Novel Swellable Ionomers for Enhanced PFAS Sorption and Destruction
Abstract
Cost-effective treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS)-impacted matrices, such as groundwater, would be facilitated if a rapid, high-capacity sorbent could be developed that is regenerable on-site for re-use, producing an aqueous PFAS concentrate that is compatible with an efficient PFAS destruction technology. Preliminary data indicated that ionomers, a class of novel and water-swellable sorbents, might have the required characteristics when combined with hydrothermal alkaline treatment (HALT) for PFAS mineralization to fluoride. This limited-scope project was designed to (1) determine the ionomers PFAS sorption kinetics and capacity relative to existing commercial sorbents, and(2) evaluate the efficiencies of PFAS desorption from ionomers and their destruction in theresulting concentrate by HALT. Our data strongly support the use of ionomers for sorption and on-site regeneration and destruction of PFAS in contaminated waters. The proposed treatment occurs entirely in water (no alcohol). We recommend a larger-scale study to further develop the ionomer-HALT process for specific above-ground and in situ applications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 15, 2024
- Accession Number
- AD1229785
Entities
People
- A. F. Buitrago
- Brian C Coleman
- Charles Powley
- Jessica Anton
- Jimmy Murillo-Gelvez
- Pei Chiu
- Seetha Coleman-kammula
- Stephen E. Lyke
- Xiaohuan Qin
Organizations
- University of Delaware