Electrochemical destruction of polymeric per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) using functionalized graphene sponge electrodes (ElectroPoly).

The electronics manufacturing industry is an understudied, yet an important, source of known and unknown per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment. PFAS are employed in the production of photoresistive and antireflective coatings in electronics fabrication facilities – fabs. Unlike some other industries that are moving towards the phase out of PFAS of non-essential use (e.g., food packaging industry), semiconductor industry will not be able to phase out the majority of PFAS-related substances that it is currently using. In the ElectroPoly project, we will employ functionalized graphene sponge electrode to electro-sorb and electro-degrade PFAS originating from the semiconductor industry. ElectroPoly project will demonstrate electro-degradation of fluoropolymers for the first time at both lab- and pre-pilot scale, which is of outmost importance for both technology commercialization and state of the art, as there are no studies to date on any type of treatment technology for fluoropolymers.

Funding agency:

Contracte finançat pel Departament de Recerca i Universitats de la Generalitat de Catalunya en el marc de la convocatòria Producte de l’any 2024 d’ajuts d’Indústria del Coneixement. Projecte ElectroPoly – Expedient: 2024 PROD 00118