• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.135-147
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• 2016

The buffer in geological disposal system is one of the major elements to restrain the release of radionuclide and to protect the container from the inflow of groundwater. The buffer material requires long-term stability, low hydraulic conductivity, low organic content, high retardation of radionuclide, high swelling pressure, and high thermal conductivity. These requirements could be determined by the quantitative analysis results. In case of South Korea, the bentonites produced in Gyeongju area have been regarded as candidate buffer/backfill materials at KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) since 1997. According to the study on several physical and chemical characteristics of domestic bentonite in the same district, this is the Ca-type bentonite with about 65% of montmorillonite content. Through this study, we present the criteria for the performance evaluation items and methods when collecting new buffer/backfill materials.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.6B
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• pp.677-682
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• 2006

Dodecyldimethylethylammonium (DDDEA), a cationic surfactant, and aluminum metal ions were used with bentonite to synthesize to synthesize an improved organo bentonite. Among three different synthesis procedure for organo bentonites, aluminium-pillared bentonite showed the highest DDDEA sorption, which indicated that aluminium-pillared organo bentonite would exhibit the highest sorption capacity for organic contaminants. Aluminium pillared organo bentonite also showed a high sorption capability for phosphorus, while it did not exhibit strong sorption for nitrate. In the meantime, more desorption was observed with aluminium-pillared organo bentonite than ordinary organo bentonites.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.21-29
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• 2001

Organobentonite modified with hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) was used to quantify adsorption of heavy metals. Adsorption of cadmium and lead increased with increasing pH and soil/solution ratio. Based on these experiments, an optimal soil/solution ratio and an optimal pH was selected. Adsorption experiments with cadmium and lead were conducted to quantify adsorption selectivity on bentonite and organobentonite. Adsorption of heavy metals on organobentonite was slightly reduced relative to bentonite. Because of competition between cadmium and lead, adsorption of each metal was reduced due to the presence of the other. Adsorption selectivity of cadmium was higher than lead. This study used the principle of hard soft-acid-base (HSAB) to interpret adsorption.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.33-47
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• 2003

Various applied-mineralogical characterization including measurements of surface area, size distribution, swelling index, and viscosity were done for some domestic bentonites in order to decipher the rheological properties and their controlling factors. The bentonites, which are Ca-type and relatively low-grade (rnontmorillonite contents: 30 ∼ 75 wt%), occur mostly as subhedral lamellas with the size range of 2 ∼ 4 $\mu\textrm{m}$. The size distribution of mineral fractions in bentonite suspension is dominant in the range of 10 ∼ 100 $\mu\textrm{m}$, and though rather complicated, exhibits roughly bimodal patterns. The feature is more conspicuous in the case of zeolitic bentonite. The bentonites have surface areas ranging 269 ∼ 735 $\m^2$/g, which are measured by EGME adsorption method. The EGME surface areas are nearly proportional to the rnontmorillonite contents, moisture contents, or total CEC. In the surface area measurements, zeolitic bentonites have slightly higher values than those zeolite- free types. The measured swelling index and viscosity of domestic bentonites are comparatively low in values. The swelling values of bentonites were measured to be 250∼500% at maximum by progressively mixing amounts of 2 ∼ 5 wt% Na$_2$CO$_3$, which varies depending on the contents of rnontmorillonite and other impurities, especially zeolite. Much amount of sodium carbonate is required for optimum swelling property of zeolitic bentonited which has usually strong Na- exchanged capacity. The bentonites, which are comparatively feldspar-rich and low in size and crystallinity, tend to be higher in viscosity values. Tn addition, the viscosity is largely higher in case of the bentonites with higher pH in suspension. However, the rheological properties of bentonites such as swelling index and viscosity do not show any obvious relationships with rnontmorillonite contents and mean particle size in suspension. In contrast, roughly speaking, the swelling index of bentonites is reversely proportional to the values of surface area which can be regarded as a collective physico-chemical parameter encompassing all the effects caused by mineral composition, surface charge, particle size, morphological farm, and etc. in bentonites. Thus, the rheological properties in bentonite suspension appear to be rather complicated characteristics which mainly depend on the flocculation of clay particles and the mode of particle association, i.e. quasicrystals, controlled by surface charge, morphology, size, and texture of rnon-tmorillonite, and which partly affected by the finer impurities such as zeolite.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2013

There was a study for biological characteristics, except for physico-chemical and mineralogical properties, on the natural bentonite that is considered as a buffer material for the high-level radioactive waste disposal site. A bentonite slurry that was prepared from a local 'Gyeongju bentonite' in Korea was incubated in a serum bottle with nutrient media over 1 week and its stepwise change was observed with time. From the activated bentonite in the nutrient media, we can find a certain change of both solid and liquid phases. Some dark and fine sulfides began to be generated from dissolved sulfate solution, and 4 species of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were identified as living cells in samples that were periodically taken and incubated. These results show that sulfate-reducing (or metal-reducing) bacteria are adhering and existing in the powder of bentonite, suggesting that there may be a potential occurrence of longterm biogeochemical effects in and around the bentonite buffer in underground anoxic environmental conditions.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.99-112
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• 2015

In this study, laboratory test equipment was designed and installed to evaluate the thermal behavior of bentonite, which is used as a buffer in high-level waste disposal systems. The thermal analysis was conducted to verify the test results using ABAQUS, a finite element analysis code. In view of the seasonal changes seen during the test, the thermal behavior of bentonite with a temperature of outside air was evaluated. Of the cases examined, the results of the analysis model using stainless steel (Case 3) approximates to the test results, showing an error of about 1℃. The results of the thermal analysis into seasonal temperature distributions are consistent with trends seen in lab-test results. These analyses show that the effects of the thermal conductivity of the material surrounding the buffer and outside air temperature, are very important factors in the thermal behavior of bentonite. In the future, it is expected that a moisture saturation test of a bentonite buffer containing a heat source will be carried out. Therefore, the development of a numerical analysis model is required for the prediction and verification of the laboratory test results.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2002

In this study, free swell index of betonite was examined in several regeants; distilled water, leachate, seawater and 3% NaCl solution. Free swell index values of bontonite to be added Poly(acrlylic acid), PYA(Polyvinyl Alcohol) or SCMC (Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose) were evaluated and compared. From this, it was confirmed that hydraulic conductivities of GCL in seawater were examined and the hydraulic conductivities of GCL in seawater were compared to those in distilled water. The average values of free swell indices of bentonite were decreased in order of distilled water>leachate>seawater. It was shown that no significant differences were occurred for free swell index between seawater and 3% NaCl solution. For bentonite to be added PVA, the other reagents except distilled water didn't affect increase of swelling. Swelling properties of bentonite to be added SCMC were improved except 3% NaCl solution.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 2009

Investigation of resaturation and thermal-hydro-mechanical behavior for the buffer of a repository requires measuring the water content of compacted bentonite. This study investigated the relative humidity of compacted bentonites using a humidity sensor (Vaisala HMT 334) applicable under high temperature and pressure, and then conducted a multi-regression analysis based on the measured results to determine relationships among the water content, relative humidity, and temperature. The relationships for the compacted bentonites with the dry densities of 1,500 $kg/m^3$ and 1,600 $kg/m^3$ were expressed as ${\omega}=0.196RH-0.029T+1.391({r^2=0.96)}$ and ${\omega}=0.199RH-0.029T+2.596({r^2=0.98)}$, respectively. These were then used to interpret the resaturation of bentonite blocks in the KENTEX test.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.97-104
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• 2017

A bentonite mixing with local soil widely used as liner layer for landfill should have low permeability less than $1{\times}10^{-7}cm/s$. But there are several limitations of bentonite used as liner layer, such as drying shrinkage cracking, ineffective waterproof ability under salt water condition like flocculation under sea water. The purpose of this research is the development of a salt resistance bentonite by mixing sepiolite and guar gum to overcome the weak points of bentonite to get high water resistance capacity and permeability coefficient below $1{\times}10^{-7}cm/s$ under salt water condition. After having performed drying shrinkage cracking test, swelling index test, compaction test, and hydraulic conductivity test we confirmed the optimal mixing ratio of materials and evaluated the performance of materials.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.47-55
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• 2007

In this study, applicability of electrical conductivity monitoring technique for containment barrier such as soil-bentonite wall was evaluated. Laboratory tests including permeability tests and column tests were performed to understand variations in electrical conductivity at different bentonite contents, hydraulic conductivities, and heavy metal concentrations. The electrical conductivity of compacted soil-bentonite mixtures was found to increase proportionally with bentonite content. Accordingly, the hydraulic conductivity of compacted soil-bentonite mixtures which decreases linearly with increasing bentonite content was found to have an inversely proportional relationship with the electrical conductivity. In column tests, electrical conductivity breakthrough curves and concentration breakthrough curves were simultaneously obtained. These results indicated that electrical conductivity measurement can be an effective means of detecting heavy metal transport at the desired locations within barriers and verifying possible contaminant leakage. Experimental results obtained from this study showed that the electrical conductivity measurement can be a promising tool for monitoring of containment barrier.