Jean-Michel Matray

In-pore tensile stress by drying-induced capillary bridges inside porous materials

We present here some evidences that capillary liquid bridges are able to deform micrometric cylindrical pores by tensile stress. Brine-soaked filter membranes are submitted to drying conditions leading to NaCl precipitation inside the 5-10 μm pores. A close examination demonstrated that two forms of NaCl crystallites are successively generated. First, primary cubic crystals grow, driven by the permanent evaporation. When this angular primary solid gets near the pore wall, while the evaporation makes the pore volume to be partly invaded by air, capillary liquid can bridge the now-small gap between the halite angles and the pore wall. In a second step, these small capillary bridges are frozen by a secondary precipitation event of concave-shaped NaCl. The proposed interpretation is that the liquid capillary bridges deform the host matrix of the membrane, and the situation is fossilized by the growth of solid capillary bridges. A quantitative interpretation is proposed and the consequences towards the natural media outlined.

Salt precipitation and trapped liquid cavitation in micrometric capillary tubes.

Laboratory evidence shows that the occurrence of solid salt in soil pores causes drastic changes in the topology of the porous spaces and possibly also in the properties of the occluded liquid. Observations were made on NaCl precipitation in micrometric cylindrical capillary tubes, filled with a 5.5 M NaCl aqueous solution and submitted to drying conditions. Solid plug-shaped NaCl (halite) commonly grows at the two liquid-air interfaces, isolating the inner liquid column. The initially homogeneous porosity of the capillary tube becomes heterogeneous because of these two NaCl plugs, apparently closing the micro-system on itself. After three months, we observed cavitation of a vapor bubble in the liquid behind the NaCl plugs. This event demonstrates that the occluded liquid underwent a metastable superheated state, controlled by the capillary state of thin capillary films persisting around the NaCl precipitates. These observations show, first, that salt precipitation can create a heterogeneous porous medium in an initially regular network, thus changing the transfer properties due to isolating significant micro-volumes of liquid. Second, our experiment illustrates that the secondary salt growth drastically modifies the thermo-chemical properties of the occluded liquid and thus its reactive behavior.

Estimating thermo-osmotic coefficients in clay-rocks: II. In situ experimental approach

Water flow in compacted shales is expected to be modified by thermo-osmosis when a thermal gradient exists. However this coupled-flow process is poorly characterized since no experiments on non-remoulded clay-rocks are found in the literature. This paper presents a set of thermo-osmosis experiments carried out in an equipped borehole installed in the Liassic argillite at the Institut for Radiological protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) underground research laboratory (URL) of Tournemire (southeastern France). A numerical model - including coupled-flow equations, mass conservation laws, thermal expansion and changes of water properties with temperature - was developed for the interpretation of these experiments. A thermo-osmotic response was deduced from the pressure evolution in the test interval after temperature pulses (+2.5, +5.1, and +9 degrees C). The values of thermo-osmotic permeability determined during the experiments range between 6x10(-12) and 2x10(-10)m(2)K(-1)s(-1), depending on the pulse temperature and uncertainties on the model parameters. A sensitivity analysis on several model parameters was performed to constrain these uncertainties.

Coupled hydraulic-mechanical simulation of seasonally induced processes in the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland)

This paper focuses on hydraulic-mechanical effects in the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland) and investigates their impact on pore pressure, the convergence of a niche and the evolution of pre-existing cracks in the wallrock of the niche. A comparison of measurements with numerical simulation results is conducted. The presented in situ measurements include long-term data on temperature, relative humidity, and niche convergence, as well as crackmeter and jointmeter measurements determining the aperture of a bedding-parallel crack. Furthermore, time-domain-reflectometry measurements were carried out in a borehole located in the niche wall close to the crack. They provide information on the water content of the claystone. The numerical simulation is carried out with OpenGeoSys. It contains a 2-dimensional coupled hydraulic-mechanical model considering orthotropy, swelling and shrinkage effects, linear elastic material behaviour and an excavation damaged zone characterized by a zone of lower rock strength. An additional focus is laid on the evolution of cracks in the wallrock of the niche. The presented model approach allows a prediction of the temporal evolution of a desaturated zone incorporating a seasonally influenced part. The comparison with measured water contents yields good agreement. Simulation results and measurements consistently predict a convergence of the niche. The evolution of the crack aperture is influenced by long-term as well as seasonallyinfluenced effects. Due to the convergence of the niche, the long-term trend is characterized by closure of the crack. Furthermore, the seasonally influenced desaturation in winter results in opening of the crack, while the resaturation in the warm and wet summer months leads to closure of the crack. Finally, the comparison of simulation results with measurements indicates qualitative agreement. As a matter of fact, the numerical model seems to represent significant effects concerning the evolution of the crack aperture of a single crack.

Statistical Analyses of Pore Pressure Signals in Claystone During Excavation Works at the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory

In many countries (such as Belgium, Germany, France, Japan, Switzerland, and United Kingdom), deep argillaceous formations are considered as potential host rocks for geological disposal of high-level and intermediate-level long-lived radioactive wastes. Some of these countries are investigating the suitability of high compacted clay-rich rocks at depths down to around 500 m below the ground surface. The general disposal concept comprises a network of drifts and tunnels linked to the surface by shafts and ramps, all artificially ventilated. Research is ongoing in Underground Research Laboratories, like the Mont Terri site in the Swiss Jura, to assess and ensure the safety of the repositories for the full decay life of the radioactive waste, i.e. the capacity of the hypothetical repository toprevent the migration of radionuclides towards the biosphere.[...]

Analytical Expressions for Thermo‐Osmotic Permeability of Clays

In this study, a new formulation for the thermo‐osmotic permeability of natural pore solutions containing monovalent and divalent cations is proposed. The mathematical formulation proposed here is based on the theoretical framework supporting thermo‐osmosis which relies on water structure alteration in the pore space of surface‐charged materials caused by solid‐fluid electrochemical interactions. The ionic content balancing the surface charge of clay minerals causes a disruption in the hydrogen bond network when more structured water is present at the clay surface. Analytical expressions based on our heuristic model are proposed and compared to the available data for NaCl solutions. It is shown that the introduction of divalent cations reduces the thermo‐osmotic permeability by one third compared to the monovalent case. The analytical expressions provided here can be used to advantage for safety calculations in deep underground nuclear waste repositories.