Reaction of the Topopah Spring tuff with J-13 well water at 90{sup 0}C and 150{sup 0}C

Abstract

As part of the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations Project, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is responsible for the design and testing of waste packages suitable for use in the Topopah Spring tuff at Yucca Mountain. Definition of the physical and chemical environment of the waste package is part of that task. This report describes a series of hydrothermal experiments using crushed tuff from the Topopah Spring Member and natural groundwater from Well J-13. The purpose of these experiments is to define the changes in water chemistry that would result from temperature changes caused by emplacement of high-level nuclear waste in a repository in the Topopah Spring tuff. Experiments were conducted at 90{sup 0}C and at 150{sup 0}C in Teflon-lined reaction vessels. Results are given for four rock-to-water ratios at 90{sup 0}C and for reaction times up to 72 days. Data for 150{sup 0}C cover reaction times up to 64 days and four rock-to-water ratios. The composition of evaporite deposits contained in the pores of surface outcrop rock material used in these experiments is determined and for two of the data sets rock material was pretreated to remove this calishe-type material. The main conclusion that can be drawn from this work is that changes in the water chemistry due to heating of the rock-water system can be expected to be very minor. There is no significant source of anions (F{sup -}, Cl{sup -}, NO{sub 3}{sup -}, or SO{sub 4}/sup =/) in the rock; solution anion compositions after reaction of pretreated rock with J-13 water differ very little from the starting compositions. The major changes in cations are an increase in silica to approximately the level of cristobalite solubility, supersaturation of aluminum followed by slow precipitation, and fairly rapid precipitation of Ca and Mg due to retrograde solubility of calcite. 7 references, 7 figures, 54 tables.