Bentonite, when used as buffer/backfill material in the deep disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW), could undergo desiccation shrinkage or even cracking due to the heat released from HLW, impairing the efficiency of the barrier system. Furthermore, in-service buffer materials are inevitably in contact with the groundwater, which sometimes contain high salt concentrations. The groundwater salinity may modify the properties of bentonite and hence affect the process of desiccation and its performance. To investigate this effect, in this study, a series of temperature-controlled desiccation tests was conducted on compacted specimens of Gaomiaozi (GMZ) bentonite preliminarily saturated with two different saline solutions (NaCl and CaCl2) at the concentration varying from 0.5 to 2.0 mol/L. The experimental results indicated that, as the concentration of saline solution increases, the initial saturated water content of bentonite decreases, whereas the residual water content at the completion of the desiccation test increases. The water evaporation rate is reduced for the specimens saturated with a high-concentration saline solution, and CaCl2 has a more significant influence on water evaporation than NaCl. The evolution of cracks on the sample surface during the desiccation process can be divided into four stages: crack growth, maintenance, closure, and stabilization; an increase in the salt concentration effectively inhibits crack development. It was shown that the infiltration of saline solutions alters the microstructure of bentonite by changing the arrangement of clay particles from a dispersed pattern to more aggregate state, which results in a decrease in shrinkage strain and shrinkage anisotropy.
The mechanical behavior of loess is highly predicated on variation in its moisture content. While the impacts of the water content on the shearing behavior and collapsibility of loess have been extensively studied, its effect on tensile characteristics has received relatively little attention. In this study, a series of tensile tests were conducted on remolded specimens of a clayey loess that were collected from Ili Valley in China. Two sets of loess specimens with varying water contents were prepared separately using wetting and drying methods. The influence of the water content on the tensile stress–strain response, failure mode and tensile strength was investigated by combining the tensile test results and particle image velocimetry (PIV) analysis. On this basis, a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations were implemented in order to assist with the interpretation of the underlying mechanism. The test results indicate that the tensile failure process and the variation of tensile strength with varying water contents differ for specimens that are prepared with wetting and drying methods; a finding which arises from the differences in the soil microstructure, clay–water interaction and the distribution of capillary and adsorbed water. This research has shown that the tensile strength of clayey loess is essentially dominated by the clay’s hydration/cementation and the development of capillary and adsorption suction as well as the microstructural evolution that occurs with the change in the water content. Based on the experimental observations, a conceptual model is proposed in order to interpret the effect of water content on loess’ tensile behavior.
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