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Title: OPC Paste Samples Exposed To Aggressive Solutions. Cementitious Barriers Partnership

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1288262· OSTI ID:1288262
 [1]
  1. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

The study presented in this report focused on a low-activity wasteform containing a high-pH pore solution with a significant level of sulfate. The purpose of the study was to improve understanding of the complex concrete/wasteform reactive transport problem, in particular, the role of pH in sulfate attack. Paste samples prepared at three different water-to-cement ratios were tested. The mixtures were prepared with ASTM Type I cement, without additional admixtures. The samples were exposed to two different sodium sulfate contact solutions. The first solution was prepared at 0.15M Na2SO4. The second solution also incorporated 0.5M NaOH, to mimic the high pH conditions found in Saltstone. The data collected indicated that, in Na2SO4 solution, damage occurs to the pastes. In the case of the high-pH sulfate solution (Na2SO4 + NaOH), no signs of damage were observed on any of the paste mixtures. These results indicate that the high sulfate content found in the wasteform pore solution will not necessarily lead to severe damage to concrete. Good-quality mixtures could thus prove durable over the long term, and act as an effective barrier to prevent radionuclides from reaching the environment.

Research Organization:
Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC09-08SR22470
OSTI ID:
1288262
Report Number(s):
CBP-TR-2015-001; TRN: US1601684
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English