Promoting effect of cerium on the adsorptive performance of single and mixed pillared clays for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous phase

A series of pillared interlayered clays (PILC) including Al-, Zr- and Al–Zr-PILC have been prepared. Natural and pillared matrices were characterized by XRD, elemental analyses, FTIR measurements after n-butylamine adsorption, cationic exchange capacity, nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms. The pillaring process increases the thermal stability, the basal spacing of the natural clay sample (Na-Bent) from 12 to 19.3 Å and the surface area from 107 to 200 m2g −1 . Cerium introduced in the Zr4+ and/or Al3+ intercalated solution allows for an improvement of the stability and crystallinity of PILC and creates pillared clays with new properties. The resulting materials were used for adsorption of chromium and zinc metals from aqueous solution at room temperature. The addition of cerium has a major influence in the heavy metal removel. Pseudo-first-order and Lagergren pseudo-second-order demonstrated a better agreement with second-order kinetics was obtained with chromium and zinc metal adsorption