Internship on synthetic sample preparation

Within the framework of EURAD WP6 on Mechanistic understanding of gas transport mechanisms (WP GAS), a collaboration was set up between SCK CEN, BGS and IRSN to study gas transport in synthetic clay-based materials. The main aim of the collaboration is to improve the understanding of which sample parameters control diffusive gas transport, and to what extent. As natural materials always contain a certain degree of heterogeneity, which complicates the fundamental understanding of these controls, we decided to study artificially prepared samples, with a well-known composition. As agreed in the work plan of WP GAS, the technique for sample preparation was developed by BGS and samples were shared with SCK CEN and IRSN. So far, diffusion results have shown interesting correlations between transport parameters gas diffusivity and water permeability, but the properties which control transport are not yet fully understood. But the results are promising and experiments are continued in the last year of EURAD WP GAS, and some aspects will even be continued in EURAD 2 (RAMPEC).