The effect of metal cations on phenol adsorption by hexadecyl-trimethyl-ammonium bromide (hdtma) modified clinoptilolite (Ct.)

This paper is concerned with the preparation and use of HDTMA-modified clinoptilolite (Ct.) to remove phenol and investigate the effect of cation ions on the phenol sorption performance. It was found that HDTMA-modified Ct. removed phenol more efficiently than natural Ct. This can be attributed to the enhanced hydrophobic surface properties of HDTMA-modified Ct. In the presence of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) ions, the phenol sorption by HDTMA-modified Ct. was further improved. The formation of neutral ion pair of metal-phenol and increasing hydrophobic interactions were contributed to such phenomena. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.