Ionic liquid modified diatomite as a new effective adsorbent for uranium ions removal from aqueous solution

• The diatomite modified by the ionic liquids was first synthesized and characterized.
• The kinetic and equilibrium of uranium adsorption onto the ionic liquid modified diatomite have been first investigated.
• The results of the high efficiency of uranium adsorption by the ionic liquid modified diatomite from aqueous solutions over a wide pH range.

Modified diatomite was prepared by chemical treatment with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride solution. The properties of the modified diatomite have been studied using scanning electron microscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy, thermogravimetric technique, zeta potential and carbon content analyzers. The adsorption of uranium(VI) from aqueous solutions onto the ionic liquid modified diatomite was studied using batch adsorption experiments. The parameters influencing the uranium adsorption, such as contact time, pH of solution, and initial uranium(VI) concentration were studied. Most of the uranium is adsorbed in the first 5 min. The maximum adsorption of the modified diatomite toward uranium under experimental conditions was 88 mg/g.The experimental data for uranium adsorption were analyzed using the first-order kinetic model, the Freundlich, Langmuir, Sips and modified BET isotherm models. The study results showed the multilayer adsorption of uranium ions on modified diatomite.

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