Baqer, Y, Chen, X orcid.org/0000-0002-2053-2448 and Thornton, S (2023) A Geochemical Modelling of Multi-minerals Evolution for a 15 Months Experiment. Environmental Geotechnics, 10 (6). pp. 400-408. ISSN 2051-803X
Abstract
The impact of hyper-alkaline leachate released from the cementitious barrier of a geological disposal facility on the host rock is a significant issue for the safety assessment of long-term nuclear disposal. However, modelling of multimineral transformations, multiple chemical reactions and multiple secondary-phase pathways remains a challenge due to uncertainties in parameters and a limited available database describing the kinetics of dissolution/precipitation reactions. In this study, a new modelling approach, mixed kinetic–equilibrium, was employed to study the complex reactions occurring in an experimental system consisting of Borrowdale Volcanic Group rocks permeated with a hyper-alkaline leachate for over 15 months. The modelling suggests that dissolution of primary dolomite, quartz, calcite and potassium (K) feldspar in the host rock initially drives the chemical evolution of this system. The subsequent precipitation of several secondary phases, including calcite, brucite, talc and calcium–silicate–hydrate phases, is predicted to control the long-term chemical equilibria and mineralogical composition of the host rock impacted by the alkaline leachate. The results from the modelling provide a deeper understanding of the long-term interactions between the host rock and high pH leachate, with dolomite predicted to be a major controlling phase on the geochemical evolution of the system.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Environmental Geotechnics. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Environmental engineering; geochemistry; radioactive waste disposal |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Civil Engineering (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 15 Nov 2019 09:35 |
Last Modified: | 05 Jun 2024 14:52 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | ICE Publishing Ltd. |
Identification Number: | 10.1680/jenge.19.00081 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:153518 |