Corrosion products from carbon steel formed in compacted bentonite under reducing conditions

Ishidera, Takamitsu ; Xia, X.*; Idemitsu, Kazuya*; Kikuchi, Yoshio*

For safety assessment of high-level radioactive waste disposal, it is important to identify the forms of corrosion products migrating from overpack material into compacted bentonite. In this study, the carbon steel, which was previously corroded electrochemically under aerobic condition, was in contact with compacted Kunigel V1 and Kunipia F under reducing condition for 3-4 years at room temperature. The corrosion products migrating from carbon steel into compacted bentonites were investigated by the selective dissolution analysis, which can estimate the crystallinity of Fe-bearing compounds. The valence of iron in corrosion products was investigated spectrophotometrically. Furthermore, the alteration of smectite contained in compacted bentonite to Fe-smectite was analyzed by X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The results of selective dissolution and valence analysis suggested that the corrosion products in compacted bentonite were amorphous, non-crystalline or poorly ordered Fe(OH) and Fe(OH). In the XRD profiles, no diffraction peak suggesting the existence of Fe-smectite in the compacted bentonite was found. Therefore, the corrosion products in compacted bentonite were considered to have no effect on the alteration of smectite contained in Kunigel V1 and Kunipia F to Fe-smectite.