Adsorption of U(VI) on montmorillonite pillared with hydroxy-aluminum

Hydroxy-aluminum pillared Na-montmorillonite(OH–Al-MT) was prepared for studying sorption of U(VI) in the existence of soluble calcium (Ca 2+ ), carbonate ion (CO 3 2− ) and humic acid. Various characterizations confirm that hydroxy-aluminum was successfully pillared into Na-montmorillonite (Na-MT). The effects of pH, concentration of Ca 2+ and CO 3 2− as well as HA on the sorption capacity of Na-MT and OH–Al-MT for U(VI) has been investigated by batch experiments. Additionally, the kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamics of adsorption of U(VI) were discussed in detailed. The study indicates that OH–Al-MT can be a potentially promising low-cost adsorbent for removal of U(VI) in wastewaters.