Facile synthesis of gelatin modified attapulgite for the uptake of uranium from aqueous solution

Gelatin modified attapulgite (ATT@Gel) with high adsorption capability for U(VI) was synthesized by plasma technique. The ATT and ATT@Gel composites were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The characterization results indicated that ATT@Gel was synthesized successfully. The adsorption capability of ATT@Gel for U(VI) was studied by batch adsorption technique. Experiment results indicate that the modified gelatin on ATT surface can markedly improves the adsorption efficiency of ATT@Gel for U(VI).