Modification Modification of hydroxyapatite for removal of cesium and strontium ions from aqueous solution

Hydroxyapatite-cobalt(II) ferrocyanide, HAFC, was prepared, characterized and used for removal of strontium and cesium ions from aqueous solution. Comparative studies on modified and unmodified hydroxyapatite for sorption of both ions were carried out to evaluate the modification process. The sorption process is controlled by an ion exchange mechanism. The modification process of hydroxyapatite enhanced the capacity of cesium ions from 9.26 to 69.49 mg/g, while for strontium ions from 12.84 to 13.44 mg/g, this means that the modification process enhanced the selectivity of cesium ions, and it may be stated that HAFC preferentially takes up Cs+ rather than Sr2+. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.