Short Review of the Formation, Stability, and Cementing Properties of Natural Zeolites

摘要

The buffer mass for embedding nuclear waste canisters way down in tunnels or bore holes must fulfil a number of requirements. A 10-15 percent (by weight) sodium bentonite and 85-90 percent quartz mass has been suggested. In most respects this buffer mass has excellent properties but its ion exchange capacity is moderate or low. For this reason zeolites have been suggested as an active component in the mass. The question has been, however, whether zeolites are chemically stable together with other minerals such as montmorillonite which still has to be used to give the buffer mass suitable plastic and permeable properties. It is the main object of this report to illustrate any behaviour of zeolites relevant to the problem of finding a suitable buffer mass. Analcime or analcite, phillipsite, chabazite and clinoptilolite have been suggested as possible components in our buffer mass. (Atomindex citation 09:366096)