Encapsulation of Potassium Permanganate Oxidant in Polymers

Abstract

The present work explores the ability to encapsulate chemical oxidants for environmental remediation. Several formulations were tested to create pellets with various release rates for the potassium permanganate. Potassium permanganate is a crystalline chemical oxidant that is currently dissolved in water for use in drinking water treatment and in the remediation of chlorinated solvents. Limitations for liquid permanganate remediation include safety hazards, the need to deliver the solution subsurface to contaminated areas, the need to repeatable inject potassium permanganate solutions to complete contaminant degradation, and plugging of subsurface soils with manganese oxide precipitates. Prototype pellet structures were produced. The pellets were capable of slowing releasing potassium permanganate over a 43-day period of testing. This technology provides new methods for potassium permanganate remediation including creation of subsurface permeable reactive barriers, wells packed with oxidation pellets, or reactors filled with pellets for pump and treat systems. This paper will summarize the development of this technology, release rate studies, and preliminary remediation studies for trichloroethylene using one preliminary prototype.