Hydroxyapatite modified with silica used for sorption of copper(II)

This paper aims to increase the sorption capacity of hydroxyapatite and to find the best apatite-based material for metal ions sorption. The sorption process of copper ions from water solutions by HAP and structurally modified HAP was carried out in this work. Structural modifications of HAP were realized in the preparation phase by an addition of sodium silica into the reaction medium. The prepared materials were characterized by physical-chemical methods: IR, electron-microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The composites characterized were tested in kinetic studies regarding ion exchange and adsorption of Cu(2+). It was revealed that the silica content, particle size and initial copper ion concentration influence the process rate.