skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Index tests for geosynthetic clay liners containing bentonite–polymer composites

Journal Article · · Environmental Geotechnics
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
  2. Golder Associates, Lakewood, CO, USA
  3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
  4. Geological Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA

The hydraulic conductivity of geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) containing bentonite–polymer composites (BPCs) is controlled by a pore clogging mechanism related to the swelling of sodium bentonite (NaB) granules and formation of polymer gel in the pore space. Three index testing procedures that are influenced by bentonite swelling and rheology of the polymer gel were evaluated in this study for screening BPC GCLs for hydraulic conductivity: viscosity, liquid limit by fall-cone penetration and active water content. Experiments were conducted using polyacrylamide (PAM) polymer, dry-blended mixtures of PAM and NaB and a BPC from a commercially available GCL. These materials were contacted with inorganic solutions representing leachates from a range of waste containment scenarios. For the BPC that was evaluated, hydraulic conductivities less than 10-10 m/s were obtained when the viscosity exceeded 220 mPa s and the active water content exceeded 300%. Hydraulic conductivities less than 10-11 m/s were achieved for viscosity exceeding 350 mPa s, fall-cone liquid limit exceeding 190 and active water content exceeding 300%. Additional testing is needed to assess the generality of these index tests and the identified thresholds when applied to other BPC GCLs and other permeant liquids.

Research Organization:
Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
FC01-06EW07053
OSTI ID:
1981019
Journal Information:
Environmental Geotechnics, Journal Name: Environmental Geotechnics; ISSN 2051-803X
Publisher:
Institution of Civil Engineers
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (44)

Hydraulic Conductivity and Swelling of Nonprehydrated GCLs Permeated with Single-Species Salt Solutions journal July 2001
Rheological Properties of Partially Hydrolyzed Polyacrylamide Solutions journal October 1987
Pore-Scale Imaging of Polymer-Modified Bentonite in Saline Solutions conference August 2016
Effect of salt solutions on chain structure of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide journal September 2008
Evaluating the hydraulic conductivity of GCLs permeated with non-standard liquids journal April 2000
Viscosity of Polymer-Modified Bentonite as a Hydraulic Performance Index conference August 2016
Properties of geosynthetics exhumed from a final cover at a solid waste landfill journal December 2010
Impact of Bentonite Quality on Hydraulic Conductivity of Geosynthetic Clay Liners journal January 2005
Hydraulic conductivity of a dense prehydrated GCL permeated with aggressive inorganic solutions journal June 2004
Hydraulic Performance of Geosynthetic Clay Liners in a Landfill Final Cover journal July 2007
The impact of mining solutions/liquors on geosynthetics journal April 2010
Geosynthetic Clay Liners Permeated with Chemical Solutions and Leachates journal April 1997
Calcium Induced Shrinking of NaPA Chains:  A SANS Investigation of Single Chain Behavior journal November 2003
Preparation and characterization of pH-sensitive, interpenetrating networks of poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(acrylic acid) journal February 1995
Effect of an Anion Ratio on the Hydraulic Conductivity of a Bentonite-Polymer Geosynthetic Clay Liner conference March 2017
Factors influencing the synthesis of tunable clay–polymer nanocomposites using bentonite and polyacrylamide journal March 2011
Fluid loss as a quick method to evaluate hydraulic conductivity of geosynthetic clay liners under acidic conditions journal February 2014
Poly(ethylene oxide)-sodium dodecyl sulfate interactions studied using static and dynamic light scattering journal December 1992
Hydraulic Performance of Geosynthetic Clay Liners Comprising Anionic Polymer–Enhanced Bentonites journal June 2022
Hydraulic Conductivity of Geosynthetic Clay Liners to Low-Level Radioactive Waste Leachate journal August 2016
Bonding between polyacrylamide and smectite journal June 2006
Hydraulic Conductivity of Geosynthetic Clay Liners Exhumed from Landfill Final Covers journal May 2007
Hydraulic Conductivity of Geosynthetic Clay Liners Exhumed from Landfill Final Covers with Composite Barriers journal January 2011
Hydraulic Conductivity of Bentonite–Polymer Composite Geosynthetic Clay Liners Permeated with Coal Combustion Product Leachates journal September 2019
Hydraulic Conductivity of Geosynthetic Clay Liners to Synthetic Coal Combustion Product Leachates conference February 2014
Synthesis and characterization of pH- and/or temperature-sensitive hydrogels journal October 1992
Quantifying Polymer Loading in Bentonite-Polymer Composites Using Loss on Ignition and Total Carbon Analyses journal November 2020
Complex Formation of Cation-Exchanged Montmorillonites with Propylene Carbonate: Osmotic Swelling in Aqueous Electrolyte Solutions journal January 1999
Geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) - chemical compatibility by hydraulic conductivity testing and factors impacting its performance journal December 1997
Enhanced bentonites for containment of inorganic waste leachates by GCLs journal August 2018
Evaluation of Na-Bentonite-Polyacrylte Mixtures to Enhance the Chemical Resistance of Geosynthetic Clay Liners conference August 2016
Long-Term Hydraulic Conductivity of a Geosynthetic Clay Liner Permeated with Inorganic Salt Solutions journal April 2005
Viscometric properties of dilute solutions of hydrolyzed polyacrylamide journal January 1983
Overview of performance compatibility issues of GCLs with respect to leachates of extreme chemistry journal April 2014
Long-Term Hydraulic Conductivity of a Bentonite-Polymer Composite Permeated with Aggressive Inorganic Solutions journal March 2014
Bentonite transformations in strongly alkaline solutions journal April 2010
Hydraulic Conductivity of Geosynthetic Clay Liners to Recirculated Municipal Solid Waste Leachates journal February 2016
A Study of the Hydration of the Alkali Metal Ions in Aqueous Solution journal December 2011
Long-term barrier performance of modified bentonite materials against sodium and calcium permeant solutions journal February 2008
Polymer Elution and Hydraulic Conductivity of Bentonite–Polymer Composite Geosynthetic Clay Liners journal October 2019
Hydraulic Conductivity and Swell of Nonprehydrated Geosynthetic Clay Liners Permeated with Multispecies Inorganic Solutions journal December 2004
Rate-limited cation exchange in thin bentonitic barrier layers journal April 2006
Hydraulic performance of untreated and polymer-treated bentonite in inorganic landfill leachates journal October 2002
Hydraulic Conductivity of Geosynthetic Clay Liners with Sodium Bentonite to Coal Combustion Product Leachates journal March 2018

Similar Records

Hydraulic Conductivity of Geosynthetic Clay Liners to Low-Level Radioactive Waste Leachate
Journal Article · Mon Apr 25 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering · OSTI ID:1981019

Geosynthetic clay liners permeated with chemical solutions and leachates
Journal Article · Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1997 · Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering · OSTI ID:1981019

Selected factors influencing GCL hydraulic conductivity
Journal Article · Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1997 · Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering · OSTI ID:1981019

Related Subjects