Influences of salt solutions and salinization-desalinization processes on the volume change of compacted GMZ01 bentonite

- Cyclic salinization-desalinization swelling tests were conducted on densely compacted GMZ01 bent.
- The swelling behavior of GMZ01 bent was influenced by cation types and concentrations of salt solutions.
- Cation with higher replacing power can also be replaced by another one with lower replacing capacity.
- Swelling of specimens initially infiltrated with KCl solutions can be explained by the strong K-linkage.

Investigation on influences of cyclic salinization-desalinization processes on clay is of great importance for evaluation of the behavior of engineering barrier in deep geological repository for disposal of high-level radioactive waste. In this study, one-dimensional free swelling tests were conducted on densely compacted GMZ01 bentonite specimens, which has an initial dry density of 1.7 Mg/m3, with cyclically infiltration of NaCl, CaCl2 or KCl solution at different concentrations and de-ionized water. Results show that the volume change of the compacted clay could be influenced by concentrations and cation types of solutions, as well as number of salinization-desalinization cycles during the salinization-desalinization processes. The total swelling strain of GMZ01 bentonite specimens measured on the first salinization with salt solutions at a same concentration follows an order: NaCl > CaCl2 > KCl. This observation could be explained by the influences of basal space, DDL theory and K-linkage. A cation with higher replacing power can be replaced by another cation with lower replacing capacity when it has a higher concentration in the pore solution. The concentration effect on the swelling behavior of GMZ01 bentonite was explained using the concept of osmotic suction for specimens initially infiltrated with NaCl solutions. For specimens initially infiltrated with CaCl2 solutions, in addition to the osmotic suction effect, the distance between the unit layers of montmorillonite also played a role in explaining the swelling behavior. The swelling behavior of specimens initially infiltrated with KCl solutions could be explained by the strong K-linkage.