Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of Stern-layer on the compressibility behaviour of bentonites

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Acta Geotechnica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Stern theory as applicable to interacting parallel clay platelet systems was used to study the compressibility behaviour of bentonites. For a constant surface electrical potential, the distribution of the total electrical charge among the Stern-layer and the Gouy-layer was found to have significant influence on the electrical potential at the midplane between clay platelets. Consideration of the Stern-layer was found to reduce the repulsive pressure or the swelling pressure between clay platelets at large platelet spacing, whereas the repulsive pressure increased significantly when the interacting Gouy-layers were pushed aside. A far greater repulsive pressure was noted for Ca-bentonite than that occurred for Na-bentonite at a platelet distance close to 1.0 nm. Similarly, strong interaction between clay platelets was noted due to suppressed Gouy-layers when the bulk fluid concentration was increased. The repulsive pressure generated due to the overlapping of the Stern-layers was found to be sensitive to changes in the specific adsorption potential, the dielectric constant of the pore fluid in the Stern-layer, and the surface electrical potential. Comparisons of the calculated pressure–void ratio relationships from the Stern theory and the Gouy-Chapman diffuse double layer theory with the experimental consolidation test results of Na- and divalent-rich bentonites showed that, in general, the Stern theory improved the predictions of pressure–void ratio relationships, particularly for pressures greater than 100 kPa; however, strong agreements were lacking in all the cases studied.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Aylmore LAG, Quirk JP (1959) Swelling of clay-water systems. Nature 183:1752–1753

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Baille W, Tripathy S, Schanz T (2010) Swelling pressures and one dimensional compressibility behaviour of bentonite at large pressures. Appl Clay Sci 48:324–333

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Ben Rhaïem H, Pons CH, Tessier D (1987) Factors affecting the microstructure of smectites. Role of cations and history of applied stresses. In: Proceedings of the international clay conference, Denver, The Clay Mineral Society, pp 292–297

  4. Bolt GH (1956) Physico-chemical analysis of the compressibility of pure clays. Géotechnique 6:86–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Bucher F, Müller-Vonmoos M (1989) Bentonite as a containment barrier for the disposal of highly radioactive waste. Appl Clay Sci 4:157–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Chan DYC, Pashley RM, Quirk JP (1984) Surface potentials derived from co-ion exclusion measurements on homoionic montmorillonite and illite. Clays Clay Miner 32:131–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Chapman DL (1913) A contribution to the theory of electrocapillarity. Phil Mag 25:475–481

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  8. Cruz-Guzmán M, Celis R, Hermosín MC, Koskinen WC, Nacer EA, Cornejo J (2006) Heavy metal adsorption by montmorillonites modified with natural organic cations. Soil Sci Soc Am J 70:215–221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Dominijanni A, Manassero M (2012) Modelling the swelling and osmotic properties of clay soils. Part I: the phenomenological approach. Int J Eng Sci 51:32–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Dominijanni A, Manassero M (2012) Modelling the swelling and osmotic properties of clay soils. Part II: the physical approach. Int J Eng Sci 51:51–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Fleureau JM, Verbrugge JC, Huergo PJ, Correia AG, Kheirbek-Saoud S (2002) Aspects of the behaviour of compacted clayey soils on drying and wetting paths. Can Geotech J 39:1341–1357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Gonçalvès J, Rousseau-Gueutin P, Revil A (2007) Introducing interacting diffuse layers in TLM calculations: a reappraisal of the influence of the pore size on the swelling pressure and the osmotic efficiency of compacted bentonites. J Colloid Interface Sci 316:92–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Gouy G (1910) Electrical charge on the surface of an electrolyte. J Phys 4:457–468

    Google Scholar 

  14. Grim RE (1968) Clay mineralogy, 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  15. Horikawa Y, Murray RS, Quirk JP (1988) The effect of electrolyte concentration on the zeta potentials of homoionic montmorillonite and illite. Colloids Surf 32:181–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Hou J, Li H, Zhu H (2009) Determination of clay surface potential: a more reliable approach. Soil Sci Soc Am J 73:1658–1663

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Hunter RJ (1981) Zeta potential in colloid science. Academic press Inc., London

    Google Scholar 

  18. Israelachvili J, Wennerström H (1996) Role of hydration and water structure in biological and colloidal interactions. Nature 379:219–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Lagaly G, Ziesmer S (2003) Colloid chemistry of clay minerals: the coagulation of montmorillonite dispersions. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 100–102:105–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Leory P, Revil A (2004) A triple-layer model of the surface electrochemical properties of clay minerals. J Colloid Interface Sci 270:371–380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Li H, Peng X, Wu L, Jia M, Zhu H (2009) Surface potential dependence of the Hamaker Constant. J Phys Chem C 113:4419–4425

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Low PF (1981) The swelling of clay: III. Dissociation of exchangeable cations. J Soil Sci Soc Am 45:1074–1078

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Manassero M, Dominijanni A (2010) Coupled modelling of swelling properties and electrolyte transport through geosynthetic clay liner. In: Sixth international congress on environmental geotechnics (6ICEG), New Delhi, India, 8–12 Nov 2010, pp 260–271

  24. Marcial D, Delage P, Cui YJ (2002) On the high stress compression of bentonites. Can Geotech J 39:812–820

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Mesri G, Olsen RE (1971) Consolidation characteristics of montmorillonite. Géotechnique 21:341–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Mačelja S (1997) Hydration in electrical double layers. Nature 385:689–690

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. McCormack D, Carnie SL, Chan DYC (1995) Calculations of electric double-layer force and interaction free energy between dissimilar surfaces. J Colloid Interface Sci 169:177–196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Miller SE, Low PF (1990) Characterization of the electrical double layer of montmorillonite. Langmuir 6:572–578

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Mitchell JK, Soga K (2005) Fundamentals of soil behaviour, 3rd edn. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  30. Pashley RM (1981) DLVO and hydration forces between mica surfaces in Li+, Na+, K+, and Cs+ electrolyte solutions: a correlation of double-layer and hydration forces with surface cation exchange properties. J Colloid Interface Sci 83:531–546

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Rowe RK, Quigley RM, Booker JR (1995) Clayey barrier systems for waste disposal facilities. E and FN Spon, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  32. Shang JQ, Lo KY, Quigley RM (1994) Quantitative determination of potential distribution in Stern-Gouy double-layer model. Can Geotech J 31:624–636

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Sposito G (2008) The chemistry of soils, 2nd edn. Oxford University press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  34. Sridharan A (1968) Some studies on the strength of partly saturated clays. PhD thesis, Purdue University, West Lafayette

  35. Sridharan A, Jayadeva MS (1982) Double layer theory and compressibility of clays. Géotechnique 32:133–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Sridharan A, Satyamurty PV (1996) Potential-distance relationship of clay-water systems considering the Stern theory. Clays Clay Miner 44:479–484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Sridharan A, Rao GV (1973) Mechanisms controlling volume change of saturated clays and the role of effective stress concept. Géotechnique 23:359–382

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Stern O (1924) Zur Theorie der elektolytischen doppelschicht. Z Elektrochem 30:508–516

    Google Scholar 

  39. Tripathy S, Schanz T (2007) Compressibility behaviour of clays at large pressures. Can Geotech J 44:355–362

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Tripathy S, Sridharan A, Schanz T (2004) Swelling pressure of compacted bentonites from diffuse double layer theory. Can Geotech J 41:435–450

    Google Scholar 

  41. van Olphen H (1977) An introduction to clay colloid chemistry: for clay technologists, geologists and soil scientists, 2nd edn. Interscience, New York

    Google Scholar 

  42. van Olphen H (1954) Interlayer forces in bentonite. Clays Clay Miner 327:418–438

    Google Scholar 

  43. Verwey EJW, Overbeek JThG (1948) Theory of the stability of lyophobic colloids. Elsevier, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  44. Yang N, Barbour SL (1992) The impact of soil structure and confining stress on the hydraulic conductivity of clays in brine environments. Can Geotech J 29:730–739

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Zhang ZZ, Sparks DL, Scrivner NC (1994) Characterization and modeling of Ai-oxide/aqueous solution interface: 1. Measurement of electrostatic potential at the original of diffuse layer using negative adsorption on Na+ ions. J Colloid Interface Sci 162:244–251

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The financial assistance provided by Cardiff University for this research work is gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiff School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Queens Buildings, West Groove, Newport road, Cardiff, CF243AA, UK

    Snehasis Tripathy, Ramakrishna Bag & Hywel R. Thomas

Authors
  1. Snehasis Tripathy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ramakrishna Bag
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hywel R. Thomas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Snehasis Tripathy.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tripathy, S., Bag, R. & Thomas, H.R. Effect of Stern-layer on the compressibility behaviour of bentonites. Acta Geotech. 9, 1097–1109 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-013-0222-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-013-0222-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation