# US 11,027,988 B2 · Sustainable system and method for removing and concentrating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,988 B2 - Document ID: US11027988B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/410,223 - Filed: 2019-05-13 - Published: 2019-08-29 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-13 - Assignees: Emerging Compounds Treatment Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Emerging Compounds Treatment Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Michael G. Nickelsen; Steven E. Woodard; John C. Berry - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027988B2 ## CPC - C02F 1/42: by ion-exchange (ion-exchange in general B01J) - B01J 41/05: in the strongly basic form - B01J 41/12: Macromolecular compounds - B01J 49/57: for anionic exchangers - B01D 1/00: Evaporating ({evaporation in general, e.g. of liquids for gas phase reactions B01B1/005} ; removal of incrustation B08B; preparation of starch C08B30/00; sugar industry C13; prevention of incrustation C23F; drying solid materials or objects by evaporating liquids therefrom F26) - B01D 3/00: Distillation or related exchange processes in which liquids are contacted with gaseous media, e.g. stripping ({evaporation in general, e.g. of liquids for gas phase reactions B01B1/005;} gas chromatography B01D15/08; destructive distillation C10B; preparation of alcoholic beverages by distillation C12H6/02) - C02F 2001/422: {using anionic exchangers} - C02F 2101/36: containing halogen - C02F 2303/16: Regeneration of sorbents, filters - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) ## Abstract A sustainable system for removing and concentrating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water. The system includes an anion exchange vessel having a selected anion exchange resin therein configured to remove PFAS from the water. A line coupled to the vessel introduces a flow of water contaminated with PFAS such that the PFAS bind to the selected anion exchange resin and are thereby removed from the water. A regenerant solution line is coupled to the anion exchange vessel to introduce an optimized regenerant solution to the anion exchange vessel to remove the PFAS from the anion exchange resin, thereby regenerating the anion exchange resin and generating a spent regenerant solution comprised of the removed PFAS and the optimized regenerant solution. A separation and recovery subsystem recovers the optimized regenerant solution for reuse and separates and concentrates the removed PFAS. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for concentrating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PEAS), the system comprising: regenerant solution line coupled to a vessel configured to introduce a regenerant solution to the vessel to remove PEAS from anion exchange resin within the vessel thereby regenerating the anion exchange resin and generating a spent regenerant solution comprising the removed PEAS and the regenerant solution; and a separation and recovery subsystem configured to separate and concentrate PEAS to produce a concentrated PEAS solution; and; a super-loading recovery subsystem configured to receive the concentrated PFAS solution and separate and further concentrate the removed PEAS by adsorbing the concentrated PEAS onto an adsorptive media to produce a PEAS waste product and a solution substantially without PEAS. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which the regenerant solution includes a salt, a solvent, and water. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 in which the solvent includes an alcohol. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, in which the super-loading recovery subsystem in addition to producing the PFAS waste product, produces a solution of concentrate salt and water capable of reuse. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which the regenerant solution includes a base, a solvent, and water. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5 in which the solvent includes an alcohol. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5 in which the super-loading recovery subsystem in addition to producing the PFAS waste product, produces a solution of concentrated base solution and water capable of reuse. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 in which the super-loading recovery subsystem includes an anionic exchange resin housed in another vessel as the adsorptive media. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which the regenerant solution includes a base and a solvent. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 in which the solvent includes an alcohol. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 in which the super-loading recovery subsystem in addition to producing the PFAS waste product, produces a solution of concentrated base capable of reuse. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 in which the super-loading recovery subsystem includes an anionic exchange resin housed in another vessel as the adsorptive media. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which the regenerant solution includes a salt and a solvent. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 in which the solvent includes an alcohol. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 in which the super-loading recovery subsystem in addition to producing the PFAS waste product, produces a solution of concentrate salt capable of reuse. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15 in which the super-loading recovery subsystem includes an anionic exchange resin as the adsorptive media housed in another vessel as the adsorptive media. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which the anion exchange resin includes a macroporous, strong base, anion exchange resin. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which the separation and recovery subsystem includes one or more of: an evaporation subsystem, a distillation subsystem and/or a membrane separation subsystem. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which the separation and recovery subsystem includes a solvent purification subsystem configured to remove carryover PFAS from the separation and to provide a purified, reclaimed solvent capable of reuse. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19 in which the solvent purification subsystem includes an additional vessel including an anion exchange resin therein. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which the super-loading recovery subsystem includes an anionic exchange resin as the adsorptive media housed in another vessel. ### Claim 22 A method for concentrating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the method comprising: introducing a regenerant solution to anion exchange resin to remove PFAS from the anion exchange resin thereby regenerating the anion exchange resin and generating a spent regenerant solution comprising removed PFAS and the regenerant solution; separating and concentrating the removed PEAS to produce a concentrated PFAS solution; subjecting the concentrated PEAS solution to a super-loading recovery process to separate and further concentrate the removed PFAS by adsorbing concentrated PFAS onto an adsorptive media to produce a PFAS waste product and a solution substantially without PFAS. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22 in which the regenerant solution includes a salt, a solvent, and water. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The system of claim 23 in which the solvent includes an alcohol. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22 in which the regenerant solution includes a base, a solvent, and water. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The system of claim 25 in which the solvent includes an alcohol. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22 in which the regenerant solution includes a base and a solvent. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27 in which the solvent includes an alcohol. ### Claim 29 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22 in which the regenerant solution includes a salt and a solvent. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The system of claim 29 in which the solvent includes an alcohol. ### Claim 31 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22 in which the anion exchange resin includes a macro-porous, strong base, anion exchange resin. ### Claim 32 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22 in which the separating and concentrating includes one or more of evaporation, distillation and/or membrane separation. ### Claim 33 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22 in which the separating and concentrating includes removing carryover PFAS and providing a purified reclaimed solvent capable of reuse.