An accelerated leaching test to evaluate the long term behaviour of concrete in waste disposal

Abstract

The present work describes an accelerated leaching method that with a rapid process allows to develop and evaluate cements for use in a nuclear disposal, and the understanding of the long term effects. The method has been developed to study the stability of cementitious materials in contact with bentonite, to be used in high level radioactivity waste repositories, assuming that granitic water will be the leachant agent. Nitric and carbonic acids have been selected to induce the accelerated acid attack on pastes. Results have indicated the more aggressive character of carbonic acid and the suitability of the acid neutralisation to find out the alkaline reserve of the different tested pastes.