Particles and solutes migration in porous medium : radionuclides and clayey particles simultaneous transport under the effect of a salinity gradient

This work deals with the radiation protection of high-level and long-life radioactive waste storages. The colloids presence in ground waters can accelerate the radionuclides migration in natural geological deposits. The aim of this thesis is then to control particularly the particles motion in porous medium in order to anticipate quantitatively their migration. Liquid chromatography columns are filled with a clayey sand and fed with a decreasing concentration sodium chloride solution in order to study the particles outlet under a salinity gradient. When the porous medium undergoes a decrease of salinity it deteriorates. The adsorption of the cations : sodium 22, calcium 45, cesium 137 and neptunium 237 is then studied by the ions exchange method. The radionuclide solution is injected before the decrease of the feed solution salinity. The decrease of the sodium chloride concentration leads to the decrease of the radionuclides concentration because the adsorption competition between the sodium ion and the injected cation is lower. The particles transport, without fouling of the porous medium, is carried out in particular physical and chemical conditions which are described. (O.L.). 71 refs., 105 figs., 26 tabs