Removal of (210)Po from aqueous media and its thermodynamics and kinetics.

In this study, the composite adsorbent as granule was prepared by mixing of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and a natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) in specific conditions. The prepared composite adsorbent was used for investigating the adsorption behaviour of (210)Po. Adsorption of (210)Po was studied in a column system. The effective parameters such as initial activity concentration of (210)Po, pH of the aqueous solution, contact time and temperature of solution for adsorption behaviour of (210)Po were studied. Adsorption yield of (210)Po on composite adsorbent from aqueous solution in optimum conditions were determined as 75.00 ± 0.15%. The adsorption equilibrium data was examined using various well-known isotherm models such as Freundlich, Langmuir, Dubinin and Radushkevish and Tempkin, and it was observed that the experimental equilibrium data well fitted and found to be in good agreement with the Tempkin model. Adsorption thermodynamics and kinetics of the polonium were studied. It was found that the processes for (210)Po were exothermic and spontaneous. The kinetic data conformed better to the pseudo-second order equation.