• 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.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.49-60
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• 1993

The compatibility of chemicals in the leachates with the three natural and artificially -made liner materials is analyzed by performing the laboratory hydraulic conductivity test. The selected liner materials are natural marine clay, fly ash and weathered granitic soil stomped from Kimpo Wastefills, Seochon power plant and Mansu Dong, Inchon, respectivaly. Bentonites of 20 and 10 percent by weight are used as additive materials for fly ash and weathered granitic soil and the chemical solutions used in the test are acetic acid, methanol, heptane, and aniline which are frequently found in the leachate of waste fills. The concentrations of the chemical solutions are 100% and 75%. The results of the tests show that hydraulic conductivities of the oxter materials are increased by one or two orders of magnitude with permeating pure chemical solutions. The rate of hydraulic conductivity increase is lowest for Seochon fly ash admixed liner and highest for natural marine clay liner. The influence of hydraulic chemical solutions on the liner materials is least for acetic acid and largest for aniline. The increases of conductivity are not shown with the permeation of the solution of concentration 75%. At least by this test results, it can be recognized that the tested liner material can be quite stable with the solutions of significantly high concentration except pure solutions.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.77-83
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• 1971

In order to find out the decomposing factors of Sumithion in mineral diluents, the physical and chemical properties of the diluents such as talcs, bentonites, diatomaceous earth and other clay minerals was studied in relation to the decomposition rate of Sumithion in dust formulations. The total base, moisture adsorption capacity, pH, specific surface, water contents, active $Fe^{++}$, ignition loss and cation exchange capacity were analysed as the properties of mineral diluents, and these properties were correlated with the stability of Sumithion in dust formulations. And in hope of finding out the main factors among those properties of diluents, the decomposed products of Sumithion in dust formulations prepared with standard Sumithion were separated by the methods of column chromatography and investigated by thin layer chromatography. The following results were otbained; 1. The total base, moisture adsorption capacity, specific surface, water contents, active $Fe^{++}$ and cation exchange capacity of mineral diluents were found to be highly effective on the rate of decomposition of Sumithion in dust formulations. 2. Decomposed products of Sumithion in dust formulations were found to be dimethylphosphorothionate, 3-methyl-4-nitro phenol and its derivatives. And one fraction was not dissolved in n-hexane and ethylether, but was soluble in methylalcohol and ethylalcohol. 3. The moat highly correlated properties of diluents with the decomposition rate of Sumithion in dust were found to be the total base and water contents. 4. In regard to the kind of diluents, it was found that the rate of decomposition of Sumithion in dust formulations was higher in order of bentonite, diatomaceous earth, kaolin and talc.

• 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.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.439-455
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• 2019

A buffer is the major component of a high level radioactive waste repository. Due to their thermal conductivity and low permeability, bentonites have been considered as a key component of a buffer system in most countries. The deep geological condition generates ground water inflow and results in swelling pressure in the buffer and backfill. Investigation of swelling pressure of bentonite buffer is an important task for the safe disposal system. The swelling pressure that can be critical is affected by mechanical and hydro properties of the system. Therefore, in this study, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine the effect of hydro-mechanical (HM) behaviors in the MX-80 bentonite. Based on the results of the swelling pressure generation with HM model parameters, a coupled HM analysis of an unsaturated buffer and backfill in a deep geological repository was also carried out to investigate the major factor of the swelling pressure generation.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.283-293
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• 2015

The buffer is a key component of the engineered barrier system in a high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository. The present study reviewed the requirements and functional criteria of the buffer reported in literature, and also based on the results, proposed an approach to establish a buffer concept which is applicable to an HLW repository in Korea. The hydraulic conductivity, radionuclide-retarding capacity (equilibrium distribution coefficient and diffusion coefficient), swelling pressure, thermal conductivity, mechanical properties, organic carbon content, and illitization rate were considered as major technical parameters for the functional criteria of the buffer. Domestic bentonite (Ca-bentonite) and, as an alternative, MX-80 (Na-bentonite) were proposed for the buffer of an HLW repository in Korea. The technical specifications for those proposed bentonites were set to parameter values that conservatively satisfy Korea's functional criteria for the Ca-bentonite and Swedish criteria for the Na-bentonite. The thickness of the buffer was determined by evaluating the means of shear behavior, radionuclide release, and heat conduction, which resulted in the proper buffer thickness of 0.25 to 0.5 m. However, the final thickness of the buffer should be determined by considering coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical evaluation and economics and engineering aspects as well.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.3 s.45
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• pp.183-194
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• 2005

The mineralogical, physicochemical and thermal properties of the Myogi bentonite occurring in Japan were measured. A adsorption properties of U, Th, Ce and Eu ions on the Myogi bentonite were also investigated in different solution concentrations and pH conditions. The Myogi bentonite showed a strong alkaline character (pH 10.4), very high swelling, viscosity property and CEC, and a slow flocculation behavior due to the strong hydrophilic property. By the thermal analysis, the dehydroxylation of crystal water in bulk and clay fractions of the Myogi bentonite occur at $591^{\circ}C$ and $658^{\circ}C$, respectively, The adsorption experiments of ions such as U, Th, Ce and Eu were conducted for 0.2 g bentonites with 20mL solutions of various concentrations and different pH conditions with pH 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. As a result, the Myogi bentonite showed excellent adsorption capacities for Ce, Th and Eu ions, whereas U ion showed very low adsorption capacity. Generally, Ce, Th and Eu ions showed the similar adsorption properties for the different concentrated solutions and pH conditions. These adsorption properties seem to be affected by the formation of various forms of chemical species and precipitation as well as ionic exchange reaction and surface adsorptions on smectite. Some associated zeolite minerals perhaps have some effects on the adsorption of U, Th, Ce and Eu on Myogi bentonite.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.377-393
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• 2010

Pumiceous tuffs occurring in the Beomgockri Group are examined applied-mineralogical characteristics and their controling factors to evaluate their potentials as the adsorption-functional mineral resources. The pumiceous tuffs are diagenetically altered to low-grade zeolitcs and bentonites in the Janggi area. Compositional specialty due to the presence of pumice fragments induces the altered tuffs to exhibit the characteristic adsorption property combined with cation exchange capacity, specific surface area, and acidic pH. Unusual lower pH in the adsorption-functional mineral substances is turned out to be originated from the presence of H-smectite having $H^+$ in the interlayer site of the sheet structure. On account of disordered crystallinity resulting from the exchanged $H^+$ in the interlayer site, the smectite commonly forms crenulated edges in the planar crystal form and exhibits characteristic X-ray diffraction patterns showing comparatively lower intensities of basal spacings including (001) peak than conventional Ca-smectite. Based on the interpretation of paragenetic relations and precursor of the H-smectite, a genetic model of the peculiar clay mineral was proposed. The smectite formation may be facilitated resulting from the precipitation of opal-CT at decreasing pH condition caused by the release of H+ during diagenetic alteration of pumice fragments. Because of the acidic smectite, the low-grade mineral resources from the Beomgockri Group may be applicable to the adsorption industry as the raw materials of acid clays and bed-soil.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.101-109
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• 2008

For the Kyungju bentonite which is considered as a candidate material for the buffer and backfill in the high-level waste repository, the thermal conductivities of compacted bentonite and a bentonite-sand mixture were measured. The thermal conductivities of the compacted bentonites with a dry density of 1.2 to $1.8\;Mg/m^3$ and the bentonite-sand mixture with a dry density of 1.6 and $1.8\;Mg/m^3$ were measured within the gravimetric water content range of 10wt% to 20wt% and the sand fraction range of 10 to 30wt%. The thermal conductivity of compacted bentonite and a bentonite-sand mixture increases with increasing dry density and sand weight fraction in the case of constant water weight fraction, and increases with increasing water weight fraction and sand weight fraction in the case of constant dry density. The empirical correlations to describe the thermal conductivity of compacted bentonite and a bentonite-sand mixture as a function of water fraction at each dry density were suggested. These correlations can predict the thermal conductivities of bentonite and a bentonite-sand mixture with a difference below 10%.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.515-532
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• 2023

Bentonite, predominantly consists of expandable clay minerals, is considered to be the suitable buffering material in high-level radioactive waste disposal repository due to its large swelling property and low permeability. Additionally, the bentonite has large cation exchange capacity and specific surface area, and thus, it effectively retards the transport of leaked radionuclides to surrounding environments. This study aims to review the thermodynamic sorption models for four radionuclides (U, Am, Se, and Eu) and eight bentonites. Then, the thermodynamic sorption models and optimized sorption parameters were precisely analyzed by considering the experimental conditions in previous study. Here, the optimized sorption parameters showed that thermodynamic sorption models were related to experimental conditions such as types and concentrations of radionuclides, ionic strength, major competing cation, temperature, solid-to-liquid ratio, carbonate species, and mineralogical properties of bentonite. These results implied that the thermodynamic sorption models suggested by the optimization at specific experimental conditions had large uncertainty for application to various environmental conditions.