A review and evaluation of thermal conductivity model of compacted bentonite and its mixture

Abstract

The thermal conductivity of bentonite plays a crucial role in analyzing the heat transfer process and determining the temperature field distribution within deep geological repositories. Despite considerable efforts in modeling the thermal conductivity of compacted bentonite and its mixtures, a comprehensive synthesis of these studies has not been previously undertaken. This research aimed to thoroughly review predictive models for the thermal conductivity of compacted bentonite and its mixtures, assessing their performance against a substantial dataset comprising 495 measurements of GMZ and MX80 bentonite. Through a systematic compilation and evaluation of seven models for compacted bentonite and three models for bentonite mixtures, the study identified TC2008 and LC2016 as the most accurate models for GMZ and MX80 compacted bentonite, respectively, whereas PT2021 emerged as the superior predictor for GMZ and MX80 bentonite mixtures. This exploration revealed the absence of a single, universally accurate model capable of predicting the thermal conductivities across all bentonite variants, highlighting the necessity for researchers to judiciously select the most fitting model for predicting the thermal conductivity of bentonite. Furthermore, we expressed the inherent limitations in current thermal conductivity models for compacted bentonite and its mixtures, and proposed directions for future inquiry in this domain.