Investigating the effect of basalt fiber additive on the performance of clay barriers for radioactive waste disposals

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - Tập 80 - Trang 2461-2472 - 2020
Hajar Share Isfahani1, Amin Azhari2
1Department of Civil Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran
2Department of Mining Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran

Tóm tắt

Radioactive materials are widely used in mining, manufacturing, medicine, and agricultural processes. The waste products from these materials are hazardous and should be appropriately dumped. As a result, a proper radiation shielding barrier is required to avoid the contamination of the surrounding environment. Clay soil is an efficient and eco-friendly radiation shielding material, which is commonly used to cap the hazardous and radioactive landfills. In this research, the effects of basalt fiber additive in four percentages, including 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 on the bentonite clay radiation shielding performance, were investigated using experimental and simulation methods. Also, the permeability of the mixtures is controlled to be in the acceptable range as a vital parameter for radioactive disposal barriers. Chemical and microstructure analyses were conducted on the utilized material, using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Linear attenuation coefficient (μ), representing the material radiation shielding performance, was evaluated using the HPGe spectrometer detector, MCNP simulation code, and XCOM web program on the three commonly used gamma-ray energy levels of 137Cs (661.6 keV) and 60Co (1173.5 and 1332.5 keV). An acceptable agreement was observed between experimental and simulation results, revealing that adding basalt fiber improves the shielding performance due to a higher linear attenuation coefficient (μ), where 2% of basalt fiber leads to the highest values of 12.3 m−1, 10.14 m−1, and 8.5 m−1 obtained for 661.6 keV, 1173.2 keV, and 1332.5 keV energy levels, respectively. The results concluded that, due to radiation shielding performance, workability, and permeability limitations, the 2% basalt-bentonite mixture could be a new candidate covering low-level radioactive waste disposal.

Tài liệu tham khảo

Akbulut S, Sehhatigdiri A, Eroglu H, Çelik S (2015) A research on the radiation shielding effects of clay, silica fume and cement samples. Radiat Phys Chem 117:88–92 Auerbach SI (1958) The soil ecosystem and radioactive waste disposal to the ground. Ecology 39(3):522–529 Barron EG, Dickman S (1949) Studies on the mechanism of action of ionizing radiations: II. Inhibition of sulfhydryl enzymes by alpha, beta, and gamma rays. J Gen Physiol 32(5):595–605 Briesmeister, J. F. (2000). MCNPTM-A general Monte Carlo N-particle transport code. Version 4C, LA-13709-M, Los Alamos National Laboratory, 2 Chilton AB, Shultis JK, Faw RE (1984) Principles of radiation shielding. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs Day SR, O’Hannesin SF, Marsden L (1999) Geotechnical techniques for the construction of reactive barriers. J Hazard Mater 67(3):285–297 Divya PV, Viswanadham BVS, Gourc JP (2017a) Centrifuge modeling and digital image cross-correlation analysis of geofiber-reinforced clay-based landfill covers. J Geotech Geoenviron 143(1):04016076 Divya PV, Viswanadham BVS, Gourc JP (2017b) Centrifuge model study on the performance of fiber reinforced clay-based landfill covers subjected to flexural distress. Appl Clay Sci 142:173–184 Hejazi SM, Sheikhzadeh M, Abtahi SM, Zadhoush A (2012) A simple review of soil reinforcement by using natural and synthetic fibers. Constr Build Mater 30:100–116 Hicks TW, Baldwin TD, Hooker PJ, Richardson PJ, Chapman NA, McKinley IG, Neall FB (2008) Concepts for the geological disposal of intermediate-level radioactive waste. Sign 736:1 Hou Y, Li M, Gu Y, Yang Z, Li R, Zhang Z (2018) Gamma ray shielding property of tungsten powder modified continuous basalt fiber reinforced epoxy matrix composites. Polym Compos 39(S4):E2106–E2115 Hu H, Wang Q, Qin J, Wu Y, Zhang T, Xie Z, Zhang J et al (2008) Study on composite material for shielding mixed neutron and γ -rays. IEEE Trans Nucl Sci 55(4):2376–2384 Isfahani HS, Abtahi SM, Roshanzamir MA, Shirani A, Hejazi SM (2019a) Investigation on gamma-ray shielding and permeability of clay-steel slag mixture. Bull Eng Geol Environ 78(6):4589–4598 Isfahani HS, Abtahi SM, Roshanzamir MA, Shirani A, Hejazi SM (2019b) Permeability and gamma-ray shielding efficiency of clay modified by barite powder. Geotech Geol Eng 37(2):845–855 Jaeger, R. G., Blizard, E. P., Chilton, A. B., Grotenhuis, M., Hoenig, A., Jaeger, T. A., & Eisenlohr, H. H. (1968). Engineering compendium on radiation shielding volume I: shielding fundamentals and methods Koch D (2002) Bentonites as a basic material for technical base liners and site encapsulation cut-off walls. Appl Clay Sci 21(1–2):1–11 Krane KS, Halliday D (1988) Introductory Nuclear Physics, section 9.6. Wiley, New York Kroese DP, Brereton T, Taimre T, Botev ZI (2014) Why the Monte Carlo method is so important today. Wiley Interdisciplin Rev Comput Statist 6(6):386–392 Kucuk N, Tumsavas Z, Cakir M (2012) Determining photon energy absorption parameters for different soil samples. J Radiat Res 54(3):578–586 Li L, Lin C, Zhang Z (2017a) Utilization of shale-clay mixtures as a landfill liner material to retain heavy metals. Mater Des 114:73–82 Li R, Gu Y, Yang Z, Li M, Hou Y, Zhang Z (2017b) Gamma ray shielding property, shielding mechanism and predicting model of continuous basalt fiber reinforced polymer matrix composite containing functional filler. Mater Des 124:121–130 Li R, Gu Y, Zhang G, Yang Z, Li M, Zhang Z (2017c) Radiation shielding property of structural polymer composite: continuous basalt fiber reinforced epoxy matrix composite containing erbium oxide. Compos Sci Technol 143:67–74 Mahmoud KA, Tashlykov OL, Wakil AE, Zakaly HM, Aassy IE (2019) Investigation of radiation shielding properties for some building materials reinforced by basalt powder. In: AIP Conference Proceedings, vol 2174, No. 1. AIP Publishing LLC, Melville, p 020036 Mann HS, Brar GS, Mudahar GS (2016a) Gamma-ray shielding effectiveness of novel light-weight clay-flyash bricks. Radiat Phys Chem 127:97–101 Mann KS, Heer MS, Rani A (2016b) Investigation of clay bricks for storage facilities of radioactive-wastage. Appl Clay Sci 119:249–256 Martin JE (2006) Ch. 8: Radiation Shielding. In: Physics for radiation protection: a handbook. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, pp 367–423 Medjahed A, Derradji M, Zegaoui A, Wu R, Li B (2019) Mechanical and gamma rays shielding properties of a novel fiber-metal laminate based on a basalt/phthalonitrile composite and an Al-Li alloy. Compos Struct 210:421–429 Murphy MP, Hysong RJ, Edwards CW (1989) Low-level radioactive waste disposal technology development through a public process. Trans Am Nucl Soc 60 NIST XCOM. (2010). Element/compound/mixture - physical measurement, National Institude of Standard and Technology, Retrieved from: https://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/Xcom/Text/ref.html Ono M, Shinsha H, Nakagawa D, Maruoka H, Tsutsumi A (2018) Work for volume reduction of clay in the new waste disposal area in Tokyo port. J JSCE 6(1):32–48 Prakash A, Poulose E (2016) Kuttanad clay amended laterite as a landfill liner for waste disposal facilities. Int J Scient Eng Res 4(3):75–78 Romanenko I, Holiuk M, Kutsyn P, Kutsyna I, Odynokin H, Nosovskyi A et al (2019) New composite material based on heavy concrete reinforced by basalt-boron fiber for radioactive waste management. EPJ Nuclear Sci Technol 5:22 Ryan M (1998) Planning and operation of low level waste disposal facilities. Health Phys 74:119 Seed, H. B., Wookward, R. J., & Lundgren, R. (1964). Clay mineralogical aspects of the Atterberg limits. Journal of Soil Mechanics & Foundations Div, 90(Proc. Paper 3983) Shultis JK, Faw RE (2012) Radiation shielding. Encyclop Sustain Sci Technol:8536–8559 Skarżyński Ł (2020) Mechanical and radiation shielding properties of concrete reinforced with boron-basalt fibers using digital image correlation and X-ray micro-computed tomography. Constr Build Mater 255:119252 Weisstein, E. W. (2003). Eric Weisstein’s world of physics. Retrieved from: http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/MoessbauerSpectroscopy.html Zegaoui A, Derradji M, Ghouti HA, Medjahed A, Zu LW, Liu WB et al (2019) Synergetic effects of short carbon/basalt hybrid fibers on the mechanical, thermal and nuclear shielding properties of DCBA/BA-a resin composites. Compo Commu 15:179–185 Zegaoui A, Derradji M, Medjahed A, Ghouti HA, Cai WA, Liu WB et al (2020) Exploring the hybrid effects of short glass/basalt fibers on the mechanical, thermal and gamma-radiation shielding properties of DCBA/BA-a resin composites. Polymer-Plastics Technol Mat 59(3):311–322 Zorla E, Ipbüker C, Biland A, Kiisk M, Kovaljov S, Tkaczyk AH, Gulik V (2017) Radiation shielding properties of high performance concrete reinforced with basalt fibers infused with natural and enriched boron. Nucl Eng Des 313:306–318