A laboratory programme is being carried out at the University of Bern, Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC - now JAEA) and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) to examine the development of a hyperalkaline plume under controlled laboratory conditions.
These experiments aim to examine production of secondary phase minerals on the rock samples under GTS-simulated conditions. Secondary minerals such as tobermorite can form in the samples after dissolution of the primary minerals (e.g. quartz and K-feldspar) in the original sample. The laboratory work can be split into three main areas:
- Rock core infiltration experiments (Uni Bern)
- Rock alteration experiment and resin injection experiments (JNC).
- Radiochemical lab programs of sorption and solubility in high pH solutions (PSI).