Removal of uranium from aqueous solutions using ammonium-modified zeolite

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dc.citation.doi10.17159/0379-4350/2015/v68a23en_ZA
dc.citation.epage171en_ZA
dc.citation.issue68en_ZA
dc.citation.spage165en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBakatula, E.N.
dc.contributor.authorMosai, A.K.
dc.contributor.authorTutu, H.
dc.date.accessioned2016-11-22T10:15:20Z
dc.date.available2016-11-22T10:15:20Z
dc.date.issued2015
dc.description.abstractBatch experiments were conducted to study the effects of contact time, pH (3 to 8), initial concentration, presence of carbonate, sulphate, and competing ions (Fe3+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Mg2+) on the adsorption of U(VI) on ammonium-modified zeolite (AMZ). The structural features of the modified zeolite were assessed by Fourier Transform Infra Red Spectroscopy (FTIR) while the metal content was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Specroscopy (ICP-OES). The removal of uranium was effective and maximal under acidic conditions (pH 3 to 5). The kinetics of adsorption of U-nitrate and U-sulphate on AMZ were described by the pseudo-second-order model (R2 ≥ 0.9820). In the presence of SO4 2- and CO3 2-, a significant reduction of 67.88 % and 71.63 %, respectively, in uranium uptake was observed. The distribution coefficient, KD (L g-1), was in the order of: U-nitrate (1.116) > U-sulphate (0.029) > U-carbonate (0.019), suggesting that AMZ had a high affinity for U-nitrate. The presence of Fe3+ enhanced the removal of U(VI) from U-nitrate, U-sulphate and U-carbonate by 20.18 %, 72.48 % and 82.43 %, respectively, while the presence of Ca2+, Mg2+ and Sr2+ reduced the removal to 19.57 %, 31.60 % and 23.65 %, respectively. AMZ is an effective adsorbent for uranium removal from aqueous solutions dominated by nitrate, carbonate and sulphate.en_ZA
dc.description.librarianSP2016en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBakatula, E.N., Mosai, A.K. and Tutu, H. 2015. South African Journal of Chemistry, 68, pp.165-171.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0379-4350 (Print)
dc.identifier.issn1996-840X (Online)
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10539/21466
dc.journal.titleSouth African Journal of Chemistryen_ZA
dc.journal.volume68en_ZA
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherSouth African Chemical Instituteen_ZA
dc.subjectAdsorptionen_ZA
dc.subjectAqueous solutionsen_ZA
dc.subjectCarbonateen_ZA
dc.subjectNitrateen_ZA
dc.subjectSulphateen_ZA
dc.subjectUranylen_ZA
dc.subjectZeolite-ammoniumen_ZA
dc.titleRemoval of uranium from aqueous solutions using ammonium-modified zeoliteen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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