Synthetic inorganic ion-exchange materials

The change in selectivities by thermal treatment was studied on crystalline (C-SbA) and amorphous (A-SbA) antimonic(V) acids. The equilibrium distribution coefficients (K_d) of Na⁺ and K⁺ ions in HNO₃ solution showed a maximum on the C-SbA heated at 330 °C. An inverse relationship was noticed between the changes in K_d values and in the lattice constants for the heated C-SbA. A-SbA heated at 20–500°C showed two steps of time dependence of adsorption for Na⁺, while a maximum for K⁺. This behavior can be explained in terms of the transformation from amorphous material to C-SbA.