ABSTRACT
Development of useful all-around materials which can quickly and efficiently adsorb radionuclides in response to environmental radioactive contamination is an urgent research objective. In response to this need, our team developed a simple preparation method for stable sodium titanates which can serve as efficient agents for removal of radionuclides from water. With an emphasis on an environmentally friendly synthesis, the resulting materials were defined by a range of means and methods measuring e.g. pH, ionic strength, contact time or metal ion concentration in order to assess their potential for use and applications as sorbents. The data obtained from measurements revealed rapid removal kinetics (up to 10 minutes), wide range of pH use and high equilibrium capacity. The maximum amount of adsorbed ions as calculated from the Langmuir isotherm was equal to 206.3 mg g-1 for Cs(i), 60.0 mg g-1 for Sr(ii), 50.2 mg g-1 for Co(ii) and 103.4 mg g-1 for Eu(iii), significantly exceeding published data obtained with related materials. The removal mechanism is most likely ion exchange followed by complexation reactions, as indicated by TEM/EDS analyses. Given their extraordinary sorption capacity and facile synthesis under mild conditions, these materials are promising candidates for the efficient removal of radionuclides from aqueous solutions during the clean-up of radioactive pollution in the environment.
ABSTRACT
Laboratory synthesis of microsheets of titanium dioxide from titanyl sulfate involves the use of ammonia solution, whereas another inorganic base is most likely to be employed at the industrial level, as ammonia is a toxic agent and therefore should be avoided according to European Union (EU) regulations. Selected nontoxic bases such as sodium, potassium, and lithium hydroxides have been tested as an alternative to ammonia solution to obtain amorphous and crystalline TiO2-based microsheets. The final products obtained at each step of the procedure (samples lyophilized and annealed at 230 and 800 °C) were analyzed with electron and atomic force microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, thermal analysis, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopies to determine their morphology and phase composition. The differences in the morphology of the obtained products were described in detail as well as phase and structural composition throughout the process. It was found that, in the last step of the synthesis, microsheets annealed at 800 °C were built of small rods and oval or platy crystalline particles depending on the base used. The temperature of formation of anatase, rutile, and alkali-metal titanates in correlation with the ionic radius of the alkali metal present in the sample was discussed.
ABSTRACT
In this work, we report on the efficient removal of heavy metal ions with nanostructured lithium, sodium and potassium titanates from simulated wastewater. The titanates were obtained via a fast, easy and cost effective process based on extraction of sulfate ions from the crystals of titanyl sulfate and their replacement with hydroxyl groups of NaOH, LiOH and KOH solutions leaving the Ti-O framework intact. The as-prepared titanates were carefully examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, the effect of contact time, pH, annealing temperature, together with adsorption in real conditions including competitive adsorption and reusability were studied. It was found that the maximum adsorption capacity, as calculated from the Langmuir adsorption model, is up to 3.8 mmol Pb(ii) per g, 3.6 mmol Cu(ii) per g and 2.3 mmol Cd(ii) per g. Based on the characterization results, a possible mechanism for heavy metal removal was proposed. This work provides a very efficient, fast and convenient approach for exploring promising materials for water treatment.
