Constraints on Cement-Clay Interaction

Cement and clay will be used extensively in geological disposal facilities for radioactive wastes, but the long-term interaction of hyperalkaline pore fluids from cement with clay may be detrimental to the latterʹs containment properties (swelling pressure, hydraulic conductivity, etc.). An evaluation of the thermodynamic stability of minerals in the cement-clay system shows that mineral alteration will depend to a large degree upon the specific characteristics of the rock-groundwater system at a disposal site.