Abstract

The containment function of clay barriers used for waste containment applications (e.g., landfills) can be enhanced if such clays exhibit membrane behavior or the ability to restrict the migration of solutes (e.g., contaminants). In this regard, compacted specimens of a locally available natural clay known as Nelson Farm Clay (NFC), as well as NFC amended with 5% (dry weight) sodium bentonite, were evaluated for hydraulic conductivity, k , and the potential for membrane behavior. The membrane efficiencies of specimens of both soils compacted such that k was less than 10−7 cm/s were measured by establishing steady salt (KCl) concentration differences, −Δ Co , ranging from 3.9 to 47 mM across the specimens in a flexible-wall cell under closed-system boundary conditions. The measured membrane efficiency for the unamended NFC was negligible (i.e., ≤1.4% ), even though the k was suitably low (i.e., k< 10−7 cm/s ). In contrast, compacted specimens of the bentonite amended NFC exhibited not only lower k but al...

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