Diffusion of humic colloids in compacted bentonite

In Sweden, as in many other countries, compacted bentonite will surround the encapsulated spent nuclear fuel in a deep bedrock repository. Bentonite gives mechanical support and minimizes the water flow over the deposition holes. The retardation for cationic radionuclides escaping a faulted canister is high in saturated compacted bentonite, since cationic radionuclides sorbs strongly on the bentonite surface, and the only plausible transport mechanism is diffusion. Sorption and diffusion of radionuclides in the bentonite barrier has been extensively studied, and sorption and diffusion coefficients are well established. There is a lack of knowledge as well as data for effects of colloids on radionuclide mobility and transport in the bentonite barrier. In a deep bedrock repository, colloids, particles in the size range of 1-1000 nm, will be present, however in very low concentrations. The colloids origin from eroded bedrock and filling material, mineral oxides, clay, degraded organic compounds and micro-organisms etc. The bentonite barrier is regarded to be an efficient filtering barrier for colloids. With the widely spread micro-structure with pores in between the montmorillonite flakes in the size range of nm, and the inter particle voids partly gel filled of sizes, colloid transport seems unlikely. In a Japanese diffusion study on gold colloids no breakthrough of the colloids was detected. However, to reject the possibility of enhancement of transport of radionuclides by colloids, more data from diffusion studies on other types of colloids in compacted bentonite are needed. Therefore diffusion experiments of Humic Colloids (HC), in the size range of 1-10 nm, were performed. (author)