Thermal conductivity of rocksalt and other geologic materials from the site of the proposed waste isolation pilot plant

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5780185

Sweet, J N; McCreight, J E

The measurements first reported by Acton on the thermal conductivity of samples taken from a borehole at the site of the proposed nuclear waste isolation pilot plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, NM, have been extended to include additional samples and higher temperature measurements. Samples for our measurements were taken from several depths of three wells, including the well AEC 8 from which Acton obtained his samples. These samples ranged from relatively pure rocksalt (NaCl) with small amounts of interstitial anhydrite to essentially nonsalt samples composed of gypsum or clay. The measurements in this latest series were conducted at Sandia using the longitudinal heat flow apparatus described by Acton, at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) using a transient line source technique, and at Dynatech Corp., Cambridge, MA using a linear heat flow comparative technique. On the basis of these experiments, we have concluded that the thermal conductivity of materials found at the site can be predicted to an accuracy approx. +- 30% from knowledge of the composition and grain size of these materials.

• Research Organization: Sandia Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-04-0789
• OSTI ID: 5780185
• Report Number(s): SAND-79-1665C; CONF-791134-7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
053000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
510301 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- Soil-- (-1987)
510500 -- Environment
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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BOREHOLES
CAVITIES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DATA ANALYSIS
DATA FORMS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GRAPHS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
MANAGEMENT
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PILOT PLANTS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
SALT DEPOSITS
SAMPLING
SIZE
SOUTHWEST REGION
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT