Durability of cement-based materials in simulated radioactive liquid waste: Effect of phosphate, sulphate, and chloride ions

The durability of a specific backfilling pozzolanic cement mortar, which is employed in Spain, in concrete containers for the storage of low (LLW) and medium level wastes (MLW), has been studied by means of the Koch-Steinegger test at the temperature of 40 degrees C during a period of 365 days. Mortar samples were immersed in a simulated radioactive liquid waste very rich in sulphate (0.68 M), phosphate (0.89 M), and chloride (0.51 M) ions. The changes of the microstructure were followed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Pore solution was extracted at different periods in order to see the changes of the chemical composition caused by the diffusion of those ions inside the microstructure.