Publications

Gas flow measurements of consolidating crushed salt

Bauer, Stephen J.; Broome, Scott T.; Hansen, Francis D.; Lampe, B.; Mills, M.; Stormont, J.

Crushed salt is being considered as a backfill material in the event of a salt repository for high level nuclear waste. The thermal-mechanical-hydrological properties of crushed salt as it reconsolidates in response to pressure and temperature changes are therefore important. An experimental system to measure gas flow through consolidating crushed salt at elevated temperature and pressure has been developed and tested. An experiment completed at 250°C, and hydrostatic pressures to 20 MPa, compacted a crushed salt sample from ∼40 percent porosity to near zero porosity. For this consolidation history, apparent permeability decreased from greater than 10-12 m2 to ∼10-22 m2.