Preparation of silica-based titanate adsorbents and application for strontium removal from radioactive contaminated wastewater

K2Ti6O13/SiO2 adsorbents were prepared by sol–gel method and good microcrystalline K2Ti6O13 phases were formed at 500 °C. From EDS of the adsorbents before and after adsorption of Sr2+ it showed that there was ion-exchange reaction between K+ and Sr2+. Experimental data on adsorption isotherms were best fit by the Freundlich and Langmuir–Freundlich model. The experimental data indicated that the pseudo-second order kinetic equation was best fit for both single Sr2+ solution and simulated Fukushima wastewater. The pH approaching to neutral displayed a better adsorption behavior for Sr2+ solution. The breakthrough capacity for treatment of Fukushima wastewater increased with decreasing flow rate and increasing bed diameter.