Modelling of geochemical reactions and experimental cation exchange in MX 80 bentonite

Dewatering behavior and regulation mechanism of montmorillonite nanosheet in aqueous solution

Two-dimensional montmorillonite nanosheet (MMTNS) is desirable building block for fabricating multifunctional materials as due to its extraordinary properties. In practical applications, however, the concentration of MMTNS prepared by exfoliation is normally too low to be used for material assembling. The general thermal-concentration method is effective, however, it can be time-consuming and require a lot of energy. In this case, the remarkable dispersion stability of MMTNS is worth noting. Herein, the extraordinary dispersion stability of MMTNS derived from electrostatic and hydration repulsion was firstly revealed by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, which caused the poor dewatering of MMTNS. Further, based on the surface and structural chemistry of MMTNS, a series of strategies, involving charge and cross-linked structure regulation on the edge surface, as well as electrical double-layer modulation and calcification modification based on the electrolytes, were proposed to inhibit the dispersion and enhance the aggregation of MMTNS. Intriguingly, a novel chemical, Tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) was applied in the dewatering of MMTNS. The TEPA not only act as a cross-linker to bond with MMTNS into an easy-to-dewatering 3D network structure, but also act as a switch for effortless viscosity tuning. Meanwhile, the dual function of electrolytes for electrical double layer compression and calcification modification of MMTNS was investigated by DLVO theory and structural analyses. This work offers explicit directions for improving the dewatering performance of MMTNS to meet the requirements of practical implementation.

Insight into the role of temperature, time and pH in the effective zirconium retention using clay minerals

The use of zirconium in chemical industries generates a potential risk of Zr contamination in the environment, with particular concern for the decommissioning of uranium-graphite reactors. Among the natural adsorbents employed for the treatment of nuclear waste, clay minerals showed a very high affinity adsorption for radionuclides, but the influence of the chemical composition, pressure, temperature and time reaction have not yet been analysed on deep. Thus, the objective of this research is to explore several experimental conditions for an actual prediction of the behaviour of zirconium immobilization by clay minerals. The results have shown that factors such as zirconium cation nature (Zr⁴⁺ or ZrO²⁺), temperature, time and pH influence the extent of zirconium immobilization by clay minerals and the zirconium phases generated. At moderate conditions, zirconium tectosilicates are formed and evolve to zircon at high temperature and a longer time reaction.

From individual response to population ecology: Environmental factors restricting survival of vegetative bacteria at solid-air interfaces

Combating microbial survival on dry surfaces contributes to improving public health in indoor environments (clinical and industrial settings) and extends to the natural environment. For vegetative bacteria at solid-air interfaces, lack of water impacts cellular response, and acclimation depends on community support in response to ecological processes. Gaining insights about important ecological processes leading to inhibition of microbial survival under extreme conditions, such as vicinity of highly radioactive nuclear waste, is key for improving engineering designs. Canada plans to store used nuclear fuel and radioactive waste in a deep geological repository (DGR) with a multiple-barrier system constructed at an approximate depth of 500 m. Microorganisms in highly compacted bentonite surrounding used fuel containers will be challenged by high pressure, temperature, and radiation, as well as limited water and nutrients. Thus, it is difficult to estimate microbial activities, given that the prime concern for a microbial community is survival, and energy expenditure is regulated. To enable preventive measures and for risk evaluation, a deeper understanding of community-based survival strategies of bacterial cells exposed to air (gaseous phase) during prolonged periods of desiccation is required. An in-depth review of collective studies that assess microbial survival and persistence during desiccation is presented here to augment and direct our prior knowledge about tactics used by bacteria for survival at interfaces in hostile natural environments including and similar to a DGR.

Examination of competitive lanthanide sorption onto smectites and its significance in the management of radioactive waste

The competitive effect of La and Lu (analogues of radionuclides appearing in radioactive waste) in the sorption in four smectites was examined. Sorption and desorption distribution coefficients (K(d); K(d,des)), and desorption rates (R(des)) were determined from batch tests in two media: deionized water and, to consider the influence of cement leachates, 0.02 mol L(-1) Ca. The competitive effect was lower when high-affinity sites were available, as in the water medium at the lowest range of initial lanthanide concentration, with high K(d) for La and for Lu (5-63×10(4) L kg(-1)). Lower K(d) was measured at higher initial concentrations and in the Ca medium, where Lu showed a stronger competitive effect. This was confirmed by fitting the sorption data to a two-solute Langmuir isotherm. The desorption data indicated that sorption was virtually irreversible for the scenarios with high sorption, with an excellent correlation between K(d) and K(d,des) (R(2) around 0.9 for the two lanthanides). Assuming that radioactive waste is a mixture of radionuclides, and that Ca ions will be provided by the cement leachates, this would reduce the retention capacity of clay engineered barriers.

Reversibility of La and Lu sorption onto smectites: implications for the design of engineered barriers in deep geological repositories

The sorption reversibility of La and Lu (considered as actinide analogues) onto a set of smectites (bentonite FEBEX; hectorite, HEC; MX80; saponite, SAP; Otay montmorillonite, SCa-3; and Texas montmorillonite, STx-1) was studied to estimate actinide retention by smectites that are candidates for use as engineered barriers in deep geological repositories. The sorption distribution coefficients (K(d)) and the reversibility parameters (desorption distribution coefficients (K(d,des)), adjusted distribution coefficients (K(d,adj)), and desorption rates (R(des))) were determined from batch tests in two ionic media: deionized water and Ca 0.02 mol L(-1). The latter simulates possible conditions due to the presence of concrete leachates. The results varied greatly depending on the ionic medium, the lanthanide concentration and the clay structure. The high values of K(d,des) obtained (up to 1.1 x 10(5) and 9.2 x 10(4) L kg(-1) for La and Lu in water, and 2.8 x 10(4) and 4.1 x 10(4)L kg(-1) for La and Lu in the Ca medium) indicate the suitability of the tested smectites for lanthanide (and therefore, actinide) retention. Based on all the data, SCa-3, HEC and FEBEX clays are considered the best choices for water environments, whereas in Ca environments the suitable clays depended on the lanthanide considered.

Sorption of radionuclides onto natural clay rocks

Reactions of U(VI) and Eu/Cm(III) with natural clay rock (Opalinus Clay, Switzerland, and Callovo-Oxfordian Clay, France) are investigated by batch and spectroscopic experiments as well as geochemical calculations. The aim of the studies is to identify those minerals in the heterogeneous multiphase systems with sometimes high calcite content which control lanthanide and actinide sorption. The outcome of batch sorption studies with natural clay rocks (2 g/L natural clay rock, 0.1 mol/L NaClO4, pH 3−11) and thermodynamic calculations is compared with experimental results using a synthetic mixture consisting of purified Na-montmorillonite and calcite (ratio 80:20[wt.]%). Our studies show that U(VI) sorption decreases at intermediate pH (6.5−9) where dissolved U(VI) carbonate species predominate. In the high pH region (>9) U(VI) sorption again increases by formation of ternary hydroxo surface complexes on the clay mineral fraction, whereby calculated U(VI) sorption overestimates experimental data for the natural rock. Complete sorption to natural clay rock and the synthetic clay/calcite mixture is observed for Eu(III) at pH>7 for the conditions studied. Model calculations again point to the predominance of clay-sorbed species even though calculated speciation underestimates the experimentally observed sorption at pH 6−9 slightly. Preliminary time-resolved laser-fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) studies using Cm(III) as fluorescent probe reveal the appearance of several Cm(III)-clay surface species in the pH range 5−11, but give no indications for the presence of calcite-bound Cm(III). We conclude that the clay minerals in the multiphasic clay rock act as main sorbents for tri- and hexavalent actinides.