Analysis of microstructural images of dry and water-saturated compacted bentonite samples observed with X-ray micro CT

Compacted bentonite, of which the major clay mineral is montmorillonite, is a candidate buffer material for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. In this study, a microfocus X-ray computed tomography (micro-CT, X-ray microscope), which enables non-destructive, three-dimensional observation of the interior microstructure of a sample with high resolution (several microns), examined compacted montmorillonite samples under dry and water-saturated states. The images thus obtained were analyzed by a computer code developed for this study to obtain the information on the size and shape of montmorillonite grains in the samples before and after the water saturation. From the results of the image analysis, it can be supposed that the outer montmorillonite sheets of grains swelled and formed a gel, whereas the inner montmorillonite sheets did not change significantly in the water-saturation process.