Controlled release remediation system and composition

Abstract

A controlled release remediation composition or compositions, a method making such composition(s), a method of using such composition(s), and a remediation system including such composition(s) are disclosed. The disclosed controlled release remediation composition or compositions include at least one chemical oxidant agent, optionally, at least two chemical oxidant agents; at least one encapsulant polymer; and, optionally, at least one matrix polymer. The disclosed controlled release remediation composition or compositions are capable of substantially constantly releasing an amount of the at least one chemical oxidant agent, optionally, amounts of the at least two chemical oxidant agents, for example, into an aqueous system such as may be found at a contaminated site, over at least about a one month period up to over about a three month period.

1 . A controlled release remediation composition comprising:
 A) at least one chemical oxidant agent, wherein the at least one chemical oxidant agent is capable of remediating at least one chemical pollutant;   B) an encapsulant polymer, wherein:
 i) at least a portion of the encapsulant polymer encapsulates at least a portion of the chemical oxidant agent, and 
 ii) at least a portion of the encapsulant polymer comprises at least one of an environmentally degradable polymer, a biodegradable polymer, or an environmentally degradable polymer and biodegradable polymer; and 
   C) a matrix polymer, wherein:
 i) at least a portion of the matrix polymer embeds at least a portion of the encapsulated chemical oxidant agent, and 
 ii) at least a portion of the matrix polymer comprises at least one of an environmentally degradable polymer, a biodegradable polymer, or an environmentally degradable polymer and biodegradable polymer, 
   Wherein the controlled release remediation composition is capable of substantially constantly releasing an amount of the at least one agent chemical oxidant agent into an aqueous system over least about a one month period up to over about a three month period.   
     
     
         2 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises at least one pellet. 
     
     
         3 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one pellet comprises one of more dimensions ranging from about a micron (μm) to multiple tens of millimeters (mm). 
     
     
         4 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least one pellet comprises a largest dimension of about 1 millimeter (mm, about −18 mesh), optionally between about 500 microns (μm) and about 1.0 μm (about −35, +1000 mesh), and optionally between about 300 microns (μm) and about 1.0 μm (about −50, +635 mesh). 
     
     
         5 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pellet comprises any one of a sphere, a cylinder, a wagon wheel, gear-shape, a saddle, a disk, a brick, a coil, a column, a hollow-elbow, a chip, a fiber, or any two or more of the preceding. 
     
     
         6 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one chemical oxidant agent comprises at least one of a photo-oxidants agent, an electron transfer reaction agent, a free radical agent, or combinations of any two or more of the preceding. 
     
     
         7 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one chemical oxidant agent comprises at least one of a persulfate agent, a permanganate agent, or combinations of any two or more of the preceding. 
     
     
         8 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one chemical oxidant agent comprises at least one of a titanium oxide agent, a molybdenum sulfide agent, a molybdenum sulfide agent, zinc sulfide agent, a sodium permanganate agent, a potassium permanganate agent, sodium persulfate agent, ammonium persulfate agent, potassium persulfate agent, or a combination of any two or more of the preceding. 
     
     
         9 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the matrix polymer comprised a degradation rate less that the release rate of the at least one chemical oxidant agent and greater than the encapsulant degradation rate the at least one encapsulant polymer. 
     
     
         10 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional encapsulant polymer, wherein at least a portion of the at least one additional encapsulant polymer encapsulates at least a portion of the matrix polymer embedding at least a portion of the encapsulated chemical oxidant agent. 
     
     
         11 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the environmentally degradable polymer or the biodegradable polymer comprises at least one of a polylactide, a polyglycolide, a polylactide-co-glycolide, a polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid-co-glycolic acid, a polycaprolactone, a polycarbonates, a polyesteramides, a polyanhydrides, a polyamino acid, a polyorthoester, a polyacetyls, a polycyanoacrylates, polyetheresters, a polydioxanone , a polyalkylen alkylate, a copolymer of a polyethylene glycol and a polylactid or polylactide-co-glycolide, a biodegradable polyurethane, a polysaccharide, a blend of any two or more of the preceding, or a copolymer of any two or more of the preceding. 
     
     
         12 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 11 , wherein the blend comprises:
 b1) between 0 wt % to about 100 wt % of a first polymer;   b2) between 0 wt % to about 60 wt % of a second polymer; and   b3) a balance of a third polymer.   
     
     
         13 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 11 , wherein the copolymer comprises:
 c1) between 0 wt % to about 100 wt % of a first polymer;   c2) between 0 wt % to about 60 wt % of a second polymer; and   c3) a balance of a third polymer.   
     
     
         14 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the environmentally degradable polymer or the biodegradable polymer comprises at least one of a polylactic acid, polyvinyl alcohol, polycaprolactone, a blend of any two or more of the preceding, or a copolymer of any two or more of the preceding. 
     
     
         15 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 14 , wherein the blend comprises:
 b11) between 0 wt % to about 60 wt % of a polylactic acid;   b12) between 0 wt % to about 60 wt % of a polyvinyl alcohol; and   b13) between 0 wt % to about 100 wt % of a polycaprolactone.   
     
     
         16 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 14 , wherein the copolymer comprises:
 c11) between 0 wt % to about 100 wt % of a polycaprolactone   c12) between 0 wt % to about 60 wt % of a polyvinyl alcohol; and   c13) a balance of at least one of a polylactide, a polyglycolide, a polylactide-co-glycolide, a polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid-co-glycolic acid, a polycarbonates, a polyesteramides, a polyanhydrides, a polyamino acid, a polyorthoester, a polyacetyls, a polycyanoacrylates, polyetheresters, a polydioxanone, a polyalkylen alkylate, a copolymer of a polyethylene glycol and a polylactid or polylactide-co-glycolide, a biodegradable polyurethane, a polysaccharide, a blend of any two or more of the preceding, or a copolymer of any two or more of the preceding.   
     
     
         17 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one chemical pollutant comprises at least one of a chlorinated organic compound, a compound containing at least one unsaturated carbon-carbon bond, an aromatic hydrocarbon, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, a munitions constituent, an organic pesticide, wastewater, a drinking water treatment, a pathogen, or any combination of two or more of the preceding. 
     
     
         18 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 α) the at least one chemical oxidant agent comprises between about 1 wt % to about 60 wt % of the controlled release remediation composition;   β) encapsulant polymer comprises between about 1 wt % to about 99 wt % of the controlled release remediation composition; and   γ) matrix polymer comprises the balance of the controlled release remediation composition.   
     
     
         19 . The controlled release remediation composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one chemical oxidant agent comprises a particle size comprising about 125 μm (−120 mesh), optionally between about 75 microns (μm) and about 1.0 μm (About −200, +1000 mesh), and optionally between about 50 microns (μm) and about 1.0 μm (about −270, +1000 mesh). 
     
     
         20 . A method of making controlled release remediation composition, the method comprising the steps of:
 A) selecting at least one chemical oxidant agent capable of remediating at least one chemical pollutant;   B) selecting an encapsulant polymer that is substantially compatible with the at least one chemical oxidant agent and comprises at least one of an environmentally degradable polymer, a biodegradable polymer, or an environmentally degradable polymer and biodegradable polymer;   C) encapsulating at least a portion of the chemical oxidant agent using the encapsulant polymer;   D) selecting a matrix polymer comprising at least one of an environmentally degradable polymer, a biodegradable polymer, or an environmentally degradable polymer and biodegradable polymer; and   E) combining the encapsulated chemical oxidant agent and the matrix polymer so that at least a portion of the matrix polymer embeds at least a portion of the encapsulated chemical oxidant agent.   
     
     
         21 . A remediation system comprising:
 A) at least one controlled release remediation composition comprising:
 i) at least one chemical oxidant agent, wherein the at least one chemical oxidant agent is capable of remediating at least one chemical pollutant; 
 ii) an encapsulant polymer, wherein:
 a) at least a portion of the encapsulant polymer encapsulates at least a portion of the chemical oxidant agent, and 
 b) at least a portion of the encapsulant polymer comprises at least one of an environmentally degradable polymer, a biodegradable polymer, or an environmentally degradable polymer and biodegradable polymer; and 
 
 iii) a matrix polymer, wherein:
 a) at least a portion of the matrix polymer embeds at least a portion of the encapsulated chemical oxidant agent, and 
 b) at least a portion of the matrix polymer comprises at least one of an environmentally degradable polymer, a biodegradable polymer, or an environmentally degradable polymer and biodegradable polymer; and 
 
   B) an amount of at least one controlled release remediation composition capable of being provided such that the remediation product is capable of substantially constantly releasing a sufficient amount of the at least one chemical oxidant agent into a contaminated site over at least about a one month period up to over about a three month period so as to remediate at least a portion of the at least one chemical pollutant.   
     
     
         22 . A method of using a controlled release remediation composition, the method comprising the steps of:
 A) determining at least one chemical pollutant to be remediated at a contaminated site;   B) selecting at least one chemical oxidant agent capable of remediating the at least one chemical pollutant;   C) selecting an encapsulant polymer that is substantially compatible with the at least one chemical oxidant agent and comprises at least one of an environmentally degradable polymer, a biodegradable polymer, or an environmentally degradable polymer and biodegradable polymer;   D) encapsulating at least a portion of the chemical oxidant agent using the encapsulant polymer;   E) selecting a matrix polymer comprising at least one of an environmentally degradable polymer, a biodegradable polymer, or an environmentally degradable polymer and biodegradable polymer;   F) combining the encapsulated chemical oxidant agent and the matrix polymer so that at least a portion of the matrix polymer embeds at least a portion of the encapsulated chemical oxidant agent to form a controlled release remediation composition;   G) shaping, sizing, or shaping and sizing the controlled release remediation composition so as to be capable of substantially constantly releasing an amount of the at least one chemical oxidant agent into an aqueous system from over at least about a one month period up to over about a three month period; and   H) providing a sufficient amount of the shaped, sized, or shaped and sized controlled release remediation composition to the contaminated site in manner that remediates at least a portion of the at least one chemical pollutant at the contaminated site.   
     
     
         23 . A controlled release remediation composition comprising:
 A) a plurality of chemical oxidant agents, wherein at least two of the plurality chemical oxidant agents are capable of remediating at least two different chemical pollutants; and   B) a polymer, wherein:
 i) at least a portion of the polymer encapsulates at least a portion of the plurality of chemical oxidant agents, and 
 ii) at least a portion of the polymer comprises a biodegradable polymer. 
   Wherein the controlled release remediation composition is capable of substantially constantly releasing amounts of the at least two of the plurality chemical oxidant agents into an aqueous system from over at least a one month period up to over about a three month period.