Simultaneous adsorption of chromium and acidic dye from leather tannery model wastewater using a novel modified nanoclay

Simultaneous removal of $${\text{Cr}}^{3+}$$ and acidic dye from model tannery wastewater was investigated using local nano-clay modified by 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride surfactant. X-ray fluorescence, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen sulfur analysis, Brunauer–Emmet–Teller analysis pH zero-point charge ( $${pH}_{ZPC}$$ ) analyses were carried out for characterization the adsorbent, adsorptive properties clay batch experiments. The effects essential parameters, such as adsorbent dosage, initial solution pH, concentration, contact time, temperature, studied. Maximum adsorption values (99.74% 83.26% dye) obtained in following conditions: $$4$$ , concentration 100 mg/L, dosage 15,000 time $$30$$ min. effect contaminants’ also through response surface methodology, central composite face-centered design an empirical presented. results kinetic models’ studies demonstrated that simultaneous contaminants follows pseudo-second-order model, data single binary solutions fitted nonlinearly to isotherm models showed Cr (III) follow Langmuir Dubinin–Radushkevitch isotherms, respectively. Adsorption both Redlich-Peterson isotherm. capacities be 193.1390 $$\frac{\text{mg}}{{\text{g}}}$$ 144.1782 dye, Synergistic antagonistic adsorptions observed solutions.