POLYKALA TECHNOLOGIES LLC — Environmental Protection Agency SBIR Phase II: 19-NCER-P2

Description

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will perform some needed tests for commercialization of the highly PFAS-selective nanofiber mats fabricated from electrospun polymer nanofibers. The Phase I results have shown the proof of concept for two materials developed for the removal of PFOA and PFOS with over 91% efficiency at very high concentrations (ppm level) and 99% at low concentrations (ppt level). Since the co-contaminants in industrial wastewater are big hurdles for current PFAS treatment technologies, this project will test the materials in pilot plant scale with wastewater samples from landfill leachate.<br/> The advantages of the nanofiber mats include:<br/> 1) A hybrid and synergistic PFAS removal with adsorption/membrane approach;<br/> 2) Smart PFAS-selective adsorption feature;<br/> 3) High loading flow rate;<br/> 4) Energy-efficient regeneration with PFAS recovery for further destruction.<br/> Two functionalized polymer nanofiber mats are fabricated from electrospun polyimide, which is a versatile technique for manufacturing of nanofibers. This project will produce semi-commercial scale quantities of materials which are very promising in reducing the combined PFAS concentration to below 70 ppt from landfill leachate wastewater. The market is growing 19% annually to $11 billion until 2025. The technology is cost-effective and compatible with other treatment processes