Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Crandell, L.E.
• Peters, C.A.
• Um, W.
• Jones, K.W.
• Lindquist, W.B.

Titel

Changes in the pore network structure of Hanford sediment after reaction with caustic tank wastes

Ist Teil von

• Journal of contaminant hydrology, 2012-04, Vol.131 (1-4), p.89-99

Ort / Verlag

Kidlington: Elsevier B.V

Erscheinungsjahr

2012

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• At the former nuclear weapon production site in Hanford, WA, caustic radioactive tank waste leaks into subsurface sediments and causes dissolution of quartz and aluminosilicate minerals, and precipitation of sodalite and cancrinite. This work examines changes in pore structure due to these reactions in a previously-conducted column experiment. The column was sectioned and 2D images of the pore space were generated using backscattered electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. A pre-precipitation scenario was created by digitally removing mineral matter identified as secondary precipitates. Porosity, determined by segmenting the images to distinguish pore space from mineral matter, was up to 0.11 less after reaction. Erosion–dilation analysis was used to compute pore and throat size distributions. Images with precipitation had more small and fewer large pores. Precipitation decreased throat sizes and the abundance of large throats. These findings agree with previous findings based on 3D X-ray CMT imaging, observing decreased porosity, clogging of small throats, and little change in large throats. However, 2D imaging found an increase in small pores, mainly in intragranular regions or below the resolution of the 3D images. Also, an increase in large pores observed via 3D imaging was not observed in the 2D analysis. Changes in flow conducting throats that are the key permeability-controlling features were observed in both methods. ► Precipitation on all grain surfaces reduced pore sizes and clogged some pore throats. ► 2D SEM imaging captures small pores and throats missed by 3D CMT imaging. ► 2D and 3D image analyses both capture permeability controlling changes.