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Microstructural stability controls the hydraulic conductivity of smectitic buffer clay

Pusch, R and Weston, Richard LU (2003) In Applied Clay Science 23(1-4). p.35-41
Abstract
The hydraulic conductivity of smectitic buffer clays is determined by the volume fraction and continuity of permeable parts of the microstructure, i.e., soft and medium-dense clay gels. The bulk conductivity calculated by use of microstructural parameters agrees well with experimental data except for soft Ca bentonite, which is significantly less permeable than predicted. The microstructural stability of its softest parts is poor, which causes erosion, transport and accumulation of particles yielding clogging of voids and reduction in conductivity. The presence of soft parts explains why water under relatively high pressure can penetrate to a few centimeters depth in partly water-saturated clay and why gas makes its way through... (More)
The hydraulic conductivity of smectitic buffer clays is determined by the volume fraction and continuity of permeable parts of the microstructure, i.e., soft and medium-dense clay gels. The bulk conductivity calculated by use of microstructural parameters agrees well with experimental data except for soft Ca bentonite, which is significantly less permeable than predicted. The microstructural stability of its softest parts is poor, which causes erosion, transport and accumulation of particles yielding clogging of voids and reduction in conductivity. The presence of soft parts explains why water under relatively high pressure can penetrate to a few centimeters depth in partly water-saturated clay and why gas makes its way through channel-like paths in saturated clay. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
numerical calculation, erosion, bentonite, clay, microstructure, flow
in
Applied Clay Science
volume
23
issue
1-4
pages
35 - 41
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000186093500005
  • scopus:0041888305
ISSN
1872-9053
DOI
10.1016/S0169-1317(03)00084-X
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f7792a68-7a1c-4252-984b-70effd494272 (old id 298144)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:36:16
date last changed
2022-03-06 01:49:24
@article{f7792a68-7a1c-4252-984b-70effd494272,
  abstract     = {{The hydraulic conductivity of smectitic buffer clays is determined by the volume fraction and continuity of permeable parts of the microstructure, i.e., soft and medium-dense clay gels. The bulk conductivity calculated by use of microstructural parameters agrees well with experimental data except for soft Ca bentonite, which is significantly less permeable than predicted. The microstructural stability of its softest parts is poor, which causes erosion, transport and accumulation of particles yielding clogging of voids and reduction in conductivity. The presence of soft parts explains why water under relatively high pressure can penetrate to a few centimeters depth in partly water-saturated clay and why gas makes its way through channel-like paths in saturated clay. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Pusch, R and Weston, Richard}},
  issn         = {{1872-9053}},
  keywords     = {{numerical calculation; erosion; bentonite; clay; microstructure; flow}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1-4}},
  pages        = {{35--41}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Applied Clay Science}},
  title        = {{Microstructural stability controls the hydraulic conductivity of smectitic buffer clay}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0169-1317(03)00084-X}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/S0169-1317(03)00084-X}},
  volume       = {{23}},
  year         = {{2003}},
}