Surfactant modification and adsorption properties of clinoptilolite for the removal of pertechnetate from aqueous solutions

Natural clinoptilolite modified with a cationic surfactant stearyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride (SDBAC) was used as an adsorbent for the removal of pertechnetate from aqueous solutions. Adsorption studies were performed in a batch system. The effects of various experimental parameters (amount of surfactant loading, contact time, solution pH, competing anions) on the removal efficiency of TcO 4 − were investigated. SDBAC-clinoptilolite with organo-bilayer was successfully used to remove TcO 4 − from aqueous solutions in the pH range of 5.0-8.0. ReO 4 − as an analogue of TcO 4 − was used to model the isotherms. Adsorption capacity of the SDBAC-clinoptilolite and the mechanism of ReO 4 − (TcO 4 − ) sorption were also determined.