Exploring Bisulfide Transport through Bentonite Under Deep Geological
Repository Conditions
Abstract
Management of used nuclear fuel is a major technical challenge faced by
nuclear energy producing nations worldwide. In Canada, the Nuclear Waste
Management Organization is responsible for the design and implementation
of a deep geological repository (DGR), which will be placed
~500 m below ground surface in a stable host rock to
safely contain and isolate used fuel. Within a DGR, used nuclear fuel
will be placed in used fuel containers (UFCs) that are encased in copper
because of copper’s corrosion resistance. The UFCs will be surrounded by
highly compacted bentonite to suppress the transport of corrosive agents
to the UFC and limit the movement of radionuclides out of a DGR in the
unlikely case of a breach. Over the design lifespan of one million years
for the DGR, it is possible that sulfate-reducing bacteria near the
bentonite-host rock interface can produce bisulfide
(HS-) that can be transported to the UFC surface and
potentially corrode the outer copper barrier. Therefore, it is crucial
to understand HS- transport mechanisms through
bentonite to assess the long-term performance of a DGR. This study aims
to quantify HS- transport through bentonite using
through-diffusion experiments under a range of anticipated DGR and
bentonite conditions (e.g., temperature, ionic concentration, bentonite
densities). In addition, as geochemical reactions/sorption are expected
to affect HS- transport, batch experiments are being
conducted to understand these processes independent of transport. The
preliminary batch of experimental results show that
~85% of HS- was partitioned from the
aqueous to solid phase within first hour and ~97% after
24 hours. However, this partitioning efficiency decreased with increased
liquid-to-solid ratio because of the reduction in available
reaction/sorption sites on the bentonite. This presentation shows the
results from both transport and batch experiments performed on the
bentonite under relevant DGR conditions.