The compacted bentonite buffer is a key component of the engineered barrier system in deep geological repositories for high-level radioactive waste disposal. Groundwater infiltration into the deep geological repository leads to the saturation of the bentonite buffer. Bentonite saturation results in bentonite swelling, gelation and intrusion into the nearby rock discontinuities within the excavation damaged zone of the adjacent rock mass. Groundwater flow can result in the erosion and transport of bentonite colloids, resulting in bentonite mass loss which can negatively impact the long-term integrity and safety of the overall engineered barrier system. The hydro -mechanicalchemical interactions between the buffer, surrounding host rock and groundwater influence the erosion characteristics of the bentonite buffer. Hence, assessing the critical hydro-mechanicalchemical factors that negatively affect bentonite erosion is crucial for the safety design of the deep geological repository. In this study, the effects of initial bentonite density, aperture, discontinuity angle and groundwater chemistry on the erosion characteristics of Bentonil WRK are investigated via bentonite extrusion and artificial fracture experiments. Both experiments examine bentonite swelling and intrusion into simulated rock discontinuities; cylindrical holes for bentonite extrusion experiments and plane surfaces for artificial fracture experiments. Compacted bentonite blocks and bentonite pellets are manufactured using a compaction press and granulation compactor respectively and installed in the transparent extrusion cells and artificial fracture cells. The reference test condition is set to be 1.6 g/cm3 dry density and saturation using distilled water. After distilled water or solution injection, the axial and radial expansion of the bentonite specimens into the simulated rock discontinuities are monitored for one month under free swelling conditions with no groundwater flow. Subsequent flow tests are conducted using the artificial fracture cell to determine the critical flow rate for bentonite erosion. The intrusion and erosion characteristics are modelled using a modified hydro-mechanicalchemical coupled dynamic bentonite diffusion model and a fluid-based hydro-mechanical penetration model.

Bentonite is a promising buffer material for high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal due to the high nuclides sorption capacity and swelling property. However, bentonite has the potential to generate colloid particles, with small particle sizes less than 1,000 nm when in contact with groundwater. The bentonite colloids easily form pseudo-colloid with the released nuclides and migrate through the water-conducting rock to the biosphere. Therefore, understanding the generation and migration of bentonite colloids is crucial in assessing the safety of the HLW repository. In this study, an artificial fracture system was prepared to investigate colloid release from compacted bentonite. A 250 mm diameter acrylic artificial fracture system was used, with 30 mm of compacted calcium bentonite installed. Artificial groundwater flow was injected into the system at a flow rate of 250 μL/h, and every 6 mL of leachate was collected by a fraction collector. A film-type pressure sensor was equipped to monitor the swelling pressure, and the swelling was observed using a digital microscope. The results indicate that the compacted bentonite formed a mineral ring originating from the swelling of the bentonite, and the end of the ring generated colloid particles due to chemical erosion. Although the release rate of colloids increased with increasing flow rate, the colloid ratio depended on the low ionic strength of the injected artificial groundwater. This work contributes to the understanding of the chemical erosion and colloid release mechanism of compacted bentonite.