Sorption study of uranium from aqueous solution on ordered mesoporous carbon CMK-3

The ability of ordered mesoporous carbon CMK-3 has been explored for the removal and recovery of uraium from aqueous solutions. The textural properties of CMK-3 were characterized using small-angle X-ray diffraction and N₂ adsorption–desorption, and the BET specific surface area, pore volume and the pore size were 1143.7 m²/g, 1.10 cm³/g and 3.4 nm. The influences of different experimental parameters such as solution pH, initial concentration, contact time, ionic strength and temperature on adsorption were investigated. The CMK-3 showed the highest uranium sorption capacity at initial pH of 6.0 and contact time of 35 min. Adsorption kinetics was better described by the pseudo-second-order model and adsorption process could be well defined by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm. The thermodynamic parameters, ?G°(298 K), ?H° and ?S° were determined to be ?7.7, 21.5 k J mol^?1 and 98.2 J mol^?1 K^?1, respectively, which demonstrated the sorption process of CMK-3 towards U(VI) was feasible, spontaneous and endothermic in nature. The adsorbed CMK-3 could be effectively regenerated by 0.05 mol/L HCl solution for the removal and recovery of U(VI). Complete removal (99.9 %) of U(VI) from 1.0 L industry wastewater containing 15.0 mg U(VI) ions was possible with 2.0 g CMK-3.