Making Use of Local Waste: Adsorptive Removal of Novacron Red FN-2BL Using CTAB-Aided Sodium Hydroxide–Pretreated Jute Fibers

The purpose of our work was to increase the efficacy of jute fibers through the application of two successive treatments: sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The goal was to remove the dye Novacron Red FN-2BL from wastewater. We thoroughly investigated how different parameters, such as initial concentration of dye (20–100 mg/L), adsorbent dosage (0.01 g–0.10 g), contact time (2–16 min), pH (from 2 to12) and temperature (298, 308, and 318 K) affected the kinetics of removal of dye. The removal efficiency of reactive dye Novacron Red FN-2BL by the jute treated with surfactant CTAB (JST) adsorbent peaked at 95% using 0.05 g/50 mL dye solution, an initial concentration of dye of 40 mg/L, pH 7, contact time of 8 min, and temperature of 298 K. A thorough understanding of the process of adsorption was made possible by our experimental setup, and the data fit effectively into a variety of isothermal and kinetic models. In particular, the adsorption behavior was well-represented by the Langmuir isotherm model, and the adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model. Notably, a remarkable 74.63 mg/g of monolayer adsorption was possible at 318 K. An endothermic adsorption phenomenon is reflected by the increasing value of KF (Freundlich’s constant) on rising temperature. Furthermore, the Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm demonstrated a physisorption-like mechanism for the adsorption of Novacron red FN-2BL dye on JST; the magnitude of E, which varied from 1.29 to 2.24 KJ/mol when the temperature rose from 298 to 318 K, indicated the process’s temperature dependence. With respect to thermodynamics, the ΔH∗ value was found to be 11.73 KJ/mol, and the ΔS∗ value was determined as 65.74 J/mol/K. An entropy-driven nature, spontaneity, and feasibility of Novacron Red FN-2BL adsorption on JST are highlighted by the positive ΔS∗ and consistently negative ΔG∗ (ranging from −7.87 KJ/mol to −9.19 KJ/mol, across all temperatures).