Quantification and comparison of the reaction properties of FEBEX and MX-80 clays with saponite: Europium immobilisers under subcritical conditions

The evaluation of the retention mechanisms in FEBEX and MX-80 bentonites, selected as reference materials to construct engineered barriers, carries major implications in the safe storage of immobilisation capacity through a recently discovered chemical retention mechanism and the structural analysis of the reaction products. Hydrothermal treatments were accomplished with immobilisation capacity through a recently discovered chemical retention mechanism and the structural analysis of the reaction products. Hydrothermal treatments were accomplished with Eu(NO3)3 (151Eu and 153Eu, with 52.2% 153Eu) and spiked with radioactive 152Eu for the quantification of the reactions. Results were compared with saponite as the reference smectite. The strong dependence of the reaction parameters with temperature and time was quantified and the reaction velocity was evaluated. The velocity follows these trends: 240 days are needed for the total retention of europium for temperatures over 200 °C; below 150 °C, significantly longer reaction times, on the order of three years, are required to complete the reaction. Clays do not influence velocity rates, but the retention capacity of bentonites remains lower than for saponite. At 300 °C, the milliequivalents retained by the three clays are consistently over CEC. The structural analyses reveal not only adsorption of europiumbut also the presence of Eu(OH)3 precipitation and Eu2SiO3 confirming the existence of a chemical reaction.