TY - GEN
T1 - Study of the processes related to the water uptake of Eurobitum bituminized radioactive waste
T2 - 33rd International Symposium "Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management". MRS
AU - Mariën, An
AU - Smets, Steven
AU - Valcke, Elie
N1 - Score = 3
PY - 2009/12
Y1 - 2009/12
N2 - A coupled hydro-chemical-mechanical constitutive law for the Belgian Eurobitum bituminized waste is being developed by the International Centre for Numerical Methods and Engineering (Polytechnical University of Cataluña, Spain) to contribute to the study of the compatibility of Eurobitum with Boom Clay. A large experimental programme is ongoing at SCK•CEN to support the development of a constitutive law for Eurobitum. Water uptake tests are being performed under different conditions to obtain insights in the parameters that influence the water uptake behaviour of Eurobitum. Furthermore, Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy and microfocus X-ray Computer Tomography are used to characterize hydrated samples in order to improve the understanding of the water uptake processes. The salt content, the distribution of the salt crystals, and the membrane efficiency in the Eurobitum samples affect the swelling and pressure increase rate. High membrane efficiencies and a considerable amount of hygroscopic salts inside the Eurobitum samples result in very high pressures when almost no swelling is allowed. The pressure in small inactive samples with 28 weight% NaNO3 has risen to ~19MPa after ~3years of hydration in nearly constant volume conditions. Slower pressure increase rates are being measured for samples with 6, 12, 18, and 33 weight% NaNO3.
AB - A coupled hydro-chemical-mechanical constitutive law for the Belgian Eurobitum bituminized waste is being developed by the International Centre for Numerical Methods and Engineering (Polytechnical University of Cataluña, Spain) to contribute to the study of the compatibility of Eurobitum with Boom Clay. A large experimental programme is ongoing at SCK•CEN to support the development of a constitutive law for Eurobitum. Water uptake tests are being performed under different conditions to obtain insights in the parameters that influence the water uptake behaviour of Eurobitum. Furthermore, Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy and microfocus X-ray Computer Tomography are used to characterize hydrated samples in order to improve the understanding of the water uptake processes. The salt content, the distribution of the salt crystals, and the membrane efficiency in the Eurobitum samples affect the swelling and pressure increase rate. High membrane efficiencies and a considerable amount of hygroscopic salts inside the Eurobitum samples result in very high pressures when almost no swelling is allowed. The pressure in small inactive samples with 28 weight% NaNO3 has risen to ~19MPa after ~3years of hydration in nearly constant volume conditions. Slower pressure increase rates are being measured for samples with 6, 12, 18, and 33 weight% NaNO3.
KW - Eurobitum
KW - Salt content
KW - Water uptake
KW - Pressure increase
KW - Microfocus X-ray Computer Tomography
KW - Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy
UR - http://ecm.sckcen.be/OTCS/llisapi.dll/open/ezp_103906
U2 - 10.1557/proc-1193-513
DO - 10.1557/proc-1193-513
M3 - In-proceedings paper
SN - 978-1-60511-166-7
VL - 1193
T3 - Materials Research Society proceedings
SP - 513
EP - 520
BT - Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XXXIII
PB - MRS - Materials Research Society
CY - Warrendale, PA, United States
Y2 - 24 May 2009 through 29 May 2009
ER -