Lab News & Scientific Highlights
Driving forces of mineral recrystallization in aqueous solutions derived from...
Curti et al., 2026
Recrystallization in aqueous solutions is a ubiquitous process susceptible to control the entrapment and release of toxic contaminants in the subsurface. However, unraveling the underlying mechanisms and driving forces has proven to be elusive, as recrystallization frequently follows different kinetic pathways even for the same mineral, depending on its initial state and pre-treatment. To obtain a better insight, a large body of experimental data from isotope tracer experiments carried out....
Swelling of Na-montmorillonite in the presence....
Owusu et al., 2026
Various dissolved gases, such as CO, H, and CH, may be present in the near-field geological repository due to metal corrosion or the degradation of organic waste. However, the influence of dissolved gases on the swelling behavior of bentonites, commonly used as backfill material, is still poorly understood. In this study, classical molecular dynamics simulations are conducted to....
Examining the pH dependence of Fe behavior in.....
Ban et al., 2026
Hydrotalcite-group layered double hydroxide (LDH) phases are important in many technical and geological contexts, and in applications ranging from environmental processes to catalysts to cements. This study systematically investigates the roles of Fe in LDH structures across varying....
The PSI Laboratory for Waste Management is the Swiss excellence centre for geological repository systems with a focus on radioactive waste, engineering barriers and environmental geochemistry.