Preliminary analyses of controlled release of potassium permanganate encapsulated in polycaprolactone

Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) has been used widely as an oxidant for remediation of contaminated soil and water systems. The present study evaluates the release of this oxidant from Polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer as part of a patented controlled release process (CRP) to be applied for targeted removal of contaminants from water. KMnO4 was encapsulated into PCL at a 1:5 oxidant to polymer ratio and placed in batch reactor systems with reagent water to be evaluated over a 96 hour period. SEM images showed that over time, the number of cavities and their sizes increased on the waxy surface of the PCL polymer. The experimental data from the release of KMnO4 from PCL was found to fit non-Fickian diffusion model after dissolution (R2 = 0.93) similar to other systems that describe the dispersal of other oxidants from wax matrices. In addition, the model parameters for data of this present study were also found to be comparable to previous release studies with the same oxidant encapsulated in different wax matrices at similar ratios. Overall, the similarity of release data between the diversity of polymers shows that the controlled release biodegradable polymer utilizing PCL provides effective release of the KMnO4 with the added benefit biodegradable nature of PCL.