Sodium Metal Decomposes Persistent PFAS Chemicals by Mechanical Grinding
Chemists have developed a method using sodium metal to break down persistent perfluorinated chemicals (PFAS) like Teflon via ball milling. This process mechanically cleaves strong carbon-fluorine bonds in PFAS without heat or solvents, yielding harmless carbon dust and reusable sodium fluoride. It offers an efficient, clean way to destroy these environmentally persistent 'forever' chemicals.
Sodium metal, known for its extreme reactivity and softness, is used in a novel process to decompose perfluorinated alkane substances (PFAS) such as Teflon, which are chemically inert and environmentally persistent. Researchers from the Universities of Birmingham and Newcastle demonstrated that grinding sodium metal with PFAS in a ball mill causes mechanical collisions that break the stable carbon-fluorine bonds. Sodium’s lone valence electron disrupts these bonds, producing sodium fluoride—a compound usable in toothpaste—and carbon dust. This decomposition occurs without heat, solvents, or toxic byproducts, distinguishing it from other destruction methods that may require high temperatures or produce hazardous waste. The process utilizes mechanical energy to convert resilient PFAS into benign substances with minimal collateral effects. This advanced technique potentially offers a practical solution for eliminating 'forever chemicals' that resist traditional breakdown, addressing environmental concerns related to PFAS accumulation. The research is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and led by Dr. Roly J. Armstrong and colleagues. Sodium’s high reactivity, typically dangerous, is harnessed safely here by solid-state mechanochemistry, advancing chemical management of problematic fluorinated compounds.
