Migration study of uranium in Beishan granite by the continuous column method

Abstract

Abstract Radionuclide migration is an essential process in the performance and safety assessments of radioactive waste repository. This study investigates uranium migration in Beishan granite using the continuous column method, focusing on the effects of flow rate, eluent pH, and carbonate. Experimental parameters were used to perform COMSOL simulations of the migration process. The findings reveal that mechanical dispersion plays a predominant role in uranium migration in the granite column. Notably, the impact of adsorption on migration appears to be limited, likely due to the brief contact time in the experimental setup. The study successfully demonstrates the capability of COMSOL in simulating radionuclide migration, offering significant insights for the performance and safety assessments of repository.