Sodium Adsorption Research Articles

Modeling Realistic Clay Systems with ClayCode.

Clays are a broad class of ubiquitous layered materials. Their specific chemophysical properties are intimately connected to their molecular structure, featuring repeating patterns broken by substitutions. Molecular dynamics simulations can provide insight into the mechanisms leading to the emergent properties of these layered materials; however, up to now, idealized clay structures have been simulated to make the modeling process tractable. We present ClayCode, a software facilitating the modeling of clay systems closely resembling experimentally determined structures. By comparing a realistic model to a commonly used montmorillonite clay model, we demonstrate that idealized models feature noticeably different ionic adsorption patterns. We then present an application of ClayCode to the study the competitive barium and sodium adsorption on Wyoming montmorillonite, Georgia kaolinite, and Montana Illite, of interest in the context of nuclear waste disposal.

Revealing an Extended Adsorption/Insertion-Filling Sodium Storage Mechanism in Petroleum Coke-Derived Amorphous Carbon.

Amorphous carbon holds great promise as anode material for sodium-ion batteries due to its cost-effectiveness and good performance. However, its sodium storage mechanism, particularly the insertion process and origin of plateau capacity, remains controversial. Here, an extended adsorption/insertion-filling sodium storage mechanism is proposed using petroleum coke-derived amorphous carbon as a multi-microcrystalline model. Combining in situ X-ray diffraction, in situ Raman, theoretical calculations, and neutron scattering, the effective storage form and location of sodium ions in amorphous carbon are revealed. The sodium adsorption at defect sites leads to a high-potential sloping capacity. The sodium insertion process occurs in both the pseudo-graphite phase (d002 > 0.370nm) and graphite-like phase (0.345 ≤ d002 < 0.370nm) rather than the graphite phase, contributing to low-potential sloping capacity. The sodium filling into accessible closed pores forms quasi-metallic sodium clusters, contributing to plateau capacity. The threshold of the effective interlayer spacing for sodium insertion is extended to 0.345nm, breaking the consensus of insertion interlayer threshold and enhancing understanding of closed pore filling. The extended adsorption/insertion-filling mechanism explains the sodium storage behavior of amorphous carbon with different microstructures, providing theoretical guidance for the rational design of high-performance amorphous carbon anodes.

Understanding the wettability alterations in carbonate reservoirs: Integrating experimental data and a surface complexation model for enhanced predictions

In this study, we developed a laboratory-based model to analyze wettability alteration in the oil–water-rock system. The selected Surface Complexation Model (SCM), based on experimental data, is refined through sensitivity analysis and comparison with experimental measurements, including zeta potential and contact angle. Our analysis indicates that, in addition to magnesium, calcium, and sulfate ions, the adsorption of sodium and chlorine on calcite surfaces, as well as sodium adsorption on oil surfaces, significantly affects electrostatic interactions and surface potential alterations. Consequently, the complexing reactions of these ions were incorporated into the model and adjusted based on sensitivity analysis. Moreover, surface complex reactions exhibit distinct behaviors in neutral, acidic, and alkaline environments. Therefore, different reactions were considered and sensitivity analyzed for oil and rock surfaces in neutral conditions. The model’s reliability was further validated by comparing predicted and experimental zeta potentials. Additionally, disjoining pressures were computed, and contact angles were simulated, demonstrating the model’s accuracy. Key findings include the successful modification of reaction parameters to achieve accurate results across different pH levels and ion concentrations. This confirms the applicability and reliability of the developed SCM for wettability alteration analysis, further supported by stability maps that consider varying ion concentrations and pH levels.

Interlayer interactions and electron transfer effects on sodium adsorption on 2D heterostructures surfaces

Interlayer interactions and electron transfer effects on sodium adsorption on 2D heterostructures surfaces

Sodium adsorption on nanometer-thick TiO2 channel thin-film transistors for enhanced drain currents

Sodium adsorption on nanometer-thick-TiO2-channel thin-film transistors (TFTs) are examined for enhancing the drain current. In the TFTs, the channel thickness of TiO2 is set as thin as ∼16 nm. The TiO2 film is deposited by atomic layer deposition using plasma excited humified Ar, followed by crystallization into the anatase phase by thermal annealing at 500 °C in air. The gate oxide is a 300 nm thick SiO2 film, which is grown on a highly doped n+ Si substrate. The n+ Si substrate is used as the gate electrode. The drain and source electrodes of Ti are deposited by an electron beam evaporation at room temperature. The TiO2 channel is covered with multiple layers of aluminum silicate and SiO2 films to enhance the Na sorptivity. The multiple films consist of combinations of 1 nm thick SiO2 and 0.16 nm thick aluminum silicate. The channel length and width are 60 and 1000 μm, respectively. The TFT without the Na adsorption exhibits a field effect mobility of ∼0.5 cm2/V s, where the drain current is recorded around 30 μA with a gate voltage of 10 V. With immersion of the TFT in a 10 mM NaCl solution, the drain current is enhanced to the order of mA. The simulation with an equivalent circuit with source and drain resistances suggests that the field effect mobility is enhanced to ∼30 cm2/V s with the adsorption of Na. In this paper, we discuss the operation mechanism of the Na adsorbed TiO2 TFT and its applicability as TFT-based high current switch devices and sensors.

Applying Geophysical and Hydrogeochemical Methods to Evaluate Groundwater Potential and Quality in Middle Egypt

The El-Minia district is a location of interest for future urban development. Using hydrochemistry and electrical resistivity studies, this work aimed to evaluate the groundwater potentiality and it’s suitable for various uses. The groundwater potential in the study area was evaluated based on 24 VESs (vertical electrical soundings), and its quality was determined based on the analyses of 57 groundwater samples. EC (salinity index), Na% (salt hazard), SAR (ratio of sodium adsorption), chloride risks, SSP (soluble sodium percentage), MH (magnesium hazard), and other indicators were used to determine whether the collected water samples were suitable for irrigation. Four layers in the study area are mentioned in the geoelectrical cross-sections that have been constructed. The first is made up of silt and clay from the Nile River, while the second is made up of sandy clay, which has a resistivity range of 15 to 32 Ohm.m and a range thickness of 2 to 68 m. Dry limestone makes up the third layer; its resistivity ranges from 1222 to 3000 Ohm.m and its thickness varies between 75 and 95 m. The Eocene aquifer in the research area is represented by the final layer, which has a thickness of more than 250 m and resistivity values that range from 602 to 860 Ohm.m. Most groundwater samples that were collected are safe for drinking; however, none of them are fit for home usage because of their extreme hardness. According to the SAR and US diagram, RSC, KR, and PI, most groundwater samples from the Pleistocene and Eocene aquifers are fit for irrigation.

Flexible ultrathin Nitrogen-Doped carbon mediates the surface charge redistribution of a hierarchical tin disulfide nanoflake electrode for efficient capacitive deionization

Constructing pseudocapacitive electrodes with high specific capacities is indispensable for increasing the large-scale application of capacitive deionization (CDI). However, the insufficient CDI rate and cycling performance of pseudocapacitive-based electrodes have led to a decline in their use due to the corresponding volumetric expansion and contraction that occurs during long-term CDI processes. Herein, hierarchical porous SnS2 nanoflakes are encapsulated inside an N-doped carbon (NC) matrix to achieve efficient CDI. Benefiting from the synergistic properties of the pseudocapacitive SnS2 nanoflakes and few-layered N-doped carbon, the heterogeneous interface simultaneously provides more available vigorous sites and demonstrates rapid charge-transfer kinetics, resulting in a superior desalination capability (49.86 mg g−1 at 1.2 V), rapid desalination rate (1.66 mg g−1 min−1) and better cyclic stability. Computational research reveals a work function-induced surface charge redistribution of the SnS2@NC heterojunction, which can lead to an auspicious surface electronic structure that reduces the adsorption energy to improve the diffusion kinetics toward sodium adsorption. This work contributes to providing a thoughtful understanding of the interface engineering between transition metal dichalcogenides and NC to construct high-performance CDI electrode materials for further industrialization.

Unveiling the mutual ion-storage mechanism of dual-carbon NaTFSI-WiSE Cells: A molecular dynamics study

The application of sodium cation in electrochemical devices has been considered an alternative technology for energy storage applications. Water-in-salt electrolyte (WiSE) combined with dual-carbon electrodes can be considered an emerging eco-friendly alternative, however, several problems remain in debate, e.g., what is the ion-storage mechanism? Thus, we carried out molecular dynamics investigations considering three different dual-carbon sodium-WiSE cells at different salt/water concentrations, namely, 4.50, 6.76, and 9.25molkg−1. Furthermore, we employed the constant potential model to simulate the charging behavior of these systems at two potential differences, namely, ΔΨ=1V and 2V. The best results for the total accumulated charge at 2V were from the 6.76m and 9.25m systems. From the analysis of the evolution of the local charge on the electrodes, we identified a crucial role in the mutual ions migration inside both the positive and negative sides of the dual-carbon. In general, cations are driven into the pores coordinated by water molecules and keep their solvation shell during all the simulation time. Except when they are highly confined into narrow pores, where they have fewer water molecules in their surroundings. Therefore, from our simulations and analyses, the storage mechanisms are associated with sodium adsorption together with H2O co-embedding.

HYDROCHEMISTRY OF HIGH-MOUNTAIN PAMIR RIVERS: FORMATION, CHANGES AND INFLUENCE ON THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF IRRIGATION WATER

The purpose of the research is to analyze the prospects for the agriculture development in the Central Asian region and Tajikistan in particular, in terms of identifying the main favorable and constraining factors for the further agriculture development. The Pyanj river is one of the main tributaries of the Transboundary Amu Darya River in the Central Asian region, whose waters are a source of drinking water supply for the population and 80% used for irrigation of agricultural land. The trend of deteriorating water quality of Central Asian River systems recently has been increasing, and monitoring water quality from the formation zone to the downstream of the rivers is a problem in the region. The statistical methods and Pearson correlation to the meteorological conditions monitoring of the river basins were used. In the Laboratory of Environment and Geology of the Department of Geological Sciences of the University of Colorado at Boulder (USA), as well as in the Laboratory of Moisture Chemistry of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (USA) by use of an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) and ion chromatography was conducted the element analyses of waters. The physical and chemical analyses of water samples was conducted using the “TaLab” spectrophotometer following the relevant state standards. The suitability of water for irrigation were determined by the calculation of the coefficients of sodium adsorption (SAR), the percentage of sodium (Na%), the percentage of sodium solubility (SSP), and the percentage of exchangeable sodium (ESP). The contribution of the Gunt River to the enrichment of the main Pyanj River with Fe, Co, Ni, Sr, Ca, Mg, Na, and K elements are established. The assessment of the natural water quality of the Pyanj and Gunt rivers for irrigation was carried out using various index methods, such as SAR, ESP, SSP and %Na.

Adsorption of sodium from saline water with natural and acid activated Ethiopian bentonite

In the present study, natural and acid activated local bentonite were investigated for removal of sodium for reduction of water salinity. Local bentonite from was collected from Warsisso area of Afar region, eastern part of Ethiopia and activated with H2SO4. The raw and activated bentonites were characterized with XRD, SEM, FTIR and BET. The raw and activated bentonites were used for adsorption of sodium from aqueous water for reduction of salinity of water. The effects of H2SO4 concentration, activation time, concertation of initial sodium concentration, adsorption time, pH of solution and adsorbent dosage on the sodium removal were studied. SEM results shows smooth aggregate with closely packed flakes for natural bentonite while the surface foe activated bentonite is foggy and ragged appearance. The specific surface area of natural bentonite is 57.6 m2/g while a maximum of 238.24 m2/g was observed for bentonite activated with 3 M H2SO4 activated for time period of 6 h. A maximum of 18% sodium adsorption was achieved at this maximum specific area condition. An optimum removal of sodium by activated bentonite was 19.4% at adsorption conditions of time 180 min, salt concentration of 3486 ppm, solution pH of 10 and adsorbent dosage of 0.5 g. The experimental data were analyzed by Freundlich, Langmuir, Dubinin-Radushkevic (D-R) and Temkin isotherms models. The results revealed that Langmuir isotherm provided a better fit to the experimental data with correlation coefficients of 0.967 and 0.979 for raw and activated bentonite, respectively. Adsorption kinetics as well was studied with pseudo first order and pseudo second order, intraparticle diffusion and Elovich models. And pseudo second order model also found best to explain adsorption kinetics with 0.994 and 0.999 correlation coefficients.

Sodium Storage Mechanism of Nongraphitic Carbons: A General Model and the Function of Accessible Closed Pores

Nowadays, the sodium storage mechanism of nongraphitic carbon materials still remains controversial despite their promising application as anode materials in sodium-ion batteries. Herein, a series of hard carbons and soft carbons with different crystallinities and pore structures was prepared from coal tar pitch, and a general mechanism is proposed through the analysis and contrast of their microstructures and electrochemical performances. In particular, it was found that sodium adsorption and insertion take place in the form of sloping capacity for both soft carbons and hard carbons, while sodium closed pore filling only exists below 0.1 V in hard carbons corresponding to the plateau capacity. Moreover, we further propose the concept of accessible closed pores (ACPs) and quantify the surface area of ACPs, which exhibits a high linear correlation with the plateau capacity. This general mechanism model will provide theory instruction for the preparation of anode materials with superior performance.

Sodium Adsorption on the Surface of Thermally Oxidized Tungsten

Photoelectron spectroscopy was used to study the electronic structure in situ in an ultrahigh vacuum before and after the adsorption of sodium atoms on the surface of tungsten oxidized at an oxygen pressure of 1 Torr and a temperature of 950 K. The photoemission spectra from the valence band and the W 4f, O 2s, and Na 2p core states were studied under synchrotron excitation in the photon energy range 80-600 eV. It is found that a tungsten oxide film is formed containing various tungsten oxides with an oxidation state of 6+ to 4+. The deposition of a 1.1 monolayer of sodium atoms on the surface of oxidized tungsten leads to the reduction of the W6+ states to W4+ and the reaction with oxygen in the hydroxyl composition, which is reflected in the change in the spectrum of the W 4f and O 2s core states. It is shown that the cathodoluminescence spectrum is associated with the luminescence of tungsten oxide. Keywords: adsorption, sodium, tungsten oxides, photoelectron spectroscopy, cathodoluminescence.

Mapping of groundwater opportunities for multi-purposes use in Beni-Suef province, Egypt

Beni-Suef desert represents one of the interesting areas for land reclamation and future urban areas. This work aimed to assess the groundwater potentiality and suitability for different purposes by using the electrical resistivity and hydrochemistry studies. In the area of investigation, 32 vertical electrical soundings (VES) were implemented in order to determine the groundwater potentiality, as well as 42 samples of water were collected and analyzed. The suitability of gathered samples of water for irrigation was evaluated throughout: salinity index, sodium hazard (Na %), ratio of sodium adsorption (SAR), chloride hazards, soluble sodium percentage (SSP), magnesium ratio (MH), and other indicators. Results were represented in “Opportunity Map” by GIS layers, to denote major element distribution. Analysis indicated a presence of two potentiality zones in the study area that refer to Quaternary and Eocene aquifer. Results indicated that the east and north parts of the area of investigation have low groundwater potentiality for irrigation and domestic uses, whereas southern region has medium groundwater potentiality. On the other hand, all the gathered samples of groundwater are inappropriate for domestic use. Most of the studied groundwater samples can be used for irrigation according to SAR and US salinity chart, residual sodium carbonate (RSC), Kelly’s ratio (KR), and permeability index. The prepared opportunity map reflects the evaluation of water potentiality in the study area.

Lithium and sodium intercalation in a 2D NbSe2 bilayer-stacked homostructure: comparative study of ionic adsorption and diffusion behavior.

In this work, we probed the lithium and sodium intercalation properties in monolayer-stacked NbSe2 bilayer homostructure configurations for their potential application as anode materials in lithium and sodium ion batteries. Similar to known monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides, such as VS2, the structural phase transition barrier of NbSe2 from 1H to 1T is strengthened by lithium and sodium adsorption, implying that it is robust under multiple charging and discharging processes. As multi-layer, stacked 2D materials are more relevant to experiments and their intended applications, four bilayer homostructure stackings were constructed based on the alignment of Nb and Se. All four bilayer homostructure stackings were found to significantly enhance the binding of lithium and sodium at the van der Waals interface, and thus potentially increase the theoretical specific energy capacity of NbSe2via bilayer stacking. In terms of ionic diffusion, it is observed that for all of the bilayer homostructure configurations the diffusion energy barrier for lithium and sodium generally increased compared to the monolayer case. The nature of the stacking appears to affect the diffusion energy barrier with a value of as high as 1.94 eV in the case of sodium for the AB full stacking (compared to 0.08 eV for the monolayer). It is inferred that although the bilayer homostructure stacking of NbSe2 could significantly increase the theoretical specific energy capacity for both lithium and sodium, its drawback is the slowing down of the ion kinetics at the van der Waals interface, which are also important in the charging and discharging processes of a battery system.

Lithium and Sodium Adsorption on Monolayer Tellurene

A new family of two-dimensional (2D) materials, tellurene, composed only by group-VI element tellurium, were recently predicted theoretically and verified experimentally. The most stable phase of m...

Hard Carbon Ethylene Carbonate Interfaces – Atomic Scale Insight into Surface Termination, Defects, Functional Groups, and Roughness on Electrolyte Breakdown, Metal Adsorption, Intercalation and Nucleation

In the search for post lithium ion batteries (LIBs), sodium ion batteries (NIBs) are gaining traction, but fundamental understanding of the atomic scale interactions at the anode electrolyte interfaces in NIBs remains poorly understood. In moving from LIBs, the LIB anode material graphite was found to be unsuitable for NIBs. Instead, hard carbon anode materials have arisen as one of the most promising electrode materials for sodium ion batteries (NIBs), which are also suitable for use with carbonate based electrolyte solvents. Hard carbons are complex amorphous carbon structures with randomly orientated, defective, and curved graphene nanosheets, and turbostratically stacked graphitic layers. This complex structure leads to a plethora of carbon structural motifs being present in the anode, leading to a large number of potential morphologies having to be taken into account when investigating the anode electrolyte interface.In this study, we use ab initio molecular dynamics to investigate the effect of surface roughness, disorder, defects, and termination on the electrolyte anode interactions in the EC (electrolyte solvent) | hard carbon (anode) system. These simulations show that EC intercalation and breakdown is directly influenced by the carbon surface termination and surface roughness. Furthermore, defects were found to be more probable to form in terms of defect formation energies at strained and curved carbon morphologies. These defects were also found to have a direct impact on the sodium binding to the anode. The effect of all these different structural motifs on sodium adsorption, intercalation, and diffusion were simulated to form an understanding of the anode electrolyte interfacial reactions. One consequence of electrolyte molecule breakdown, but could also be an effect of anode synthesis method, is the presence of functional groups at the carbon surface. From density functional theory simulations of functional groups O, OH, NH2, and COOH at different carbon motifs (planar basal plane, H-terminated edges, and curved morphologies) we could show that O-functional groups from an energetical perspective are highly probable to form on these surfaces, and can act as favourable sodium storage sites. The hydroxyl group on the other hand were found to form inorganic NaOH compounds, which could contribute to irreversible capacity.AcknowledgmentThe financial support from EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Council) under the grant number EP/M027066/1, and EP/R021554/2, is acknowledged.

Improvements on modelling wettability alteration by Engineered water injection: Surface complexation at the oil/brine/rock contact

Several laboratory experiments demonstrated that different water compositions cause rocks to change from oil- to water-wet state. Although it is a consensus that wettability alteration is the main recovery process, modeling the underlying mechanism is still a major challenge. Our main goal is to improve and validate a physically based model to predict contact angles from zeta-potential measurements. We hypothesize that, if rock and oil surface are sufficiently close as consequence of thin water layer, then the charge development of one surface will be affected by the other. We propose a new mass-action formulation for surface complexation modelling that includes the energy interface of two interacting double layers. Currently, surface complexation models consider rock and oil as completely isolated surfaces. Additionally, we develop a method of determining surface complexation equilibrium constants to honor several zeta-potential measurements for different ion concentrations (Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, SO42− and H+). Finally, we estimate contact angles using disjoining pressure calculations and compare them with experimental ones reported in the literature.For the proposed parallel surface model, the system of equations’ solution is very distinct to isolated surface approach when the interaction between surfaces are close (spacing approximately bellow 2 nm) at high salinity. Regarding zeta-potential prediction for calcite-brine system, we argue that Na+ might not be an indifferent ion as suggested previously. Our simulation results indicate that, besides the renowned potential-determining ions, sodium adsorption on calcite can play an important role in electrostatic interactions, switching surface charge polarity. Thus, we only honor zeta-potential measurements when Na+ is considered in the surface complexation reactions. Finally, contact angle estimation using proposed surface complexation modelling and disjoining pressure theory provide good predictions of seven different cases reported in the literature. We validate our method on a total of 66 and 163 contact angle and zeta-potential measurements, respectively. The present work is a novel approach to represent how electrostatic interactions among rock, brine and oil modify the rock surface charge and the rock wetting state.

Sodium Adsorption and Intercalation in Bilayer Graphene Doped with B, N, Si and P: A First-Principles Study

Heteroatom-doped graphene is a potential anode material in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, understanding the mechanisms of Na adsorption on the surface and intercalation in the interlayer remains a critical challenge to develop a suitable heteroatom-doped graphene anode. In this work, the structural and electronic influences in B-, N-, Si- and P-doped bilayer graphene (BLG) have been investigated by first-principles calculations. Pyridinic N, graphitic B and Si-doped BLG have preferential adsorption for Na with stronger surface binding than intercalation. The undoped carbon layer of B-doped BLG can be converted into n-type doping state by inserting Na, and the doped layer remains p-type mainly caused by the different electrons transfer to carbon layers from Na. Additionally, the electronic conductivity and Na diffusions on surfaces and in interlayers during sodiation are improved by doping heteroatoms. However, pyridinic N, graphitic Si and P doping promote the Na storage on surfaces and in interlayers of BLG due to the structural influence of carbon vacancy, which leads to high activation barriers during desodiation. The graphitic N-doped BLG is unsuitable and reduces the numbers of storage sites for Na in/on it. Therefore, B-doped and pyridinic N-doped BLG are promising anodes for SIBs because of stronger attraction and better kinetics of the electronic and cationic transport.

Hydrogeochemistry and evaluation of groundwater suitability for irrigation purpose in the Mornag region, northeastern Tunisia

In semiarid regions, salinization and anthropogenic contaminants are considered as the principal threat to groundwater resource availability. Consequently, the origin and processes of salinization should be identified, to take a sustainable measurement to mitigate these problems. In the present study, groundwater samples from 18 dug wells were collected during the sampling campaign carried out in May 2016 in order to identify the main natural and anthropogenic processes that control the quality of groundwater in the Mornag shallow aquifer (northeastern Tunisia) and to evaluate its suitability for agricultural irrigation purpose. This may create a clear database for decision maker to take suitable actions to sustainably manage the groundwater resources. The hydrogeochemical parameters (major ions concentration, pH, TDS, EC) were examined to assess the quality of groundwater and to identify the main mineralization processes. Permeability index (PI), percentage of sodium (%Na) and the ratio of sodium adsorption (SAR) were investigated to evaluate the groundwater suitability for irrigation. It has been demonstrated that the major ions abundance follows the order of sodium > calcium > magnesium > potassium and chloride > sulfate > bicarbonate > nitrate. Dissolution of evaporite minerals, such as halite, gypsum and anhydrite, and reverse ion exchange are the predominant processes of groundwater mineralization, generating the Cl–SO4–Ca and Na–Cl major water types. The calculated irrigation water quality index displayed that 55% of the Mornag groundwater samples are distinguished by elevated SAR and PI, suggesting their unsuitability for irrigation. So, the present study has provided a precious insight into the major geochemical processes occurring in the Mornag shallow groundwater and their suitability for irrigation which will support future management of these resources.

Sodium adsorption by reusable zeolite adsorbents: integrated adsorption cycles for salinised groundwater treatment

ABSTRACT Using Canadian (CMZ), Bear River (BRZ), and St. Cloud (SCZ) zeolites, this study investigates the application of natural and pre-treated zeolites for Na+ removal from salinised groundwater. Natural BRZ achieved better Na+ removal for initial concentrations of 250–10,000 mg Na+/L and had the highest maximum adsorption capacity (14.3 ± 0.4 mg/g) compared to natural CMZ (5.8 ± 0.5 mg/g) and SCZ (5.6 ± 0.7 mg/g). Natural BRZ exhibited a higher cation exchange capacity (CEC), mineralogical purity, and natural abundance of exchangeable calcium. The natural abundance of Na+ on CMZ and SCZ may have reduced Na+ adsorption. H-form BRZ and H-form CMZ were also prepared through conventional acidic pre-treatment. Acid treatment improved zeolite properties for adsorption (surface area and CEC). Synchrotron-based X-ray scanning transmission microscopy (STXM) indicated that Na+ adsorption sites in the H-form zeolites were associated with the mineral framework. However, sorption effluents were highly acidic (pH ∼2) and Al3+ leached significantly due to the dealumination induced by acid treatment. Alternatively, hard water softening was cyclically integrated with sodium adsorption as a zeolite treatment to generate Ca/Mg-form CMZ. This integration suggested the feasibility of combining CMZ cycles for water softening and sodium reduction for an extended CMZ lifecycle. Natural CMZ was first used to treat hard water, which enriched the CMZ with Ca2+ and Mg2+ and increased its subsequent Na+ removal rate by over 77%, without producing acidic effluents. The Canadian zeolite adsorbed more sodium when water softening was integrated with sodium removal, which is a repeatable dual-treatment.