Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Fluorinated emulsifiers, in particular, perfluorooctanoic acid are bound to anionic exchange resins for the purification of aqueous effluent from the production of fluoropolymers. Said emulsifiers may be quantitatively eluted from the exchanger with a water-miscible organic solvent, containing a small amount of ammonia. It is of advantage to distil off the ammonia containing solvent, recycle the emulsifier to a further polymerization and recycle the ammoniacal solvent for elution. Addition of alkalis improves the elution efficiency.

Abstract: Fluorinated emulsifier acids can be isolated from wastewater by firstly removing fine solids and/or material which can be converted into fine solids from the wastewater, preferably by precipitation, subsequently bringing the wastewater into contact with an anion-exchange resin and eluting the adsorbed emulsifier acids from the latter.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for removing fluorinated emulsifying agent acids from waste waters, characterized in that the finely dispersed solids in the waste water are stabilized with a nonionic or cationic surfactant or an analogous acting surface active substance, the fluorinated emulsifying agent acids are subsequently bonded on an anion exchange resin and the fluorinated emulsifying agent acids are eluted from the latter.

Abstract: Fluorinated emulsifier acids bound to an anion exchanger resin can be eluted using a mixture of water, a compound of the formula M—X, in which M is an alkali metal or an alkylammonium ion, and X is hydroxyl, fluoride or chloride, and at least one organic solvent which completely dissolves the other components. For work-up of the eluent, this is advantageously subjected to steam distillation until all volatile constituents have been essentially removed, and the emulsifier acid is liberated from the steam distillation residue using a sufficiently strong acid. This emulsifier acid can advantageously be distilled off and collected as the ammonium salt in aqueous ammonia solution.