How do potential container materials change when in contact with compacted bentonite – and what role do exposure time and bentonite density play?
These questions are at the heart of a new publication by Louisa Panjiyar et al. The study combines laboratory experiments with bentonite samples from the MaCoTe experiment at the Grimsel Underground Research Laboratory to gain a better understanding of metal–bentonite interactions under conditions relevant to geological disposal.
In the laboratory experiments, copper and ductile cast iron were investigated as potential container materials for the deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. The metals were exposed to compacted bentonite as a buffer material. In addition, samples from the MaCoTe experiment were analysed, representing different bentonite dry densities and exposure durations.
The study thus contributes to assessing the influence of material, bentonite density, and exposure duration on metal–bentonite interactions, while specifically linking the insights gained from laboratory and underground research laboratory studies.
Link to the publication: https://doi.org/10.1002/maco.70260
