Bentonite use for environmental containment

Bentonite is a naturally occurring highly swelling commercial clay, which has a high water absorption capacity and low hydraulic conductivity. Powdered bentonite has been use extensively with a wide range of host materials in low hydraulic conductivity and low diffusion barrier constructions. Bentonite varies widely in properties and its quality as an additive for soil-bentonite applications could significantly be affected by small variations in mineralogy. The selection of bentonite and bentonite quality in the design of barriers hinges largely on the host material that is available at the site. Criteria for selection of bentonite and the design aspects of soil-bentonite in barrier construction, along with some case histories are presented in this keynote paper.