Investigation of the Stability of Clay/Basalt Packing Materials.

摘要

Geological systems analogous to proposed packing materials have been reviewed and investigated and approximate temperature limits for smectite, mixed layer smectite/layer smectite/illite and illite have been found to be 100, 200, and 250 C, respectively. All phases are metastable, with reaction rates being controlled by factors influencing kinetics, principally temperature and rock/water ratio. Even over geological time periods the phases may exist metastably at low temperatures with low water/rock ratios. Experiments with bentonite/basalt mixtures confirm that there is little change at 300 C and below in simulated packing conditions for experimental durations of up to a year and a half. Data are consistent with a lack of equillibrium, such that experimental reactions occur at much higher temperatures than in geologic systems, and cannot be used to reliably predict the state of such systems over long time periods. Analysis of geologic systems suggests that a suitable continuous clay matrix can minimize the degree of transition of clays and clay/basalt mixtures.