PFOA removal with ceramics

Researchers at the University of Bath have published a report in Chemical Engineering Journal about a method that removes at least 75% of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from water using ceramic-infused lattices (or ‘monoliths’). PFOA is one of the two commonest perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These are under increasing scrutiny as ‘forever chemicals’ that take hundreds of years to degrade and are linked to health issues like harm to reproductive, developmental and cardiovascular systems.

The 4 cm monoliths are created by extruding ink infused with indium oxide from a 3D printer and forming it into a lattice shape with a high surface area. The indium oxide bonds with PFAS, which stick to the monoliths immediately and can be removed from the water in under three hours. Using 3D printing is simple and should be scalable, the team said. In addition, testing of the monoliths has shown that they undergo high-temperature thermal ‘regeneration’ treatment after each use and actually become more effective under repeated. Research is continuing to understand why.