Sorptive Removal of Ce(IV) from Aqueous Solution by Bentonite

Bentonite has been studied extensively because of its strong adsorption capacity. A local bentonite named GMZ bentonite, collected from Gaomiaozi County (Inner Mongolia, China), was selected as the first choice of buffer/backfill material for the high-level radioactive waste repository in China. In this research, purification of raw bentonite was done to remove quartz. X-ray Diffraction(XRD) was used for the characterization of purified bentonite .In addition, the effects of contact time, solid dosage, pH, and temperature on Ce(IV) sorption to purified bentonite were also investigated by batch technique. The sorption kinetics and isotherms of bentonite for Ce(IV) indicate that the kinetic adsorption is well described by the pseudo-second-order model and the sorption isotherm is fitted well by Langmuir model. The equilibrium batch experiment data demonstrate that bentonite is effective adsorbent for the removal of Ce(IV) from aqueous solution.