Isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic studies for Th(IV) sorption by amino group-functionalized titanosilicate from aqueous solutions

The 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane-modified titanosilicate was prepared as an alternative for developing efficient adsorbents of heavy metals. The obtained material was characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, infrared spectroscopy, textural analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. Adsorption of thorium from aqueous solutions was investigated by adsorption isotherms, kinetic and thermodynamic studies. The isothermal data were found to be correlated with the Langmuir model. The maximum sorption capacity of Th(IV) was 83.4mg g(-1). The experimental data show that the external diffusion and intra-particular diffusion are significant in the sorption of thorium. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that the sorption process was physisorption, endothermic and spontaneous.