Method of recovering fluorinated acid surfactants from adsorbent particles loaded therewith

摘要

The present invention provides a method of recovering a fluorinated acid surfactant or salt thereof from adsorbent particles to which said fluorinated acid surfactant has been adsorbed. The method comprises mixing adsorbent particles having adsorbed fluorinated acid surfactant or salt thereof with an alcohol and optionally an acid. The mixture is generally heated to cause esterification of the fluorinated acid surfactant or salt thereof with the alcohol so as to form an ester derivative of the fluorinated acid surfactant, distilling the mixture to form a distillate comprising the ester derivative, separating the ester derivative from the distillate and optionally feeding the remainder of the distillate back into the mixture.