Sorption mechanism of U(VI) on a reference montmorillonite: Binding to the internal and external surfaces

Abstract

Batch type experiments of U(VI) sorption on a reference montmorillonite(SWy-2) were carried out over wide ranges of pH, ionic strength, and totalU(VI) concentration. The influences of these factors on the sorption behaviorof U(VI) were analyzed to gain a macroscopic understanding of the sorptionmechanism. The sorption of U(VI) on montmorillonite showed a distinct dependencyon ionic strength. When it was low (0.01 or 0.001M), almost all of the totalU(VI) was sorbed over the whole pH range studied, therefore, the dependencyon pH was not clear. But the sorption of U(VI) on montmorillonite showed asorption pH edge in the high ionic strength condition (0.1M), like those onother clay minerals, kaolinite and chlorite. A mechanistic model was establishedby considering the mineral structure of montmorillonite together with ourprevious EPR result, which successfully explained the U(VI) sorption on montmorilloniteover the whole range of experimental conditions. The model describes the U(VI)sorption on montmorillonite as simultaneous and competitive reactions of ionexchange and surface complexation, whose relative contribution to the totalsorption depends on pH and ionic strength. At low ionic strength and low pHconditions, ion exchange was the dominant mechanism for U(VI) sorption onmontmorillonite. At high ionic strength and high pH conditions, surface complexationwas the dominant