Removal of copper and zinc from aqueous solutions using different cationic forms of clinoptilolite type zeolites

The purpose of this study is, removal of copper and zinc ions from waste water using clinoptilolite type of zeolites.In the first step of study, the chemical composition and X-ray diffraction pattern of the pure clinoptilolite was determined. Then, the clinoptilolite was converted into homoionic form by using sodium ion. As a result of this process, the distribution of sodium ion gram equivalent numbers in interchangeable cations in clinoptilolite structure increased from %11,7 to %58,9.During the following studies, ion exchange equilibrium experiments of copper and zinc ions were studied. In these experimental studies, temperature value was 250C and the total solution concentration value was 0,1N. As a result of experiments it was determined that the selectivity of clinoptilolite to the copper ion is more than selectivity of clinoptilolite to the zinc ion. After the calculations it was achieved that the thermodynamic equilibrium constant, for sodium-copper and sodium-zinc systems, Ka, was respectively 0,52 and 0,38; the standart free energy of exchange was respectively, ?G0 (kj/eqv.) 0,82 and 1,20 kj/eqv.In the final studies, original clinoptilolite was converted into homoionic form by using copper and zinc ions. As a result of this operation the distribution of copper ion equivalent gram numbers in interchangeable cations in clinoptilolite structure was found as %38,8 and the distribution of zinc ion equivalent gram numbers in the exchangeable cations was found as %31,1. Then the ion exchange equilibrium experiment studies for the clinoptilolites in copper and zinc form were performed. In the ion exchange points, that obtained after the experiments, for copper-sodium system, with an exception of 1 g clinoptilolite/5 mL solution and 1 g clinoptilolite/10 mL solution points, all the other experimental points with the sodium-copper systems were observed to be harmonic. And for the zinc-sodium system all points with the sodium-zinc systems were observed to be harmonic.