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Applied Sciences
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Applied Geochemistry and Clay Science
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Applied Geochemistry and Clay Science

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 May 2022) | Viewed by 12257

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Victoria Krupskaya

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Ore Geology, Petrography, Mineralogy and Geochemistry, Russian Academy of Science (IGEM RAS), 119017 Moscow, Russia
Interests: clays and clay minerals; mineral transformation due to geological and teсhnological processes; bentonite; radioactive waste isolation; sedimentology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, the main focus of which a combination of clay science, industrial mineralogy, and technogenesis.

The development of the economy leads to the formation of various technogenic processes, which can quickly lead to changes in the environment, biosphere, and technological parameters of various objects.

In this Special Issue, we invite papers discussing the impact of various anthropogenic/technogenic processes on the geological environment and biosphere, the use of clay materials in construction and the possible transformation of building materials over time, and the transformation of the chemical and mineralogical composition of clay minerals exposed to highly toxic including radioactive waste (RW). Additionally, we invite papers on the use of knowledge about clay minerals as a tool for solving various problems in the field of geological interpretation, facies analysis, art, pharmaceuticals, and, to a greater extent, for solving various environmental problems.

Clay minerals are difficult objects to study, so any research providing results aimed at methodological support of the analysis of clay materials and the development/implementation of an integrated analytical approach to the study of clay materials is of great significance.

Separately, studies aimed at studying the processes occurring in near-surface and deep geological disposal sites for radioactive waste, as well as at nuclear and radiation hazardous facilities after their decommissioning; the interaction of materials of engineered barrier systems (EBS); the transformation of radioactive waste matrices; the impact of pore water, temperature, pH of the environment. and other factors on the composition and properties of the EBS materials; and the behavior of bentonite in natural and model conditions of radioactive waste storage are invited.

Dr. Victoria Krupskaya
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Clay minerals
  • Waste matrix
  • Bentonite
  • Geochemistry
  • Radioactive waste
  • Technological processes
  • Technogenic processes
  • Engineered barriers
  • Microbiological impact
  • Properties of clay materials
  • Analysis of clay materials

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 4399 KiB  
Article
Bentonite–Concrete Interactions in Engineered Barrier Systems during the Isolation of Radioactive Waste Based on the Results of Short-Term Laboratory Experiments
by Ivan Morozov, Sergey Zakusin, Pavel Kozlov, Olga Zakusina, Marat Roshchin, Michail Chernov, Kirill Boldyrev, Tatiana Zaitseva, Ekaterina Tyupina and Victoria Krupskaya
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(6), 3074; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12063074 - 17 Mar 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2772
Abstract
Bentonite clays have unique properties that determine their use as the main component of engineered barrier systems (EBS) for the isolation of radioactive waste. At present, the Russian Federation is elaborating the concept of deep geological disposal of radioactive waste in crystalline rocks [...] Read more.
Bentonite clays have unique properties that determine their use as the main component of engineered barrier systems (EBS) for the isolation of radioactive waste. At present, the Russian Federation is elaborating the concept of deep geological disposal of radioactive waste in crystalline rocks of the Yeniseisky site, where bentonite clays play an important role in ensuring the safety of the repository for a long period of time. This work demonstrates the first results of short-term laboratory experiments (1 and 3 months) on the thermochemical interaction of bentonite and concrete in the presence of synthetic water at an elevated temperature. These experiments will help predict the effect of EBS materials on montmorillonite. Bentonite from the 10th Khutor deposit (Russia) and Portland cement were used in the experiments. At the first stage of the experiments, solutions were obtained after leaching the concrete with a synthetic groundwater solution for 1 month at 90 °C. At the second stage, the interactions of the obtained solutions with bentonite at 90 °C were studied. As a result of the experiments, the processes of concrete leaching were revealed, which changed the composition and acidity (an increase in the pH from 6.1 to 12.1) of the synthetic water and led to an increase in the porosity of the material in contact with the solution. However, no dissolution of montmorillonite was observed, and the changes were quite small. The research results show the high stability of bentonite from the 10th Khutor deposit under model conditions, which was confirmed by modeling. Thus, we can say that at pH ≈ 12 and at elevated temperatures, montmorillonite retains a stable structure for a long time, which is important for ensuring the safety of disposal in general. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Geochemistry and Clay Science)
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14 pages, 9124 KiB  
Article
Characteristics and Rates of Microbial Processes in Clays of Different Mineral and Elemental Composition in Relation to Safety Prediction for ESB Clay Materials
by Elena Abramova, Nadezhda Popova, Grigoriy Artemiev, Viktoria Zharkova, Elena Zakharova and Alexey Safonov
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(4), 1843; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12041843 - 10 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1855
Abstract
Microbial activity in clay barrier materials during radioactive waste disposal can lead to a violation of important physicochemical properties of the barrier system as a whole, thereby reducing the safety of the storage facility. This work evaluates the activity of the microbial complex [...] Read more.
Microbial activity in clay barrier materials during radioactive waste disposal can lead to a violation of important physicochemical properties of the barrier system as a whole, thereby reducing the safety of the storage facility. This work evaluates the activity of the microbial complex of five bentonite and two kaolin clays. All clay materials were found to contain microorganisms, mostly with organotrophic aerobic and anaerobic metabolism capable of forming hydrogen sulfide and transforming basic and impurity clay minerals. The activity of microorganisms can increase with the ingress of degradation products of aluminophosphate matrices and cement barriers, as well as radiolysis products. For all clay the rates of microbial processes were shown to exhibit a direct correlation with the content of organic matter, kaolinite, and potassium feldspar, and an inverse correlation with montmorillonite content. A systematic methodological approach is proposed for clay materials and their susceptibility to microbial processes. The approach makes it possible, based on the content of organic matter, biophilic elements in the samples, parameters of the respiratory activity of the microbial complex, the formation of hydrogen sulfide, and other parameters, to assess in advance the possibility of using them in barriers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Geochemistry and Clay Science)
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11 pages, 2624 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Activation of Smectite-Based Nanocomposites for Creation of Smart Fertilizers
by Maxim Rudmin, Santanu Banerjee, Boris Makarov, Kanipa Ibraeva and Alexander Konstantinov
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(2), 809; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12020809 - 13 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1717
Abstract
This research presents the mechanical creation of smart fertilizers from a mixture of smectite and urea in a 3:2 ratio by using the planetary milling technique. The smectite–urea composites show intercalation between urea and mineral, which increases steadily with increasing activation time. A [...] Read more.
This research presents the mechanical creation of smart fertilizers from a mixture of smectite and urea in a 3:2 ratio by using the planetary milling technique. The smectite–urea composites show intercalation between urea and mineral, which increases steadily with increasing activation time. A shift of X-Ray Diffraction basal reflections, intensities of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) peaks, and weight losses in thermogravimetric analysis (TG) document the systematic crystallo-chemical changes of the composites related to nitrogen interaction with activation. Observations of the nanocomposites by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) corroborate the inference. Nitrogen intercalates with smectite in the interlayer space and remains absorbed either within micro-aggregates or on the surface of activated smectites. Soil leaching tests reveal a slower rate of nitrogen than that of traditional urea fertilizers. Different forms of nitrogen within the composites cause their differential release rates to the soil. The formulated nanocomposite fertilizer enhances the quality and quantity of oat yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Geochemistry and Clay Science)
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13 pages, 2786 KiB  
Article
Sorption of 137Cs and 90Sr on Organic Sorbents
by Petr Belousov, Anna Semenkova, Yulia Izosimova, Inna Tolpeshta, Anna Romanchuk, Sergey Zakusin, Ekaterina Tyupina and Victoria Krupskaya
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(23), 11531; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112311531 - 05 Dec 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1547
Abstract
The present study examines the sorption of Cs (I) and Sr (II) on organic sorbents in the pH range from 2 to 10, as well as the mechanisms of their binding. In order to determine the influence of the physical properties and the [...] Read more.
The present study examines the sorption of Cs (I) and Sr (II) on organic sorbents in the pH range from 2 to 10, as well as the mechanisms of their binding. In order to determine the influence of the physical properties and the quantity of functional groups of the organic sorbents on sorption, experiments were carried out on organic materials of varying degrees of metamorphism: high-moor peat, hard and brown coals and shungite. A detailed description of their mineral composition, cation exchange capacity, buffering capacity and elemental composition of sorbents is provided. XRD, XRF, SEM and BET adsorption methods were used for assaying. As a result of the conducted research, it can be concluded that Sr (II) showed a higher sorption per unit specific surface area than Cs (I) in the studied range of concentrations and pH values. Sr (II) sorption decreases in the following order: high-moor peat > brown coal > shungite > hard coal. The sorption of Cs (I) is highest on brown coal and lesser for high-moor peat, shungite and hard coal. It is suggested that Cs (I) and Sr (II) can be fixed on carboxyl functional groups and Cs (I), possibly, in insignificant amounts on phenolic hydroxyls of all four studied organic sorbents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Geochemistry and Clay Science)
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15 pages, 2837 KiB  
Article
Perspective Compounds for Immobilization of Spent Electrolyte from Pyrochemical Processing of Spent Nuclear Fuel
by Svetlana A. Kulikova, Sergey S. Danilov, Anna V. Matveenko, Anna V. Frolova, Kseniya Y. Belova, Vladimir G. Petrov, Sergey E. Vinokurov and Boris F. Myasoedov
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(23), 11180; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112311180 - 25 Nov 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1677
Abstract
Immobilization of spent electrolyte–radioactive waste (RW) generated during the pyrochemical processing of mixed nitride uranium–plutonium spent nuclear fuel is an acute task for further development of the closed nuclear fuel cycle with fast neutron reactors. The electrolyte is a mixture of chloride salts [...] Read more.
Immobilization of spent electrolyte–radioactive waste (RW) generated during the pyrochemical processing of mixed nitride uranium–plutonium spent nuclear fuel is an acute task for further development of the closed nuclear fuel cycle with fast neutron reactors. The electrolyte is a mixture of chloride salts that cannot be immobilized directly in conventional cement or glass matrix. In this work, a low-temperature magnesium potassium phosphate (MPP) matrix and two types of high-temperature matrices (sodium aluminoironphosphate (NAFP) glass and ceramics based on bentonite clay) were synthesized. Two systems (Li0.4K0.28La0.08Cs0.016Sr0.016Ba0.016Cl and Li0.56K0.40Cs0.02Sr0.02Cl) were used as spent electrolyte imitators. The phase composition and structure of obtained materials were studied by XRD and SEM-EDS methods. The differential leaching rate of Cs from MPP compound and ceramic based on bentonite clay was about 10−5 g/(cm2·day), and the rate of Na from NAFP glass was about 10−6 g/(cm2·day). The rate of 239Pu from MPP compound (leaching at 25 °C) and NAFP glass (leaching at 90 °C) was about 10−6 and 10−7 g/(cm2·day), respectively. All the synthesized materials demonstrated high hydrolytic, mechanical compression strength (40–50 MPa) even after thermal (up to 450 °C) and irradiation (up to 109 Gy) tests. The characteristics of the studied matrices correspond to the current requirements to immobilized high-level RW, that allow us to suggest these materials for industrial processing of the spent electrolyte. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Geochemistry and Clay Science)
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13 pages, 1719 KiB  
Article
An Application of Safety Assessment for Radioactive Waste Repository: Non-Equilibrium Transport of Tritium, Selenium, and Cesium in Crushed Granite with Different Path Lengths
by Chuan-Pin Lee, Dongyang Chen, Yanqin Hu, Yi-Lin Jan, Yunfeng Shi, Ziteng Wang, Enhui Wu, Neng-Chuan Tien, Yuzhen Sun and Shih-Chin Tsai
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(20), 9750; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11209750 - 19 Oct 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1544
Abstract
Advection-dispersion experiments (ADE) were effectively designed for inadequate transport models through a calibration/validation process. HTO, selenium (Se), and cesium (Cs) transport in crushed granite were studied using a highly reliable, dynamic column device in order to obtain the retardation factors (R) and the [...] Read more.
Advection-dispersion experiments (ADE) were effectively designed for inadequate transport models through a calibration/validation process. HTO, selenium (Se), and cesium (Cs) transport in crushed granite were studied using a highly reliable, dynamic column device in order to obtain the retardation factors (R) and the dispersion coefficients (D) by fitting experimental breakthrough curves (BTCs) for various path lengths. In order to conduct a safety assessment (SA) of a deep geological repository for high-level radioactive waste, radionuclide transport in rock systems is necessary to clarify and establish a suitable model. A dynamic column with a radiotracer (HTO, Se(IV), and Cs) was applied to 2, 4, and 8 cm path lengths using a STANMOD simulation. The results showed similar results between the BTCs of Se and Cs by fitting a non-equilibrium sorption model due to the retardation effect. In fact, there was a relatively obvious sorption of Se and Cs in the BTCs obtained by fitting a retardation factor (R) value higher than 1. In addition, a two-region (physical) and a two-site (chemical) non-equilibrium model with either the lowest sum of squared residuals (SSQ) or the root mean square error (RMSE) were applied to determine the Se and Cs sorption mechanisms on granite. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Geochemistry and Clay Science)
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