Swelling ability and behaviour of bentonite-based materials for deep repository engineered barrier systems:Influence of physical,chemical and thermal factors

Compacted bentonite-sand(B/S)mixtures have been used as a barrier material in engineered barrier systems(EBSs)of deep geological repositories(DGR)to store nuclear wastes.This study investigates the individual and combined effects of different chemical compositions of deep groundwaters(chemical factor)at potential repository sites in Canada(the Trenton and Guelph regions in Ontario),heat generated in DGRs(thermal factor),dry densities and mass ratios of bentonite and sand mixtures(physical factors)on the swelling behavior and ability of bentonite-based materials.In this study,swelling tests are conducted on B/S mixtures with different B/S mix ratios(20/80 to 70/30),compacted at different dry densities(ρd=1.6-2 g/cm^(3)),saturated with different types of water(distilled water and simulated deep groundwater of Trenton and Guelph)and exposed to different temperatures(20℃-80℃).Moreover,scanning electron microscopy(SEM)analyses,mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP)tests and X-ray diffractometry(XRD)analyses are carried out to evaluate the morphological,microstructural and mineralogical characteristics of the B/S mixtures.The test results indicate that the swelling potential of the B/S mixtures is significantly affected by these physical and chemical factors as well as the combined effects of the chemical and thermal factors.A significant decrease in the swelling capacity is observed when the B/S materials are exposed to the aforementioned groundwaters.A large decrease in the swelling capacity is observed for higher bentonite content in the mixtures.Moreover,higher temperatures intensify the chemically-induced reduction of the swelling capacity of the B/S barrier materials.This decrease in the swelling capacity is caused by the chemical and/or microstructural changes of the materials.The results from this research will help engineers to design and build EBSs for DGRs with similar groundwater and thermal conditions.

The Influence of Gratering, Fermentation and Variety on the Physio-Chemical Quality of Cassava Starch

The study was conducted to determine the influence of gratering and fermentation parameters on the physicochemical quality of starch obtained from two cassava varieties in Sierra Leone (i.e., SLICASS 11 and SLICASS 6). Fresh cassava roots harvested from the Department of Agricultural Engineering were peeled, washed and grated before fermentation and starch extraction. Fermentation was carried out under separate aerobic and anaerobic conditions for a period of Seven days. Physicochemical analyses were conducted at the Postharvest Food and Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory of the Department of Agricultural and Bio-System Engineering, Njala University to determine the solubility, water absorption capacity and swelling power of starch extracts obtained from various experimental treatments. Fermentation method and duration had significant effects on the solubility, water absorption capacity (WAC) and swelling power (SP) of starch extracts. Maximum solubility and WAC were recorded on the fifth day, for both cassava varieties tested, with apparent significant difference resulting from the two gratering bands (i.e., with 1.5-inch nail hole and 4-inch nail hole sizes, respectively). While swelling power increased consistently with temperature for starch obtained from SLICASS-11 variety, an irregular pattern was observed for SLICASS-6 variety. A multiple correlation analysis proposes a significant and weak correlation between temperature, WAC (+0.150) and swelling power (+0.048). Also multiple correlation analyses suggest a significant correlation between fermentation period, the functional properties of starch extracts obtained from both fermentation methods and cassava varieties (i.e., solubility (−0.226), water absorption capacity (+0.301) and swelling power (+0.329)).

PHASE EQUILIBRIUM FOR THE TERNARY SYSTEM VINYL CHLORIDE-CHLORINATED POLYETHYLENE-POLY(VINYL CHLORIDE)

Swelling capacity of vinyl chloride (VC) in chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) with 25—40 wt% Cl at temperature 30—57℃ was studied and their relationships were correlated with Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption equations. A ternary phase diagram for VC-CPE-PVC was also established. In-situ polymerization conditions of CPE-g-VC were proposed and CPE content control was analyzed for the manufacturing process of CPE-g-VC graft product based on results of phase equilibrium study.

Acetylation of Starch Extracted from Rejected Fruits of <i>Musa ×paradisiaca L.</i>to Obtain a Pharmaceutical Disintegrant

There are many natural sources to obtain pharmaceutical grade starch, one of which is banana (Musa × paradisiaca L.);nevertheless, the use of native starch has certain disadvantages compared to modified starches, whose disintegrating properties are better. In this study, starch extracted from rejected fruits of Musa × paradisiaca L., was modified by acetylation, under the following optimized experimental conditions: 130 mL acetic anhydride, 3 mL sodium hydroxide 50% p/v for each 15 grams of native starch, at 123℃ during 3 hours. The reaction resulted in a modified green banana starch with twice as much swelling capacity compared to unmodified (native) starch;acetylation was verified by infrared spectroscopy and degree of substitution of acetyl groups by back titration. The dissolution profiles of Ibuprofen tablets made with banana modified starch and commercial disintegrant, have no differences according with their similarity factor, f2. It is concluded that it is feasible to use green banana starch modified through acetylation as a pharmaceutical disintegrant.

Tough superabsorbent poly(acrylic acid) nanocomposite physical hydrogels fabricated by a dually cross-linked single network strategy

In this work, we report a facile method for the preparation of tough and highly stretchable physical hydrogels by dual cross-linking composed of vinyl-hybrid silica nanoparticles（VSNPs） as multivalent covalent cross-linking and hydrogen bonding as physical cross-linking. Poly（acrylic acid） nanocomposite physical hydrogels（NCP gels） are obtained without adding any organic chemical cross-linkers. When the content of VSNPs is 0.7 wt%（relative to the monomer）, the NCP gels exhibit good mechanical properties（fracture strength = 370 k Pa, elongation at break = 2200%） and a high swelling capacity in both deionized water（2300 g/g） and saline（220 g/g）. Meanwhile, the NCP gels have good recovery ability.