Open Accesn Version

Abstract:
Portland cement paste is proposed as the material to filling in the annulus between the casing of a borehole and the geological formation in a deep repository for spent sealed radiation sources in Brazil. The cement paste is intended to function as structural material, an additional barrier against the migration of radionuclides outside the repository, and as a blockage against the transport of water between the different strata of the geological setting. The objective of this research is to investigate the behavior of the cement paste and to estimate its service life. In this paper we present the results of mechanical strength measurements and chemical and mineralogical analysis of samples to detect the changes caused by radiation, temperature and aggressive chemicals of groundwater to which the material will be exposed. Methods of analysis included Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy, Ion Chromatography, XRay Diffraction, and Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis.