Preparation of Modified Clay Adsorbents for the Removal of Humic Acid

By replacing the natural interlayer cations of montmorillonites with polymeric Al/Fe species, the properties of clay surfaces can be modified, and this allows them to interact with both organic and inorganic pollutants dissolved in water. This paper reports the use of modified clays as the adsorbents for removing humic substance from model waters. The order of the affinity of various clays to humic acid is: polymeric Fe/Al-modified > polymeric Al-modified > polymeric Fe modified > unmodified (starting) clay, and this demonstrates that polymeric Al/Fe-modified montmorillonites are potential efficient adsorbent for treating color-causing natural organic matter.