A method for decomposing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), environmental contaminants known as “eternal chemicals,” while simultaneously recycling the fluorine contained in them, is presented in a Nature article. The process could help address environmental contamination while recovering fluorine for manufacturing.
PFASs are man-made chemicals that have been frequently used in textiles, firefighting, cookware, and medical applications since the 1940s. These chemicals are difficult to decompose and have accumulated in the environment, earning them the name of “eternal chemicals.”
Although there are some methods to decompose PFAS, these typically result in the production of smaller PFAS and volatile fluorinated compounds that are lost. Recovery of fluorine from PFAS could help bridge the gap in obtaining this element from critical minerals.
Véronique Gouverneur and colleagues present a method to decompose PFAS into fluorine-containing compounds using potassium phosphate salts. The authors found that the combination of Teflon (a common PFAS) with these salts in a steel jar and stirring the mixture at a frequency of 35 cycles per second for 3 hours led to the decomposition of the PFAS.
Through further testing, the authors observed that these reactions can decompose different types of PFAS used in consumer goods. The phosphate salts used in the process can be recovered and reused in subsequent reactions.
The authors contend that this PFAS decomposition method could help address environmental issues and gaps in certain sectors of the processing industry, which may struggle with a fluorine shortage, as well as contribute to a circular economy.
