Water flow smectites

For characterizing the microstructure we use a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). By CLSM we can specify a 3-D configuration under atmospheric condition. Smectite minerals are extremely fine and poorly crystallized, so it is difficult to determine the properties by experiment. We inquire into the physicochemical properties by a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation method. Then, we develop a multiscale homogenization analysis (HA) method to extend the microscopic characteristics to the macroscopic behavior. We show numerical examples of a coupled water-flow and diffusion problem. 

Assumption 1 The target bentonite is a pure smectitic clay, and water flows in the interlayer space of the clay minerals and/or the external space of the clay stacks. If the dry density exceeds 1.8 Mg/m, there exists only the interlayer water (see Fig. 10.3). 

---