Two kinds of crystalline zirconium phosphate, - and
-ZrP were prepared by direct method, and characterized by means of X-ray powder diffractometry, thermogravimetric analysis and pH titration. The total exchange capacity of
-ZrP and
-ZrP for Na+ ions determined by pH titration was 8.80 mmol/(g Zr(HPO4)2·6H2O) and 3.80 mmol/(g NH4ZrH(PO4)2·H2O), respectively. The thermodynamic equilibrium constant of exchange reactions on
-ZrP and on
-ZrP at 25.0°C is 2.5 and 1.1, respectively. Although UO
22+
in solution is more preferred by
-ZrP than by
-ZrP, the selectivity of
-ZrP for UO
22+
decreases with decreasing pH value while less effect of pH on the amount of UO
22+
ions exchanged to
-ZrP has been found. It is also interesting to find out that both H+ and NH
4+
ions in
-ZrP can be replaced by UO
22+
ions existed in concentrated solution.