Category:

Author(s): Heuijoo Choi, Jae Owan Lee, Jong Youl Lee

Keywords: bentonite buffer, buffer, compacted bentonite, high-level radioactive waste repository, thermal conductivity, transient plane source (tps) method

Abstract: Bentonite buffer is a key element in a high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository as it dissipates decay heat from the waste to the surrounding rock. This article looked at Kyeongju bentonite as a candidate buffer material and investigated the dependence of thermal conductivity on various experimental conditions. A thermal analyzer instrument was used to measure thermal conductivity using the transient plane source method. Thermal conductivity was found to increase with an increase in water content and dry density of bentonite.

Reference: Annals of Nuclear Energy, 94: 848-855

DOI: 10.1016/j.anucene.2016.04.053