The natural bentonite used in this study contained montmorillonite in addition to low cristobalite. The uptake of aqueous Co 2+ ions was investigated as a function of time, concentration, and temperature. In addition, the change in the interlayer space of montmorillonite was analyzed using XRPD, and the distribution of fixed Co 2+ ions on the heterogeneous clay surface was recorded using EDS mapping. The sorbed amount of Co 2+ appeared to closely follow Freundlich isotherm, with the sorption process showing apparent endothermic behavior. The relevance of the apparent H o values is briefly discussed. Analysis of the Co-sorbed bentonite samples using SEM/EDS showed that the montmorillonite fraction in the mineral was more effective in Co 2+ fixation than the cristobalite fraction. XRPD analysis demonstrated that the interlayer space of montmorillonite was slightly modified at the end of sorption.
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