ABSTRACT
Compacted bentonite has been chosen as buffer and backfill materials in several countries in construction of deep geological repositories for high-level nuclear waste. It will act to separate the radioactive waste from the surroundings for an extended time of thousands years owing to the beneficial properties of bentonites in contact with water: high swelling potential, low permeability, excellent self-sealing ability and radionuclide retardation capacity (Yong, et al. 1986).
