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Effect of preparation methods on the morphology of jarosite and its adsorption performance for U(VI)

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Abstract

Jarosite has shown excellent adsorption capacity in heavy metal adsorption processes. In this study, jarosite was synthesized using different methods, including the bio-oxidation by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (BAF), rapid addition of H2O2 (RAH), and slow addition of H2O2 (SAH). The synthesized jarosite samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The influence of pH, adsorption time, and adsorbent dosage on the adsorption performance of U(VI) by jarosite was investigated through static adsorption experiments. The results revealed that jarosite with petal-like, granular, and spherical morphologies was obtained using the BAF, RAH, and SAH methods, respectively. Among jarosite synthesized by the three methods, bio-synthesized jarosite exhibited the best adsorption performance, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 96.2 mg/g for U(VI). Under the conditions of pH 7 and an adsorbent dosage of 0.8 g/L, the adsorption equilibrium was reached within 80 min. The adsorption process of U(VI) by jarosite synthesized through three methods all followed the Langmuir model. Adsorption kinetics follow a pseudo-second-order rate expression, indicating a chemical interaction between the adsorbent and the presence of U(VI). These results suggest that bio-synthesized jarosite has great potential for adsorbing U(VI) from U(VI)-contaminated wastewater.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Defense Basic Research Program (JCKY2019401D003) and the Key Project of the Jiangxi Provincial Key R & D Program (20232BBG70007), Research and Innovation Partnership Fund of State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment (2023NRE-LH-15).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, Jiangxi, China

    Jianping Guo, Zhongkui Zhou, Jiamao Yuan, Chao Liu, Pingchao Ke & Zhongqiang Hu

  2. School of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, Jiangxi, China

    Jianping Guo, Zhongkui Zhou, Jiamao Yuan, Chao Liu, Pingchao Ke & Zhongqiang Hu

  3. China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China

    Bei Zhao

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  1. Jianping Guo
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Guo, J., Zhou, Z., Yuan, J. et al. Effect of preparation methods on the morphology of jarosite and its adsorption performance for U(VI). J Radioanal Nucl Chem 333, 317–328 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-023-09231-6

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