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When fully hydrated, a compacted sodium bentonite makes an effective hydraulic barrier due to the high tortuosity of flow paths.

 

(Figure adapted from Hornsey W, Gates WP, Buckley J. 2009. Geosynthetic clay liners – Is the key component being overlooked?  GIGSA GeoAfrica 2009 Conference. Capetown, September 2009.)

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Smectites are poorly crystalline minerals which cannot be easily characterized by traditional methods, despite more than 100 years of effort.  Accurate characterization requires multiple spectroscopic and physical techniques.  The result is an average crystal chemical picture.

 

Figure at right is one such estimation of the array of octahedral cations in the Nibost smectite as deduced from analysis of the infrared spectra. 

 

See Gates 2008 Clays and Clay Minerals, 56:11-23 for further details.

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Pore-filling reactions in bentonites, due to alkaline-induced dissolution/precipitation reactions, can enhance the barrier performance of geosynthetic clay liners.

 

(Picture from Gates and Bouazza, 2010, Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 28,219-225 )