Thermal Decomposition of PFAS on Granular Activated Carbon: Kinetics, Mass Balance, and Reuse of Reactivated Carbon
Abstract
In this limited-scope project, we symmetrically investigated the decomposition mechanisms of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) laden on granular activated carbon (GAC) in various thermal processes. Adsorption to GAC has been frequently used at pilot- and full-scale operations to treat water contaminated by PFAS. The predominant residual from GAC systems is spent or exhausted carbon which contains elevated levels of PFAS. Our primary objectives were (1) investigate the thermal stability of PFAS; (2) determine thermal decomposition mechanisms (temperature and time requirements, thermodynamics, kinetics) of PFAS on spent GAC;(3) tailor GAC to facilitate the adsorption of hydrophobic PFAS anions from water and investigate the long term performance of raw and tailored GAC after multiple cycles of adsorption thermal reactivation; and (4)remove PFAS from the brine of nanofiltration and reverse osmosis by GAC. This limited-scope project has yielded numerous innovative and important findings, greatly enhancing our understanding of the thermal stability and degradation mechanisms of PFAS.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 31, 2024
- Accession Number
- AD1229784
Entities
People
- Alena Kubatova
- Feng Xiao
- Michael Mann
- Shihong Lin
Organizations
- University of Missouri