Sorption of Chromate by Clinoptilolite Modified With Alkylammonium Surfactants

Clinoptilolite from Dylągówka (Poland) with an external cation exchange capacity (ECEC) of 16 meq/100 g determined by adsorption of alkylammonium ions was treated with hexadecyltrimethylammonium (C16) and dioctadecyldimethylammonium (2C18) bromides in amounts equivalent to 1.0 and 1.5 ECEC. The products were characterized using IR spectroscopy and C and N determinations. The sorption of chromate on the modified mineral was measured spectrophotometrically as a function of pH, concentration of Cr(VI) or the proportion of the sorbent to solution. The amount of chromate removed from the solution continuously decreased with increasing pH in the range 1.3-10. At pH 2.6-3.1, the maximum adsorption of Cr(VI) by the organo-zeolites (103 and 124 mmol/kg) was observed for the samples modified using a 1.5 ECEC surfactant concentration. Considerably lower adsorption values (37 and 46 mmol/kg) were obtained with sorbents prepared using a 1.0 ECEC concentration of the alkylammonium ions.