Efficient removal of Eu(III) from aqueous solutions using super-adsorbent of bentonite-polyacrylamide composites

The bentonite has been studied extensively to preconcentrate radionuclides from aqueous solutions, however, the low sorption capacity limits it application in real work. Herein, bentonite embedded in the polyacrylamide (PAAm) gels is synthesized and used as a novel adsorbent for the removal of Eu(III) from aqueous solutions. The bentonite-PAAm composites show much higher sorption capacity for Eu(III) preconcentration than bare bentonite. The bentonite-PAAm composites can be used as super-adsorbent for the removal of Eu(III) from aqueous solution in radioactive pollution cleanup.