Diffusion of sodium, potassium, calcium, manganese, and radon in tuff and clinoptilolite under leaching

Nuclear physics methods are used to determine the diffusion coefficients of Na, Ca, Mn, K, and 222Rn in clinoptilolite (Sokirnitsa occurrence, Ukraine) and in natural tuff (Yucca Mountain, Nevada, United States) and in tuff irradiated by γ-quanta (E max = 23 MeV) to a dose of 107 Gy at a leaching temperature of 37°C. The diffusion coefficients of sodium and potassium in clinoptilolite are found to differ considerably: 4 × 10−17 and 2 × 10−20 m2/s, respectively. This indicates the influence of aquacomplexes on the cation transfer. The diffusion coefficient of radon in these materials is determined: in clinoptilolite it equals 2.5 × 10−12 m2/s.