this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2024
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collapse of the old society
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@I_am_10_squirrels @ProdigalFrog There is more to it than just molecules getting "trapped in pore spaces" and it's a little complicated.
Activated carbon (and its more affordable, carbon-sequestering cousin #biochar) has functional attachment points on the edges of ring and plate molecular structures. These can attract and retain some substances from solution.
But the real fun happens when we add dopants. Other molecules present in the carbon matrix supercharge the chemical potential.
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@I_am_10_squirrels @ProdigalFrog The most exciting announcement I've seen in a long time is this one:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44172-024-00267-4
Adding iron to biochar gives it the ability to adsorb *and* destroy PFAS in contaminated water. This is a product that can be produced relatively cheaply and contribute to drawdown of atmospheric CO2, and effectively degrades hazardous fluorocarbon pollutants with minimal disposal headaches after the fact.
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@phil_stevens @I_am_10_squirrels @ProdigalFrog
That is amazingly important. Sounds like something that could be done economically at all water treatment plants.
@robloblaw @I_am_10_squirrels @ProdigalFrog It's dead simple and apparently the breakdown happens without the UV exposure, albeit more slowly. The material itself does not degrade significantly and can be reused many times before replenishing.
@phil_stevens @I_am_10_squirrels @ProdigalFrog
The only other way to destroy this class of chemicals is burning at over 1000C. Even then, you end up with a bunch of similarly problematic shorter chain fluorinated hydrocarbons.
@robloblaw @I_am_10_squirrels @ProdigalFrog Exactly why they are such a fiendish problem and also why catalytic processes are the way to go.