Hydration states of clays followed by water and hydroxyls vibrational analyses in the near infrared: application to saponite and bentonite systems

The study of the feasibility of a deep geological disposal facility conducted by ANDRA - the French national radioactive waste management agency -, requires the knowledge of water status and water content in clays. Thanks to an original lab-built device coupling vibrational spectroscopies and water adsorption isotherms, adsorbed water and clay's structure are described quantitatively and qualitatively. A multidisciplinary approach allows the description of hydration mechanisms and water molecules network in the inter lamellar space of synthetic saponites. The effects of density and nature of inter-foliar cations and the influence of temperature on hydration are presented. Using mechanisms and important parameters established on saponites, hydration of bentonite MX80 is carried out. In order to describe and quantify simultaneously two different water states, a simple but relevant method of spectra analysis was developed. (author)