Repository logo

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
  1. Home
  2. Academic and Research Output
  3. Journal articles
  4. Swelling of Na-montmorillonite in the presence of dissolved gas molecules
 
research article

Swelling of Na-montmorillonite in the presence of dissolved gas molecules

Owusu, Jerry Peprah
•
Karalis, Konstantinos
•
Prasianakis, Nikolaos I.
Show more
January 1, 2026
Applied Clay Science

Various dissolved gases, such as CO2, H2, and CH4, may be present in the near-field geological repository due to metal corrosion or the degradation of organic waste. However, the influence of dissolved gases on the swelling behavior of bentonites, commonly used as backfill material, is still poorly understood. In this study, classical molecular dynamics simulations are conducted to investigate the swelling behavior of Na-Mt as a function of compaction and the presence of dissolved gas. The simulations revealed that the presence of gas molecules increases the swelling pressure of Na-Mt and can be quantitatively explained by Henry’s law, which describes the increase in the gas solubility with pressure. The magnitude of the effect is gas-specific, depending on the dry density of clay and the gas concentration in the external reservoir. Accordingly, a general equation describing the enhanced swelling pressure due to gas solubility is proposed. A detailed analysis of structural transformations in the clay interlayer provided a model-based explanation for the discrepancy between the experimentally measured swelling curves and the simulated curves at high compaction levels. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying the swelling behavior of clays used as barrier material in deep geological disposal.

  • Files
  • Details
  • Metrics
Type
research article
DOI
10.1016/j.clay.2025.108058
Scopus ID

2-s2.0-105022107701

Author(s)
Owusu, Jerry Peprah

Paul Scherrer Institut

Karalis, Konstantinos

University of Bern

Prasianakis, Nikolaos I.

Paul Scherrer Institut

Ferrari, Alessio  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Churakov, Sergey V.

Paul Scherrer Institut

Date Issued

2026-01-01

Published in
Applied Clay Science
Volume

279

Article Number

108058

Subjects

Bentonite

•

Gas adsorption and solubility

•

Molecular dynamics

•

Nuclear waste disposal

•

Swelling pressure

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
LMS  
FunderFunding(s)Grant NumberGrant URL

EURAD GAS

University of Bern

Swiss National Super Computing Center

Show more
Available on Infoscience
November 25, 2025
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/256317
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
  • Contact
  • infoscience@epfl.ch

  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on X
  • Follow us on Youtube
AccessibilityLegal noticePrivacy policyCookie settingsEnd User AgreementGet helpFeedback

Infoscience is a service managed and provided by the Library and IT Services of EPFL. © EPFL, tous droits réservés