• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2011

In the compacted bentonite containing $Ag_2O$, the transport of iodide ion was investigated by Through-diffusion method. It is confirmed that Iodide ion is transported by diffusion process in the compacted bentonite containing $Ag_2O$ as well as in the compacted bentonite without $Ag_2O$. However, the lag-time of iodide ion in the compacted bentonite containing $Ag_2O$ is larger than that in the compacted bentonite without $Ag_2O$. The increase of the lag-time was observed in pure iodide ion solution and also in 0.1M NaCl-iodide ion solution. The apparent diffusion coefficient of iodide ion in the compacted bentonite containing $Ag_2O$ has lower value than that in the compacted bentonite without $Ag_2O$. The effect of $Ag_2O$ on the effective diffusion coefficient was not clearly investigated in the compacted bentonite containing $Ag_2O$ while the values of effective diffusion coefficient of iodide ion in the compacted bentonite without $Ag_2O$ obtained in this study were similar to those in the compacted bentonite reported in the literature.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.73-76
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• 1999

Soil-bentonite mixtures are frequently used as impervious for waste disposal sites. In the present work, bentonite composite liner systems(BCL) have been developed by utilizing Korean zeolitic bentonites. The geomechanical properties of the liner systems, such as strength, hydraulic conductivity, etc. have been studied. The laboratory and field test results are also be presented.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.53-62
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• 2011

During the construction of vertical cutoff walls, filtration of bentonite slurry into the adjacent soil formation fabricates a layer of bentonite filter cake on the wall surface. The bentonite filter cake possesses much lower hydraulic conductivity compared to that of backfill materials in the cutoff wall. Hydraulic conductivity of bentonite filter cakes formed with three different types of bentonites has been measured by performing the modified fluid loss test under various pressure levels. Three different mixture ratios, 4, 6, and 8%, were selected for fabricating bentonite filter cakes to represent common field conditions. Two analysis methods for interpreting the experimental data from the modified fluid loss tests were employed to estimate hydraulic conductivity of the bentonite cakes. The range of hydraulic conductivities of the three bentonite cakes is between $2.15{\times}10^{-11}\;m/s$ and $2.88{\times}10^{-10}\;m/s$ which is 1 to 2.7 orders of magnitude lower than that of the design cutoff wall backfill. The stress distribution and thickness of the bentonite cakes were also evaluated in this paper.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.135-145
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• 2004

A zeolitic bentonite, which exhibits whitish appearance and contains considerable amounts (nearly 〉 5%) of zeolites, frequently occurs as thin beds less than 1 m in Yeongil area. The bentonites are mostly found in closely association with zeolite beds in the Nuldaeri Tuff and Coal-bearing formations of the Janggi Croup. A discordant occurrence of the bentonite against the bedding plane is also locally found. Montmorillonite, the major mineral constituent of the bentonite, is mostly associated with clinoptilolite as a zeolite. However, instead of clinoptilolite, mordenite is sometimes included in the case of more silicic bentonite, and heulandite in the less silicic one. It is characteristic that the mordenite is accompanied by lots of opal-CT in the silicic bentonite. SEM observations characteristically indicate that these authigenic phases, especially the montmorillonite and zeolite, nearly coexist as mixtures not forming a fine-scale zoning. The zeolitic bentonite seems to be formed in the comparatively silicic pore fluid at the alkaline condition accompanying pH fluctuation Compared to the zeolite-free normal bentonite, the zeolitic types exhibit somewhat higher REE abundance. These chemical characteristics, together with modes of occurrences and authigenic mineral associations, may suggest that the zeolitic bentonite is not merely diagenetic products and a possible hydrothermal alteration could not be excluded in the bentonite genesis.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.27-32
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• 2021

Due to heavy rainfall and typhoons caused by climate change, it has become common to witness heavy rain that exceeds the design frequency of agricultural reservoirs. This has brought greater attention to the safety of irrigation facilities including agricultural reservoirs. Out of approximately 17,740 reservoirs available in Korea, 83.87% were built before 1970. To ensure the safety of these old reservoirs, their embankments are being repaired and reinforced using various techniques. Among these techniques, using the cement-bentonite cutoff wall makes it possible to construct diaphragm walls with slurry composed of cement and bentonite, while excavation. The advantages of this technique include that it is simple and fast, and ensures the uniformity of cutoff walls by enabling the immediate application of the replacement method to excavation areas; thus excellent performance is guaranteed. However, despite these advantages, the technique is not commonly used in Korea. Thus, this study investigated the changes in strength and permeability by varying the mix ratio of cement and bentonite. As a major experimental results, when the cement of 200 kg/m³ and the bentonite of 60 to 80 kg/m³ is most suitable for the repair and reinforcement of the reservoir embankments.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.228-243
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• 2023

Bentonite is widely recognized and utilized as a buffer material in high-level radioactive waste repositories, mainly due to its favorable characteristics such as swelling capability and low permeability. Bentonite buffers play an important role in ensuring the safe disposal of radioactive waste by providing a low permeability barrier and effectively preventing the migration of radionuclides into the surrounding rock. However, the long-term performance of bentonite buffers still remains a subject of ongoing research, and one of the main concerns is the erosion of the buffer induced by swelling and groundwater flow. The erosion of the bentonite buffer can significantly impact repository safety by compromising the integrity of buffer and leading to the formation of colloids that may facilitate the transport of radionuclides through groundwater, consequently elevating the risk of radionuclide migration. Therefore, it is very important to numerically quantify the erosion of bentonite buffer to evaluate the long-term performance of bentonite buffer, which is crucial for the safety assessment of high-level radioactive waste disposal. In this technical note, Two-region model is introduced, a proposed model to simulate the erosion behavior of bentonite based on a dynamic bentonite diffusion model, and quantitative evaluation is conducted for the bentonite buffer erosion with this model.

• 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.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.264-273
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• 2011

Bentonite buffer is one of the major components of an engineered barrier for an HLW (High-Level Waste) repository. The bentonite buffer is significantly exposed to the decay heat from radioactive wastes, the inflow of groundwater from the surrounding rock of the repository, and the high swelling pressure of densely-compacted bentonite that comes in contact with the groundwater. Therefore, it is essential to understand the THM (Thermal-Hydro-Mechanical) behavior of the bentonite buffer and to acquire the input data of its related constitutive models for the performance and safety assessment of an HLW repository. This paper analyzed the THM properties which have been obtained by conducting laboratory tests with a candidate buffer material for a Korean HLW repository. Moreover the formulation recipe of the reference bentonite buffer was defined on the basis of functional criteria, thus suggesting the THM properties which correspond to the formulation recipe of the reference bentonite buffer.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.241-248
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• 1972

The adsorption of Methylene Blue on Yeong-Il bentonite which was treated by aqueous NaOH, $Na_2SO_4 or NaHSO_4 solution respectively, varying concentrations, temperature and time, was studied. In case of treatment with NaHSO_4 solution, slight improvement of the adsorption of Methylene Blue on bentonite was observed. With Na_2SO_4$ solution, the best results obtained when bentonite was treated with 1 N of the solution for 2hr at $100^{\circ}C$, and the adsorption capacity of the product was 3 times better than that of original bentonite. At the higher concentration and the higher temperature than above, faujasite was formed. With NaOH solution, the best condition was in 1N solution for 1hr at $100^{\circ}C$ and the adsorption capacity of the product was 3.3 times better than that of original bentonite. At the higher concentration of the treating agent and at the higher temperature than above, hydroxysodalite was formed.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.659-668
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• 2018

A series of direct shear tests were implemented on three different types of specimens (i.e., clean Perth sand, sand containing 10, 20 and 30% bentonite, sand containing 1, 3 and 5% slag, and sand containing 10, 20 and 30% bentonite with increasing percentages of added slag (1%, 3% and 5%). This paper focuses on the shear stress characteristics of clean sand and sand mixtures. The samples were tested under different three normal stresses (100, 150 and 200 kPa) and three curing periods of no curing time, 7 and 14 days. It was observed that the shear stresses of clean sand and mixtures were increased with increasing normal stresses. In addition, the use of slag has improved the shear strength of the sand-slag mixtures; the shear stresses rose from 128.642 kPa in the clean sand at normal stress of 200 kPa to 146.89 kPa, 154 kPa and 161.14 kPa when sand was mixed with 1%, 3% and 5% slag respectively and tested at the same normal stress. Internal friction angle increased from $32.74^{\circ}$ in the clean sand to $34.87^{\circ}$, $37.12^{\circ}$ and $39.4^{\circ}$ when sand was mixed with 1%, 3% and 5% slag respectively and tested at 100, 150, and 200 kPa normal stresses. The cohesion of sand-bentonite mixtures increased from 3.34 kPa in 10% bentonite to 22.9 kPa, 70.6 kPa when sand was mixed with 20% and 30% bentonite respectively. All the mixtures of clean sand, different bentonite and slag contents showed different behaviour; some mixtures exhibited shear stress more than clean sand whereas others showed less than clean sand. The internal friction angle increased, and cohesion decreased with increasing curing time.