Coupled effects of saline solutions and temperature on the swelling deformation property of GMZ bentonite-sand mixtures

Based on the results of one-dimensional free swelling tests, the coupled effects of NaCl-Na₂SO₄ solutions and temperature on the swelling deformation property of compacted GMZ bentonite-sand mixtures were analyzed. The concentrations of the NaCl-Na₂SO₄ solutions were 0, 0.008, 0.04, 0.08 and 0.16 mol/L, the temperatures were 20 °C, 40 °C, 60 °C, 80 °C and 90 °C and the sand contents were 0, 30 and 50%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) tests were also performed to find the influences of the temperature, solution concentration and sand content on the mineral composition and microstructure. The results showed that the maximum swelling strain of the specimens increased with an elevated temperature, while it decreased with increases in the solution concentration and sand content. The swelling process was accelerated by the rising temperature. The XRD tests indicated that the combined effect of a high temperature and a high solution concentration may have caused more Na⁺ from the saline solutions to enter the interlayer, partly displacing the divalent cations. The MIP tests demonstrated that adding sand to the bentonite could reduce the amount of inter-granular pores and increase the intra-aggregate pores. These findings are advantageous to the transfer of heat and pour fluid in the specimens; and thus, the swelling deformation capacity of the bentonite-sand mixtures was higher than that of pure bentonite under the same conditions.