STUDY ON SYNTHESIS OF MESOSTRUCTURED SILICA SBA-15 AND COMPOSITE SBA-15/TiO2 NANOTUBE USING VIETNAM SODIUM SILICATE FOR EFFICENT REMOVAL OF THORIUM (IV) IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION

Abstract

Mesostructured silica SBA-15 and modified composites SBA-15/TiO₂ nanotube were synthesized by a new method using industrial commercal sodium silicate and sulfuric acid. Material samples have prossessed highly order porousity  with high surface area (939m²/g) and average pore diameter of 5 - 10nm. In addition, SBA-15/TNT has the existence of TiO₂ nanotube (TNT) component with ion exchange ability with Na⁺ cation in nanotube titanium dioxide network, so increasing the capacity and rate of adsorption of radioactive ions, especially thorium (IV) ion in the aqueous solution. Maximum absorption capacity of Th (IV) ion in aqueous solution over the best sample SBA-15/TNT (mol ratio Si/Ti = 1) were 222mg/g, which is 91% more than SBA-15 (116 mg/g) in the same conditions. It is showed that these materials are potential application in treatment of thori (IV) ion in aqueous solution.