Diffusion of Technetium in Compacted Bentonites in the Reducing
Condition with Corrosion Products of Iron
ABSTRACTIn the vicinity of a high-level waste repository, corrosion of carbon steel overpacks will create a reducing environment. Reducing conditions are expected to retard the migration of redox-sensitive radionuclides such as technetium.The apparent diffusion coefficients of technetium were measured in compacted bentonites (Kunigel VI® and Kunipia F®, JAPAN) in contact with carbon steel and its corrosion products under reducing conditions or without carbon steel under oxidizing conditions for comparison. The apparent diffusion coefficients measured were 10-12 to 10-13 m2/s under oxidizing conditions and 10-12 to 10-13 m2/s under reducing conditions. There were significant effects of redox condition, dry density (0.2 to 2.3 g / cm3) and montmorillonite content (50% for Kunigel VI or 100% for Kunipia F) on the apparent diffusion coefficients. Montmorillonite density could be a good index to explain density dependence of the diffusion coefficients under both reducing and oxidizing conditions.