Removal of uranium(vi) from aqueous solution using iminodiacetic acid derivative functionalized SBA-15 as adsorbents

Three different functional SBA-15 were prepared by a post-grafting method using three iminodiacetic acid derivatives of ethylenediaminetriacetic acid (ED3A), diethylenetriaminetetraacetic acid (DT4A), and 1,2-cyclohexylenedinitrilotriacetic acid (CyD3A), which were used as adsorbents for removal of uranium( vi ) from aqueous solution. These materials were characterized by FT-IR, NMR, TEM, nitrogen adsorption/desorption experiments, and elemental analysis. The effect of pH, ionic strength, contact time, solid-liquid ratio, initial metal ion concentration, temperature, and coexisting ions on uranium( vi ) sorption behaviors of the functionalized SBA-15 was studied. Typical sorption isotherms (Langmuir and Freundlich) were determined for the sorption process, and the maximum sorption capacity was calculated. The influence of functional groups on uranium( vi ) sorption was also discussed. As a result, compared with other current U( vi ) sorbents (granite, kaolin, attapulgite), SBA-15-1,2-cyclohexylenedinitrilotriacetic acid (SBA-15-CyD3A) possessed good selective sorption properties, which had potential application in separation of uranium( vi ). Three different functional SBA-15 were prepared using ethylenediaminetriacetic acid, diethylenetriaminetetraacetic acid, and 1,2-cyclohexylenedinitrilotriacetic acid, which were used to remove of uranium( vi ) from aqueous solution.