to geochemical modeling of brines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jackson, K.J.; Wolery, T.J.

1984-10-23

Recent modifications to the EQ3/6 geochemical modeling software package provide for the use of Pitzer's equations to calculate the activity coefficients of aqueous species and the activity of water. These changes extend the range of solute concentrations over which the codes can be used to dependably calculate equilibria in geochemical systems, and permit the inclusion of ion pairs, complexes, and undissociated acids and bases as explicit component species in the Pitzer model. Comparisons of calculations made by the EQ3NR and EQ6 compuer codes with experimental data confirm that the modifications not only allow the codes to accurately evaluate activity coefficients in concentrated solutions, but also permit prediction of solubility limits of evaporite minerals in brines at 25/sup 0/C and elevated temperatures. Calculations for a few salts can be made at temperatures up to approx. 300/sup 0/C, but the temperature range for most electrolytes is constrained by the availability of requisite data to values less than or equal to 100/sup 0/C. The implementation of Pitzer's equations in EQ3/6 allows application of these codes to problems involving calculation of geochemical equilibria in brines; such as evaluation of the chemical environment which might be anticipated for nuclear waste canisters located in a salt repository. 26 references, 3 figures, 1 table.
Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis applied to a repository in rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polle, A.N.

1996-12-01

This document describes the sensitivity and uncertainty analysis with UNCSAM, as applied to a repository in rock salt for the EVEREST project. UNCSAM is a dedicated software package for sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, which was already used within the preceding PROSA project. The use of UNCSAM provides a flexible interface to EMOS ECN by substituting the sampled values in the various input files to be used by EMOS ECN ; the model calculations for this repository were performed with the EMOS ECN code. Preceding the sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, a number of preparations has been carried out to facilitate EMOS ECN with the probabilistic input data. For post-processing the EMOS ECN results, the characteristic output signals were processed. For the sensitivity and uncertainty analysis with UNCSAM the stochastic input, i.e. sampled values, and the output for the various EMOS ECN runs have been analyzed. (orig.)
Minimizing the Environmental Impact of Sea Brine Disposal by Coupling Desalination Plants with Solar Saltworks: A Case Study for Greece

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stylianos Gialis

2010-02-01

Full Text Available The explosive increase in world population, along with the fast socio-economic development, have led to an increased water demand, making water shortage one of the greatest problems of modern society. Countries such as Greece, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia face serious water shortage issues and have resorted to solutions such as transporting water by ships from the mainland to islands, a practice that is expensive, energy-intensive and unsustainable. Desalination of sea-water is suitable for supplying arid regions with potable water, but extensive brine discharge may affect marine biota. To avoid this impact, we explore the option of directing the desalination effluent to a solar saltworks for brine concentration and salt production, in order to achieve a zero discharge desalination plant. In this context, we conducted a survey in order to evaluate the potential of transferring desalination brine to solar saltworks, so that its disposal to the sea is avoided. Our analysis showed that brine transfer by trucks is prohibitively expensive. In order to make the zero discharge desalination plant economically feasible, efforts should be directed into developing a more efficient technology that will result in the production of only a fraction of the brine that is produced from our systems today.
THM-coupled modeling of selected processes in argillaceous rock relevant to rock mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czaikowski, Oliver

2012-01-01

Scientific investigations in European countries other than Germany concentrate not only on granite formations (Switzerland, Sweden) but also on argillaceous rock formations (France, Switzerland, Belgium) to assess their suitability as host and barrier rock for the final storage of radioactive waste. In Germany, rock salt has been under thorough study as a host rock over the past few decades. According to a study by the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, however, not only salt deposits but also argillaceous rock deposits are available at relevant depths and of extensions in space which make final storage of high-level radioactive waste basically possible in Germany. Equally qualified findings about the suitability/unsuitability of non-saline rock formations require fundamental studies to be conducted nationally because of the comparatively low level of knowledge. The article presents basic analyses of coupled mechanical and hydraulic properties of argillaceous rock formations as host rock for a repository. The interaction of various processes is explained on the basis of knowledge derived from laboratory studies, and open problems are deduced. For modeling coupled processes, a simplified analytical computation method is proposed and compared with the results of numerical simulations, and the limits to its application are outlined. (orig.)
Possible Mars brines - Equilibrium and kinetic considerations

Science.gov (United States)

Zent, A. P.; Fanale, F. P.

1986-01-01

To determine the fate of postulated near surface brines on Mars, the rate of H2O mass loss from subsurface brines was calculated as a function of latitude, depth, regolith porosity, eutectic temperature, and pore size. A model for a chemically reasonable brine that could reproduce Martian radar results was developed, and the escape rate of H2O molecules from such a brine was estimated. It is suggested that the presence of a low-permeability duricrust may be required to preserve such a brine for reasonable periods, and to prevent detection of an extensive subsurface system by the Viking MAWD instrument.
Natural heat storage in a brine-filled solar pond in the Tully Valley of central New York

Science.gov (United States)

Hayhurst, Brett; Kappel, William M.

2014-01-01

The Tully Valley, located in southern Onondaga County, New York, has a long history of unusual natural hydrogeologic phenomena including mudboils (Kappel, 2009), landslides (Tamulonis and others, 2009; Pair and others, 2000), landsurface subsidence (Hackett and others, 2009; Kappel, 2009), and a brine-filled sinkhole or “Solar pond” (fig. 1), which is documented in this report. A solar pond is a pool of salty water (brine) which stores the sun’s energy in the form of heat. The saltwater naturally forms distinct layers with increasing density between transitional zones (haloclines) of rapidly changing specific conductance with depth. In a typical solar pond, the top layer has a low salt content and is often times referred to as the upper convective zone (Lu and others, 2002). The bottom layer is a concentrated brine that is either convective or temperature stratified dependent on the surrounding environment. Solar insolation is absorbed and stored in the lower, denser brine while the overlying halocline acts as an insulating layer and prevents heat from moving upwards from the lower zone (Lu and others, 2002). In the case of the Tully Valley solar pond, water within the pond can be over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) in late summer and early fall. The purpose of this report is to summarize observations at the Tully Valley brine-filled sinkhole and provide supplemental climate data which might affect the pond salinity gradients insolation (solar energy).
Constitutive representation of damage development and healing in WIPP salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, K.S.; Bodner, S.R.; Fossum, A.F.; Munson, D.E.

1994-01-01

There has been considerable interest in characterizing and modeling the constitutive behavior of rock salt with particular reference to long-term creep and creep failure. The interest is motivated by the projected use of excavated rooms in salt rock formations as repositories for nuclear waste. It is presumed that closure of those rooms by creep ultimately would encapsulate the waste material, resulting in its effective isolation. A continuum mechanics approach for treating damage healing is formulated as part of a constitutive model for describing coupled creep, fracture, and healing in rock salt. Formulation of the healing term is, described and the constitutive model is evaluated against experimental data of rock salt from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site. The results indicate that healing anistropy in WIPP salt can be modeled with an appropriate power-conjugate equivalent stress, kinetic equation, and evolution equation for damage healing
Preliminary assessment of the healing of fractures in salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-07-01

Natural fractures in salt are not common but have been observed. An assessment is made of whether and under what conditions such fractures regain cohesion (heal). Evidence comes from observations in mines, commercial processing, and laboratory testing of both fractured and granular salt. Healing can take the form of chemical precipitation, ductile injection, and creep closure. Of these, creep closure is of principal interest. Healing is measured in terms of recovered strength and reduced permeability. It is found to increase with increased confining pressure and is greatly enhanced when the salt is in contact with brine. Research at Sandia National Laboratories has demonstrated salt fracture healing in relatively short time periods under conditions consistent with the environment of a geologic repository. 45 references
Durability of building stones against artificial salt crystallization

Science.gov (United States)

Min, K.; Park, J.; Han, D.

2005-12-01

Salts have been known as the most powerful weathering agents, especially when combined with frost action. Salt crystallization test along with freezing-thawing test and acid immersion test was carried out to assess the durability of building stones against weathering. Granite, limestone, marble and basalt were sampled from different quarries in south Korea for this study. One cycle of artificial salt crystallization test was composed of immersion of cored rock specimens in oversaturated solutions of CaCl2, KCl, NaCl and Na2SO4, respectively for 15 hours and successive drying in an oven of 105°C for 3 hours and cooling at room temperature. Tests were performed up to 30 cycles, and specific gravity and ultrasonic velocity were measured after experiencing every 10 cycles and uniaxial compressive strength was measured only after 30 cycles. During the repeated Na2SO4 salt crystallization, some rock samples were gradually deformed excessively and burst after 20 to 30 cycles of test. The variation patterns of physical properties during the salt crystallization tests are too variable to generalize the effect of salt weathering on physical properties but limestone, marble and basalt samples showed relatively greater change of physical properties than granite samples. The recrystallized salts were well observed in the cracks of rock samples through the scanning electron microscope. In the all salt crystallization tests, apparent specific gravities for all tested samples increased generally but not so significantly due to recrystallization of salts. It can be inferred that filling the pores with salt crystals cause the increase of ultrasonic velocity during the early stage of salt crystallization and then in later stages the repeated cycles of salt crystallization result in development of cracks leading decrease of ultrasonic velocity for some rock samples.
Preservation of bovine hide using less salt with low concentration of antiseptic, part I: effectiveness of developed formulations

Science.gov (United States)

Bovine raw hides are commercially cured either with high salt concentration of about half the weight of actual hide or 95% saturated brine solution. This conventional technique is very popular due to the availability of common salt (sodium chloride) and its cost effective procedure but it generates ...
Principal aspects of petrographical examination of rock salts to assess their suitability for radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shekhunova, S.B.

1995-01-01

To solve the problem of high-level radioactive waste (HLRW) isolation in Ukraine a preparatory stage of feasibility study as to the construction of a pilot laboratory has been completed. Salty formations are considered as possible host rocks for HLRW isolation. 7 salt formations located in 5 regions of Ukraine have been examined and was found that only two, i.e. the Upper Devonian and Lower Permian halogenic formations of the Dnieper-Donets Depression appeared to have considerable promise for these purposes. In these two formations 4 zones with 12 candidate-sites were selected. The promising zones are located both in bedded salt and in salt domes. Analytical treatment our previous studies as well as a special-purpose research have resulted in designing packages of the schematic information models for the zones and some candidate-sites. Now we are preparing to start exploration drilling at several promising structures. Research has been carried out by the Institute of Geological Sciences (National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) on budget and contract financial basis with the participation of branch institutes and the State Committee on Nuclear power Utilization (Goskomatom). The drilling and geophysical data were presented by Goskomgeologiya production organizations
Safety evaluation of geological disposal concepts for low and medium-level wastes in rock-salt (Pacoma project)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prij, J.; Van Dalen, A.; Roodbergen, H.A.; Slagter, W.; Van Weers, A.W.; Zanstra, D.A.; Glasbergen, P.; Koester, H.W.; Lembrechts, J.F.; Nijhof-Pan, I.; Slot, A.F.M.

1991-01-01

In the framework of the Performance Assessment of Confinements for MLW and Alpha Waste (PACOMA) the disposal options dealing with rock-salt are studied by GSF and ECN (with subcontract to RIVM). The overall objectives of these studies are to develop and demonstrate procedures for the radiological safety assessment of a deep repository in salt formations. An essential objective is to show how far appropriate choices of the repository design parameters can improve the performances of the whole system. The research covers two waste inventories (the Dutch OPLA and the PACOMA reference inventory), two disposal techniques (conventional and solution mining) and three types of formations (salt dome, pillow and bedded salt). An important part of the research has been carried out in the socalled VEOS project within the framework of the Dutch OPLA study. The methodology used in the consequence analysis is a deterministic one. The models and calculation tools used to perform the consequence analysis are the codes: EMOS, METROPOL and BIOS. The results are expressed in terms of dose rates and doses to individuals as well as to groups. Detailed information with respect to the input data and the results obtained with the three codes is given in three annexes to this final report
[Exploration of salt in Poland in the second half of the 18th century].

Science.gov (United States)

Danowska, Ewa

2014-01-01

Following the First Partition in 1772, Poland lost the salt mines in Wieliczka, Bochnia and in the territory of Ruthenia to Austria. This was a serious blow to the economy, because since then, it became necessary to import salt, which was primarily taken advantage of by the Royal Prussian Maritime Trading Company (Pruska Kompania Morska) importing it from Austria. King Stanislaw August Poniatowski tried to initiate the exploration and exploitation of salt in the areas where it could be profitable. To this end, he ordered the exploration to Filip Carosi and Stanislaw Okraszewski, among other. The salt-works of the Castellan of Leukow, Jacek Jezierski in the town of Solca, in the Lqczyckie Region, active since 1780, was a private investment. Leopold von Beust's Kompania akcyjna obtained salt from a brine near the town of Busko, and Kompania z Osob Krajowych--from a brine in the town of Raczki nad Pilica. In 1782, the King appointed The Ore Commission (Komisja Kruszcowa), consisted of twelve commissioners, in order to conduct the exploration for minerals, including salt, their extraction and further administration. The Crown Treasury Commission (Komisja Skarbu Koronnego), a magistracy dealing with, among others, the economy of the country in a broad sense, was also involved in the exploration and exploatation of salt. At its command, in the summer of 1788, Tadeusz Czacki made a tour of the Kielce region in search of traces of salt. In view of the important events of the Four-Year Sejm (Sejm Czteroletni) and the subsequent loss of independence, the subject of salt exploration had to be abandoned.
Emergent nanoscale fluctuations in high rock-salt PbTe

Science.gov (United States)

Billinge, Simon

2013-03-01

Lead Telluride is one of the most promising thermoelectric materials in the temperature range just above room temperature. It is a narrow band gap semiconductor with a high Seebeck coefficient and a low thermal conductivity. It is structurally much simpler than many other leading candidates for high performance thermoelectrics being a binary rock-salt, isostructural to NaCl. The thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT, can be markedly improved by alloying with various other elements by forming quenched nanostructures. The undoped endmember, PbTe, does not have any such quenched nanostructure, yet has a rather low intrinsic thermal conductivity. There are also a number of interesting and non-canonical behaviors that it exhibits, such as an increasing measured band-gap with increasing temperature, exactly opposite to what is normally seen due to Fermi smearing of the band edge, and an unexpected non-monotonicity of the band gap in the series PbTe - PbSe - PbS. The material is on the surface simple, but hides some interesting complexity. We have investigated in detail the PbTe endmember using x-ray and neutron diffraction and neutron inelastic scattering. To our surprise, using the atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis of neutron powder diffraction data we found that an interesting and non-trivial local structure that appears on warming. with the Pb atoms moving off the high-symmetry rock-salt positions towards neighboring Te ions. No evidence for the off-centering of the Pb atoms is seen at low temperature. The crossover from the locally undistorted to the locally distorted state occurs on warming between 100 K and 250 K. This unexpected emergence of local symmetry broken distortions from an undistorted ground-state we have called emphanisis, from the Greek for appearing from nothing. We have also investigated the lattice dynamics of the system to search for a dynamical signature of this behavior and extended the studies to doped systems and I will also
Formation of magmatic brine lenses via focussed fluid-flow beneath volcanoes

Science.gov (United States)

Afanasyev, Andrey; Blundy, Jon; Melnik, Oleg; Sparks, Steve

2018-03-01

Many active or dormant volcanoes show regions of high electrical conductivity at depths of a few kilometres beneath the edifice. We explore the possibility that these regions represent lenses of high-salinity brine separated from a single-phase magmatic fluid containing H2O and NaCl. Since chloride-bearing fluids are highly conductive and have an exceptional capacity to transport metals, these regions can be an indication of an active hydrothermal ore-formation beneath volcanoes. To investigate this possibility we have performed hydrodynamic simulations of magma degassing into permeable rock. In our models the magma source is located at 7 km depth and the fluid salinity approximates that expected for fluids released from typical arc magmas. Our model differs from previous models of a similar process because it is (a) axisymmetric and (b) includes a static high-permeability pathway that links the magma source to the surface. This pathway simulates the presence of a volcanic conduit and/or plexus of feeder dykes that are typical of most volcanic systems. The presence of the conduit leads to a number of important hydrodynamic consequences, not observed in previous models. Importantly, we show that an annular brine lens capped by crystallised halite is likely to form above an actively degassing sub-volcanic magma body and can persist for more than 250 kyr after degassing ceases. Parametric analysis shows that brine lenses are more prevalent when the fluid is released at temperatures above the wet granite solidus, when magmatic fluid salinity is high, and when the high-permeability pathway is narrow. The calculated depth, form and electrical conductivity of our modelled system shares many features with published magnetotelluric images of volcano subsurfaces. The formation and persistence of sub-volcanic brine lenses has implications for geothermal systems and hydrothermal ore formation, although these features are not explored in the presented model.
Methods and results of the investigation of the thermomechanical behaviour of rock salt with regard to the final disposal of high-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wieczorek, K.; Klarr, K.

1993-01-01

This report summarizes the knowledge about thermal and mechanical behaviour of rock salt that has been accumulated by various R and D institutions in Germany from laboratory and in situ investigations. An important objective is to give a comprehensive overview of the investigation methods and instruments available and to discuss these methods and instruments with regard to their applicability and reliability for the investigation of the thermomechanical effects of high level radioactive waste emplacement in rock salt formations. The report is focused on the activities of the GSF-Institut fur Tieflagerung in the Asse mine regarding the disposal of high and intermediate level radioactive waste during the last decades. The design and the results of the most important in situ experiments are presented and discussed in detail. The results are compared to model calculations in order to evaluate the reliability of both the measurements and the calculation results. The relevance of the results for the situation in Spain is discussed in a separate chapter. As the investigations in Germany have been performed in domal salt, while the Spanish concept is based on waste disposal in bedded salt, significant differences in the thermomechanical behaviour cannot be excluded. The investigation methods, however, will be applicable. (Author)
Ice Control with Brine Spread with Nozzles on Highways

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bolet, Lars; Fonnesbech, Jens Kristian

2010-01-01

on the major roads (150 km) in the municipality of North Funen from the winter 2007/8. The result has been a dramatically reduction in the number of traffic accidents on slippery roads during the winter season. From 7 and 5 accidents in the previous 2 winters to 1 accident in the winter 2007/8. Neighbouring...... municipalities had an increasing number of traffic accidents on slippery roads in the same period.......During the years 1996-2006, the former county of Funen, Denmark, gradually replaced pre-wetted salt with brine spread with nozzles as anti-icing agent in all her ice control activities. The replacement related to 1000 kilometres of highways. Jeopardizing neither road safety nor traffic flow...
Salting kinetics and salt diffusivities in farmed Pantanal caiman muscle Cinética de salga e difusividades de sal em carne de jacaré do Pantanal criado em cativeiro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vânia Regina Nicoletti Telis

2003-04-01

Full Text Available The legal Pantanal caiman (Caiman crocodilus yacare farming, in Brazil, has been stimulated and among meat preservation techniques the salting process is a relatively simple and low-cost method. The objective of this work was to study the sodium chloride diffusion kinetics in farmed caiman muscle during salting. Limited volumes of brine were employed, with salting essays carried at 3, 4 and 5 brine/muscle ratios, at 15%, 20% and 25% w/w brine concentrations, and brine temperatures of 10, 15 and 20ºC. The analytical solution of second Fick's law considering one-dimensional diffusion through an infinite slab in contact with a well-stirred solution of limited volume was used to calculate effective salt diffusion coefficients and to predict the sodium chloride content in the fillets. A good agreement was obtained between the considered analytical model and experimental data. Salt diffusivities in fillets were found to be in the range of 0.47x10-10 to 9.62x10-10 m²/s.A criação de jacaré do Pantanal (Caiman crocodilus yacare em cativeiro tem sido estimulada, e entre as técnicas de processamento de sua carne, a salga é um processo de conservação relativamente simples e de baixo custo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a cinética de difusão de cloreto de sódio em carne de jacaré do Pantanal criado em cativeiro, durante a salga úmida. Foram utilizados volumes limitados de salmoura e os experimentos foram realizados com relações salmoura/músculo de 3, 4 e 5, com concentrações de salmoura de 15%, 20% e 25% em peso e temperaturas de 10, 15 e 20ºC. A solução analítica da segunda lei de Fick, considerando difusão unidimensional em uma placa infinita em contato com uma solução bem agitada de volume limitado, foi utilizada para calcular os coeficientes de difusão efetivos de sal e estimar o conteúdo de cloreto de sódio nos filés. Obteve-se boa concordância entre o modelo analítico considerado e os dados experimentais. As
Measurement and Modeling of Setschenow Constants for Selected Hydrophilic Compounds in NaCl and CaCl2 Simulated Carbon Storage Brines.

Science.gov (United States)

Burant, Aniela; Lowry, Gregory V; Karamalidis, Athanasios K

2017-06-20

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), a climate change mitigation strategy, along with unconventional oil and gas extraction, generates enormous volumes of produced water containing high salt concentrations and a litany of organic compounds. Understanding the aqueous solubility of organic compounds related to these operations is important for water treatment and reuse alternatives, as well as risk assessment purposes. The well-established Setschenow equation can be used to determine the effect of salts on aqueous solubility. However, there is a lack of reported Setschenow constants, especially for polar organic compounds. In this study, the Setschenow constants for selected hydrophilic organic compounds were experimentally determined, and linear free energy models for predicting the Setschenow constant of organic chemicals in concentrated brines were developed. Solid phase microextraction was employed to measure the salting-out behavior of six selected hydrophilic compounds up to 5 M NaCl and 2 M CaCl 2 and in Na-Ca-Cl brines. All compounds, which include phenol, p-cresol, hydroquinone, pyrrole, hexanoic acid, and 9-hydroxyfluorene, exhibited log-linear behavior up to these concentrations, meaning Setschenow constants previously measured at low salt concentrations can be extrapolated up to high salt concentrations for hydrophilic compounds. Setschenow constants measured in NaCl and CaCl 2 brines are additive for the compounds measured here; meaning Setschenow constants measured in single salt solutions can be used in multiple salt solutions. The hydrophilic compounds in this study were selected to elucidate differences in salting-out behavior based on their chemical structure. Using data from this study, as well as literature data, linear free energy relationships (LFERs) for prediction of NaCl, CaCl 2 , LiCl, and NaBr Setschenow constants were developed and validated. Two LFERs were improved. One LFER uses the Abraham solvation parameters, which include
Literature investigation into radiation effects in rock salt. Evaluation of Russian literature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, L.; Herzog, C.; Krause, H.; Liebscher, B.

1994-01-01

A total of 121 published and unpublished papers was evaluated. In the field of radiation induced defect formation of alkali halide crystals, Russian research institutes have performed manifold studies. Above all expansive basic research was carried out. The same refers to the use of natural rock salt for this type of studies. The majority of the activities are of a basic character and designed to achieve understanding of subprocesses, and therefore they concentrated mainly on monocrystals and on synthetic NaCl crystals doped with anionic or cationic additives. During the studies the influence factors which are most important for radiation detriment, such as type of radiation, irradiation temperature and contamination degree, varied, and different temperature influences after irradiation were considered. The results achieved give information on radiation detriment, kinetics, and on the efficiency of the respective influence factor. (orig.) [de

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