Evaluation of sorptive flotation technique for enhanced removal of radioactive Eu(III) from aqueous solutions

The present study aims at the removal of Eu(III) from aqueous solutions by sorptive flotation process. This process involves adsorption of Eu(III) onto bentonite and kaolinite clays followed by floatation using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) collectors. The effect of adsorption parameters (pH, contact time, clay weight, Eu(III) concentration, ionic strength) as well as flotation parameters (collector and frother concentrations, bubbling time, concentrations of foreign cations and anions) on the removal efficiency of Eu(III) were studied. The obtained results show that Eu(III) ions are removed efficiently (R% similar to 95%) at pH=4 after 1 h shaking with clay and 15 min floatation. The adsorption kinetics of Eu(III) onto the employed clays followed the pseudo-second-order model and the equilibrium data fitted well to the Freundlich isotherm model.