OXYFILMS

In France and around the world, chemical pollution is one of the main sources of surface and groundwater pollution, originating from industrial, agricultural and domestic activities. Current technologies for removing organic substances, such as activated carbon, microorganisms and ozonation, are unable to eliminate or break down all pollutants. These processes are now reaching their limits when it comes to many chemicals, such as persistent organic pollutants.

Initially, Oxyfilms technology will be used to treat industrial effluents, with the advantage of reducing the operational costs of treating organic pollutants. The technology has the potential to reduce the use of activated carbon or simplify treatment processes.

In a second phase, the technology could be extended to markets that are more difficult to access from a regulatory standpoint, such as drinking water.

Oxyfilms consist of controlled electrodeposition in the form of nanostructured films of a common metal oxide, equivalent to a natural mineral, on various substrates. These films spontaneously degrade organic pollutants into small molecules, even to the point of total degradation (mineralisation), with low energy costs.

The degradation is accelerated and amplified by a low current, which also allows the films to be completely regenerated, thus preventing their degradation and/or a decrease in their reactivity. In this way, a large number of today’s organic pollutants could be eliminated, making water and the environment healthier.