Study of materials for use in final deposits of radioactive waste

Clays are used in repositories (final deposits of radioactive waste) due to their radionuclide sorption and soil waterproofing capacities. The objectives of this work are to research and develop tests of characterization relevant to the use of clays in repositories, to characterize national clays and to assemble a database with information on the suppliers and the tests that were done. Results are shown for the mineral identification test, for the determination of the normal Proctor compaction curve, size distribution, cationic exchange capacity, specific surface, and others, for two materials. Such information will allow the selection of the best among these materials for use in the backfill and in other applications, besides indicating the most reliable test for estimating characteristics of different materials. (author)