Removal of uranium(VI) and thorium(IV) by insolubilized humic acid originated from Azraq soil in Jordan

Humic acid from Azraq soil in Jordan has been extracted and insolubilized as the sodium form (INaAZHA). It was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis, X- ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Sorption of Th(IV) and U(VI) by INaAZHA was studied using batch and column. The kinetic studies fitted pseudo second-order kinetic model. The data were fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) sorption isotherms. Thermodynamic functions, Delta GA degrees, Delta HA degrees and Delta SA degrees were determined for the sorption. Desorption from column was best using 1.0 M than 0.5 and 0.1 M HNO3 for both.