In developing new materials for the sorption of mercury from hydrocarbon mixtures, based on copper-modified diatomaceous earth, sorption of copper from aqueous solutions of Cu2+ ions on natural (Dz) as well as on conditioned diatomaceous earth was investigated. Dz was conditioned in two ways, by rinsing (Dz-I) and by hydration (Dz-H-48). Equilibrium and kinetic sorption analysis was performed by a simple batch procedure at 25, 40 and 60 °C; concentration of Cu in solution was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. It was found that Dz-I was capable of binding significantly more copper (79.10 mg g-1) than Dz (44.8 mg g-1); increasing temperature diminished the mass of bound copper. Equilibrium sorption of water on Dz, Dz-I and Dz-H-48 was successfully described by the Freundlich model. Sorption kinetics was well approximated by the Lagergren 1st order pseudokinetic model.