Study of the Processes Related to the Water Uptake of Eurobitum Bituminized Radioactive Waste: Effect of Salt Concentration

2009 ◽  
Vol 1193 ◽  
Author(s):  
An Mariën ◽  
Steven Smets ◽  
Elie Valcke
Keyword(s):  
Water Uptake ◽  
High Pressures ◽  
Salt Content ◽  
Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Constitutive Law ◽  
Pressure Increase ◽  
Environmental Scanning ◽  
Boom Clay ◽  
Salt Crystals ◽  
Hygroscopic Salts

AbstractA coupled hydro-chemical-mechanical constitutive law for the Belgian Eurobitum bituminized waste is being developed by the International Centre for Numerical Methods and Engineering (Polytechnical University of Cataluña, Spain) to contribute to the study of the compatibility of Eurobitum with Boom Clay as a geological disposal environment. A large experimental programme is ongoing at SCK•CEN to support the development of a constitutive law for Eurobitum. Water uptake tests are being performed under different conditions to obtain insights in the parameters that influence the water uptake behaviour of Eurobitum. Furthermore, Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy and microfocus X-ray Computer Tomography are used to characterize hydrated samples in order to improve the understanding of the water uptake processes.The salt content, the distribution of the salt crystals, and the membrane efficiency in the Eurobitum samples affect the swelling and pressure increase rate. High membrane efficiencies and a large amount of hygroscopic salts inside the Eurobitum samples result in very high pressures when almost no swelling is allowed. The pressure in small inactive samples with 28 wt.% NaNO3has risen to ∼19 MPa after ∼3 years of hydration in nearly constant volume conditions. Slower pressure increase rates are being measured for samples with 6, 12, 18, and 33 wt.% NaNO3.

The Use of μCT and ESEM in the Study of the Osmosis-Induced Water Uptake by Eurobitum Bituminized Radioactive Waste

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 1163-1180 ◽  
Author(s):  
An Mariën ◽  
Elie Valcke ◽  
Nele Bleyen ◽  
Maarten Van Geet ◽  
Martine Wevers
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Nuclear Research ◽  
Constant Volume ◽  
Constant Stress ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Environmental Scanning ◽  
Diffusion Controlled ◽  
Salt Crystals

AbstractLaboratory water uptake tests are performed at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK•CEN to obtain insight into the hydromechanical behavior of Eurobitum bituminized radioactive waste under geological disposal conditions. Small nonradioactive and radioactive Eurobitum samples are hydrated in restricted swelling conditions (i.e., nearly constant volume conditions and constant stress conditions). Microfocus X-ray computer tomography (μCT) proves to be a very suitable technique to follow up the ingress of water in the samples. μCT analyses demonstrate that, under the studied hydration conditions, the water uptake by Eurobitum samples is a diffusion controlled process. A characterization of the partially leached samples with environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) shows that the hydration of salt crystals and the subsequent dilution of the salt solution result in an increase in pore size that is limited to a few tens of μm in restricted swelling conditions. The μCT and ESEM analyses allow improvement in the understanding of water uptake by Eurobitum in restricted swelling conditions. In this article we discuss the μCT and ESEM analyses of nonradioactive Eurobitum samples that were hydrated for 2 to 4 years at a constant stress of 1, 22, 33, and 44 bar or in nearly constant volume conditions.

Osmosis: the key process that drives water uptake and swelling of Eurobitum Bituminized Radioactive Waste

MRS Advances ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (62) ◽  
pp. 4109-4115
Author(s):  
K. Hendrix ◽  
N. Bleyen ◽  
S. Smets ◽  
W. Verwimp ◽  
X. Sillen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Activity ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Management Option ◽  
Boom Clay ◽  
Swelling Rate ◽  
Hygroscopic Salts ◽  
Clay Formation ◽  
Term Management ◽  
Pressure Evolution

ABSTRACTIn Belgium, the preferred long-term management option for Eurobitum bituminized ILW is its final disposal in a geologically stable clay formation such as the Boom Clay, which is studied as a reference host formation. After disposal, clay pore water will infiltrate the secondary concrete waste containers filled each with ten Eurobitum drums. Eurobitum contains hygroscopic salts, mostly NaNO3 (20-30 wt%) and CaSO4 (4-6 wt%), and thus will take up water and swell. If swelling is hindered, a pressure will be exerted on the concrete container and ultimately on the surrounding Boom Clay, possibly inducing stresses in the clay close to the disposal galleries. To improve our understanding of these processes, water uptake tests are ongoing in which inactive Eurobitum is contacted with 0.1 M KOH (representing young cement water). These tests suggest that the swelling is mainly driven by osmosis. This understanding was validated in the presented research by varying the water activity of the leachant in water uptake tests in both constant stress and constant volume conditions. After a stable swelling rate was reached in contact with 0.1 M KOH, the leachant was switched in the following order: nearly saturated (∼7.8 M) NaNO3 – 0.1 M KOH – nearly saturated NaNO3 – 4 M NaNO3 – 0.1 M KOH. The changes in swelling rate and pressure evolution correlated nicely to the changes in water activity. This confirms that osmosis is the key process governing the swelling of Eurobitum.

Water-Uptake Studies of Dry, Mountain Pine Beetle-Infested, Grey-Stage Lodgepole Pine Sapwood Chips

TAPPI Journal ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 22-28
Author(s):  
THOMAS Q. HU ◽  
MICHELLE ZHAO ◽  
JAMES DRUMMOND ◽  
PAUL WATSON
Keyword(s):  
Water Uptake ◽  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
Water Movement ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Environmental Scanning ◽  
Chemical Tracer ◽  
Mountain Pine ◽  
Pine Beetle ◽  
Uptake Studies

Water-uptake studies of dry, mountain pine beetle-infested, grey-stage lodgepole pine (LPP) sapwood chips showed that it was possible to increase the moisture content of these chips significantly (e.g., from 20.5% to 37.0% for early-grey chips) by soaking the chips for 8 min–10 min at optimal conductivity (~200 μS/cm) and pH (~6.0). The environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM)-energy-dispersive spectroscopy chemical-tracer technique provided qualitative information on water movement within 10 min of water soaking of both the green and the beetle-infested, late-grey LPP blocks. ESEM studies also showed the presence of fissures, fungal hyphae, and incipient decay in the late-grey blocks.

Environmental scanning electron microscopy of fresh human gallstones reveals new morphologies of precipitated calcium salts

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 1322-1323
Author(s):  
Howard S. Kaufman ◽  
Keith D. Lillemoe ◽  
John T. Mastovich ◽  
Henry A. Pitt
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Environmental Scanning ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Calcium Salts ◽  
Cholesterol Gallstones ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Ca Carbonate ◽  
Scanning Electron

Gallstones contain precipitated cholesterol, calcium salts, and proteins. Calcium (Ca) bilirubinate, palmitate, phosphate, and carbonate occurring in gallstones have variable morphologies but characteristic windowless energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectra. Previous studies of gallstone microstructure and composition using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with EDX have been limited to dehydrated samples. In this state, Ca bilirubinates appear as either glassy masses, which predominate in black pigment stones, or as clusters, which are found mostly in cholesterol gallstones. The three polymorphs of Ca carbonate, calcite, vaterite, and aragonite, have been identified in gallstones by x-ray diffraction, however; the morphologies of these crystals vary in the literature. The purpose of this experiment was to study fresh gallstones by environmental SEM (ESEM) to determine if dehydration affects gallstone Ca salt morphology.Gallstones and bile were obtained fresh at cholecystectomy from 6 patients. To prevent dehydration, stones were stored in bile at 37°C. All samples were studied within 4 days of procurement.

Detector strategies for environmental scanning electron microscopy

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 1296-1297
Author(s):  
Klaus-Ruediger Peters
Keyword(s):  
High Vacuum ◽  
Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Charge Carriers ◽  
Environmental Scanning ◽  
Surface Information ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Detector Electrode ◽  
Electrons And Ions ◽  
Low Energy Electrons ◽  
Environmental Sem

Environmental SEM operate at specimen chamber pressures of ∼20 torr (2.7 kPa) allowing stabilization of liquid water at room temperature, working on rugged insulators, and generation of an environmental secondary electron (ESE) signal. All signals available in conventional high vacuum instruments are also utilized in the environmental SEM, including BSE, SE, absorbed current, CL, and X-ray. In addition, the ESEM allows utilization of the flux of charge carriers as information, providing exciting new signal modes not available to BSE imaging or to conventional high vacuum SEM.In the ESEM, at low vacuum, SE electrons are collected with a “gaseous detector”. This detector collects low energy electrons (and ions) with biased wires or plates similar to those used in early high vacuum SEM for SE detection. The detector electrode can be integrated into the first PLA or positioned at any other place resulting in a versatile system that provides a variety of surface information.

scholarly journals 616 Preventing Biofilms on BACTIGON® Coated Camstent Urinary Catheters in Patients Undergoing Elective Colorectal Surgery: A Single Centre Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Lewis-Lloyd ◽  
J Dubern ◽  
K Kalenderski ◽  
N Halliday ◽  
M Alexander ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Environmental Scanning ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Urinary Catheters ◽  
Elective Colorectal Surgery ◽  
Mineral Compositions ◽  
Microscopy Data ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
Biofilm Development ◽  
Hospital Acquired

Abstract Introduction Catheter associated urinary tract infections account for 40% of hospital acquired infections. They are associated with biofilms consisting of bacterial cells enmeshed in a self-generated extracellular matrix adhering to catheter surfaces. We have developed a novel polymer family that, coated onto urinary catheters, creates a “non-stick” surface preventing biofilm development. Method Prospective cohort of elective colorectal patients recruited pre-operatively, received a standard silicone (SS) or Camstent (BACTIGON®) coated urinary catheter. After removal, catheters were cut longitudinally into 3 segments. Biomass and biomineralisation were analysed using confocal fluorescence microscopy. Data were normalised by square rooting the catheter indwelling duration. Environmental scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy was performed. Results Of 40 patients, 20 each received a SS or coated catheter. Between SS and coated catheters, average indwelling duration was similar and biofilm biomass was 32.068µg/cm2 (95%CI ±21.950) vs. 1.948µg/cm2 (95%CI ±2.595) (P = 0.0111). Confocal microscopy suggested a 93.93% reduction in biofilm biomass on coated catheters. Mineral compositions were different with biofilm and struvite/apatite on SS and calcium oxalate, endogenously derived, on coated catheters. Conclusions Inert BACTIGON® coated catheters appear superior at preventing biofilm formation than SS catheters. Clinical trials are needed to determine the clinical and health economic benefit of this intervention.

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