Electrochemical oxidation PFAS destruction moves from pilot to commercial reality

electraCLEAR™ technology

Axine's electraCLEAR treatment involves immersing conductive electrodes into a flowing process stream. By applying an electrical potential (voltage), electrons travel from the anode (negative electrode) to the cathode (positive electrode). The selection of electrode materials and applied current largely determines the process reactivity and chemical reaction pathways for treatment.

For challenging compounds like PFAS, electrons are directly transferred at the anode's surface, initiating chemical oxidation. The oxidized contaminant can then react with hydroxyl radicals, ozone, and various chemical radicals/oxidants generated in the process to enable degradation.

Continuous water circulation, with adjustments to applied energy, ensures the desired treatment level is achieved.

Key innovation helps target PFAS

electraCLEAR's key innovation of the ability to utilise multiple different catalysts and electrode materials simultaneously within a single reactor. This maximizes treatment performance, energy efficiency, and electrode lifespan.

Users are supported by a suite of online instrumentation, that uses Axine's proprietary machine-learning/artificial intelligence (ML/AI) algorithm. This offers real-time monitoring and optimization of system performance and operating cost.

The electraCLEAR solution destroys contaminants down to their elemental building blocks, such as dissolved carbon dioxide, nitrogen gas, hydrogen gas, oxygen gas, and some dissolved mineral salts. This leaves no solid or liquid waste products leftover, which allows the treated wastewater to be directly discharged.

Nick Hrnyak, CEO of Lacks Enterprises, told media: "Regulatory limits on PFAS in drinking water and its designation as potentially hazardous waste are driving many industries to seek solutions for PFAS management and destruction. We're very excited to work with Axine on this important project."

Collaborating to tackle and industry problem

Axine has made its first commercial sale of electraCLEAR to Lacks Enterprises Inc, a manufacturer in the automotive component supply industry, based in Michigan, USA.

The sale follows a successful collaboration between the companies that moved the technology from lab tests, through a pilot stage, to full-scale implementation.

Mark Ralph, CEO of Axine Water Technologies, said: "This achievement validates our capabilities in destroying PFAS. Our electraCLEAR technology offers a safe, cost-effective solution for industrial facilities aiming to meet stringent environmental regulations while maintaining productivity in their manufacturing process."

He added: "The Lacks engineering and management teams have been exceptional partners, and we look forward to working with them over the coming years."

Initial laboratory testing of the electraCLEAR technology demonstrated over 99.98% destruction of PFAS compounds in concentrated wastewater samples. The next stage was to trial a fully containerized unit onsite, which achieved a higher destruction rate at 99.9%-99.999%, including all six EPA-regulated forms of PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS compounds, and precursor compounds.

The first phase of the commercial operation of the electraCLEAR PFAS destruction system is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2024, with additional systems planned for other Lacks facilities at future dates. This will demonstrate the technology's ability to scale from pilot to real-world applications.

A spokesman for Axine Water Technologies, told Aquatech Online how scale was achieved: "Systems are custom designed to accommodate the necessary flow with multiple containers and/or skid mounted systems supplied for higher capacity applications."