Investigation of the mobility of uranium(VI) in argillaceous rock at higher salinity

Argillaceous rock is considered as one of the possible host rock types for radioactive waste repositories. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the retention behaviour of argillaceous rock towards long-lived radionuclides, such as uranium. In this study, the 2:1 clay montmorillonite, consisting of an octahedral alumina sheet sandwiched by two tetrahedral silicate sheets, is used. The sorption of uranium(VI) onto montmorillonite is studied in NaCl, KCl, CaCl₂, and MgCl₂.