| |
• Lewatit MDS TP 108 reliably removes PFAS from wastewater;
• Field trial at Chemours: More than 99.9% of all fluorinated organic compounds adsorbed.
With Lewatit MDS TP 108, LANXESS offers a selective resin that reliably removes even short- and ultrashort-chain PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) from wastewater a task at which conventional ion exchange resins and activated carbon filters frequently fail. A field trial at fluorochemicals company Chemours Netherlands B.V. in Dordrecht has demonstrated that the resin delivers this performance at industrial scale: More than 99.9 percent of all fluorinated organic compounds were removed from the wastewater during the production process.
PFAS are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” because they break down only very slowly, accumulate in the environment and in living organisms, and can cause harm there. Short- and ultrashort-chain PFAS with two to seven carbon atoms pose a particular technical challenge for sewage treatment plants and waterworks: they adsorb poorly on activated carbon and bind ustably in many ion exchange resins, especially when competing anions are present.
Specifically designed to treat wastewater contaminated with short-chain PFAS, LANXESS developed and launched the monodisperse selective resin Lewatit MDS TP 108 (Mono Dispers Small) in 2024. Compared with conventional ion exchange resins, its resin beads have a diameter approximately one-third smaller. This results in significantly higher capacity and therefore longer service life. Thanks to faster exchange kinetics, the MDS resin maintains its performance even at high flow rates.
Chemours employs a three-stage purification process. In the first step, reverse osmosis produces a PFAS-depleted permeate and a small-volume, PFAS-enriched concentrate. In the second step, activated carbon filters bind the long-chain PFAS from the concentrate a necessary preparatory step, since these compounds would otherwise occupy the selective resin and block it for short-chain PFAS. In the third step, a cascade of three Lewatit MDS TP 108 vessels one primary filter and two polishing filters removes the short-chain PFAS with two and three carbon atoms.
“Our tailored ion exchange resins have bound more than 99.9% of all fluorinated organic compounds from the wastewater. After use, they are incinerated at high temperatures to destroy the PFAS,” explains Björn Dinges, Application Technology Manager at LANXESS.
The complete water treatment plant, including specialized operating procedures for all subsystems, was designed and supplied by engineering partner Logisticon Water Treatment B.V., Groot-Amers, Netherlands. At Chemours, the plant has been in regular operation since mid-2025 following a multi-month trial period and is making a significant contribution to sustainably reducing process emissions of fluorinated organic compounds at the site while meeting strict regulatory requirements.
For comprehensive information on products from the Liquid Purification Technologies business unit, visit lanxess.com/en/products/products/l/lewatit--mds-tp-108 and lewatit.com.
About LANXESS
LANXESS (lanxess.com) is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 5.7 billion in 2025. The company currently has about 11,700 employees in 32 countries. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of chemical intermediates, additives and consumer protection products. LANXESS has achieved leading positions in the Dow Jones Best-in-Class Index and the MSCI ESG and ISS ESG ratings, among others, for its commitment to sustainability.
Forward-Looking Statements
This company release contains certain forward-looking statements, including assumptions, opinions, expectations and views of the company or cited from third party sources. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause the actual results, financial position, development or performance of LANXESS AG to differ materially from the estimations expressed or implied herein. LANXESS AG does not guarantee that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors, nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this presentation or the actual occurrence of the forecast developments. No representation or warranty (expressed or implied) is made as to, and no reliance should be placed on, any information, estimates, targets and opinions contained herein, and no liability whatsoever is accepted as to any errors, omissions or misstatements contained herein, and accordingly, no representative of LANXESS AG or any of its affiliated companies or any of such person's officers, directors or employees accepts any liability whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from the use of this document.
|
mark.maetschke[.]lanxess.com 
