Abstract
Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) has been used widely as an oxidant for remediation of contaminated soil and water systems. The present study evaluates the release of this oxidant from Polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer as part of a patented controlled release process (CRP) to be applied for targeted removal of contaminants from water. KMnO4 was encapsulated into PCL at a 1:5 oxidant to polymer ratio and placed in batch reactor systems with reagent water to be evaluated over a 96 hour period. SEM images showed that over time, the number of cavities and their sizes increased on the waxy surface of the PCL polymer. The experimental data from the release of KMnO4 from PCL was found to fit non-Fickian diffusion model after dissolution (R2 = 0.93) similar to other systems that describe the dispersal of other oxidants from wax matrices. In addition, the model parameters for data of this present study were also found to be comparable to previous release studies with the same oxidant encapsulated in different wax matrices at similar ratios. Overall, the similarity of release data between the diversity of polymers shows that the controlled release biodegradable polymer utilizing PCL provides effective release of the KMnO4 with the added benefit biodegradable nature of PCL.
Highlights
Remediation of water and soil systems has long utilized various oxidation methods to treat contaminants in the environment
The present study evaluates the release of this oxidant from Polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer as part of a patented controlled release process (CRP) to be applied for targeted removal of contaminants from water
The PCL polymer degraded slowly in the presence of aqueous solution, similar to what has been stated in the literature in that the embedded KMnO4 was released by dissolution-diffusion which resulted in the formation of KMnO4 solution that would be available to oxidize contaminants in the aqueous phase [1] [27] [29]
Summary
Remediation of water and soil systems has long utilized various oxidation methods to treat contaminants in the environment. Throughout the evolution of CRM, synthetics have been utilized to deliver the chemical oxidants including polyester mesh bags, Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA), Piccolyte resin S115, Epolene C-16, and stearic acid [10] [11] [12] [13]. Often these synthetic polymers did not have a high rate of biodegradability and demonstrated harm to the environment and its organisms [14]. The work to find the optimum oxidant for these controlled slow-release systems continues, as system and contaminant variability is challenging
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