Swelling Properties and Permeability of GMZ Bentonite-Sand Mixtures during Different Solutions Infiltration
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This work investigates the swelling and permeability of GMZ Bentonite-Sand mixtures. The work belongs to sustainability. It is well written and easy to follow, .however the novelty is low to moderate. Finally, some moderate changes are needed before publication.
Specific comments:
Replace the expression "scholar" , for example, “Many international scholars” with many researchers, or many studies deal with …
What about the reproducibility of the data and replication of experiments?
pH versus PH line 60
Figure 4: Why the authors stopped at p=1.7 and did not investigate other values?
Why did the authors choose to examine specific alkaline conditions and not acidic?
It could be interesting if the authors can show us some measurements with real water instead of synthetic solutions, this information will add extra-scientific value to the manuscript
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Chosen important questions to make more understandable results. Important problem to use bentnite plates for isolating nuclear waste is important but it shoud be made from point of morphological and chemical structure. Authors should presente very easly the purpose of their work.
- All figures should be explained it more detailed way.
- Why the ice is used instead of water? It should be clearly explained.
- Does the difference of the samples density is connected with ice content?
- The definition of all measured parameters should be presented: hydraulic contuctivity, swelling capacity, chemistry pore solutions...?
- Please try to propose the reaction chemistry with infiltrating reaction (why does the swelling pressure decreases in infultration process with NaOH?)
- Where does the hyperalalcaline and hypercaline solutions are inserted?
- How does the samples total porosity change with the processes?
- Why the effect of NaOH is so high? (chemistry or structures view).
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
