Abstract
The ZSM-5 zeolite was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and has the characteristics of pure zeolites. The application of the ZSM-5 zeolite as an adsorbent to remove Pb(II) and U(VI) from aqueous solutions was studied with the maximum adsorption capacities of 20.1 mg/g for Pb(II) and 37.6 mg/g for U(VI) at pH 3.0 and 0.010 mol/L NaNO3, respectively. The uptakes of Pb(II) and U(VI) from aqueous solutions are strongly dependent on pH and weakly dependent on ionic strength, and reach equilibrium within 4 h of contact time at T = 25 +/- 2 degrees C. The adsorption processes can be well described by the pseudo-second-order rate equation and classical Langmuir model. Experimental results exhibited a potential application of the ZSM-5 zeolite in Pb(II) and U(VI) pollution cleanup. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.