Analysis of colloids released from bentonite and crushed rock

Abstract

Inorganic colloids are present in natural groundwater but colloids can also be produced from degraded Engineered Barrier System (EBS) materials. The potential relevance of colloids for radionuclide transport is highly dependent on the release and stability of colloids in different chemical environments and their interaction with radionuclides. In this work, release and stability of inorganic colloids were determined from bentonite and crushed rock which will be used in the tunnel back-fill. In the batch dispersion experiments, MX-80 bentonite powder or crushed rock samples of mica gneiss, unaltered and two altered tonalites were added to Milli-Q water, saline OLSO, and low salinity Allard reference water with adjusted pH values 7–9. After 4 months, pH, particle size distribution, zeta potential, morphology, elemental composition, and colloid concentration were analyzed. The release and stability of colloids depended significantly on groundwater salinity, pH, and the degree of alteration of the rock. In saline OLSO, zeta potential values near zero, wide particle size range, and low colloid concentrations indicated particle aggregation and instable colloidal dispersion. In low salinity Allard and Milli-Q water, high or moderate negative zeta potential values, smaller particle sizes, and higher colloid concentrations than in OLSO indicated the existence of stable colloids.