YE Ling, ZHANG Jing-yang
(College of Material Science and Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, China）

Abstract: In order to improve adsorption capacity of heavy metal ions, such as　Cr3+, Ni2+ and Cu2+  from aqueous solutions onto montmorillonite, various metal ions, aluminium hydroxypolycaions (Al13), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), 1,10-phenanthroline chelates and so on were used to intercalate montmorillonite and regulate its ζ-potentials. Experiments were carried out as a function of solution pH, various initial concentrations, and the relationships between the ζ-potentials of montmorillonite and its adsorption capacity for metal ions were investigated. The results show that the intercalated substances of montmorillonite have an important effect on the ζ-potentials. The ζ-potential of montmorillonite modified by Al13, CTAB, 1,10-phenanthroline chelates changes evidently and reverse from negative to positive, which making its absorption capacity for metal ions decreasing. It is also found that the adsorption capacity for metal ions on montmorillonite could increased greatly when put 1,10-phenanthroline into the metal ion solution to form complex cations. With this method, the adsorption capacity for metal ion in lower initial concentration would be improved significantly. Furthermore, the adsorption quantity for metal ions is pH independent because the adsorption capacity is mainly induced by hydrogen bonds and Van Der Waals force between complex cations and montmorillonite.

Key words: montmorillonite; ζ-potential; adsorption; heavy metal cation

E-mail: ylj@hqu.edu.cn

ACTA MINERALOGICA SINICA  Vol. 33, No. 1, 2013, Page 19-24