Exloring the Characteristics of Backfill Materials Proposed for Well Decommissioning Purposes at the Site of Zheleznohorsk Liquid Radioactive Waste Deep Disposal Facility

Abstract

The paper focuses on Portland cement and cement-bentonite mixture-based backfill materials presenting the results of studies performed to assess the influence of factors affecting their performance and protective properties considering the conditions inherent for the Zheleznogorsk liquid radioactive waste deep disposal facility. The following factors were considered as the key ones: type of the backfill material; chemical composition of the impacting aquatic environments in the injection horizons; temperature of aqueous media containing heat-generating radionuclides. During the study, specified was the influence of these factors on the following protective properties of the formed backfill stones: strength, water resistance, tendency to defect formation. The results obtained can be used to develop closure designs for the Zheleznogorsk LRW DDF.