How TruSpin's Polyceramic Nanofiber Filtration, Detains, and Destroys PFAS, Effectively, Affordably, and at Scale
PFAS contamination affects over 200,000 public water systems in the United States. Until now, municipalities have faced an impossible choice: pay tens of millions for partial solutions, or defer action and face mounting regulatory and legal liability. TruSpin's AC electrospun polyceramic nanofibers change that equation entirely, offering simultaneous filtration, detention, and destruction of PFAS compounds at a construction cost up to 43 times lower than leading alternatives.
On this page:
- The Problem: PFAS Is Everywhere, and Existing Solutions Fall Short
- The Solution: Polyceramic Nanofibers
- Why TruSpin's AC Electrospinning Is the Enabling Technology
- The Physics: Why Polyceramic Nanofibers Work
- Mechanism: How It Works, Step by Step
- Go-to-Market
- Competitive Comparison: The Unfair Nanofiber Advantage
- What Partners Are Saying
The Problem: PFAS Is Everywhere, and Existing Solutions Fall Short
The Scale of PFAS Contamination
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), nicknamed "forever chemicals" due to their molecular stability, have contaminated drinking water supplies across the United States and globally. The EPA's 2024 maximum contaminant level (MCL) rulings have forced thousands of municipalities, military installations, and industrial operators to act. The remediation burden is staggering:
- 4,200+ municipal wastewater treatment facilities require PFAS intervention
- 4,000 military sites are under active PFAS cleanup requirements
- 500 airport facilities must address aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) contamination
- 50,000+ industrial facilities face PFAS remediation liability
The regulatory pressure is compounded by legal exposure. Water utilities and their governing municipalities face class-action litigation from residents and downstream operators, making the cost of inaction higher than the cost of remediation for the first time in many jurisdictions.
What Existing Technologies Get Wrong
Legacy PFAS remediation approaches each address part of the problem, but none solve it completely:
| Technology | Core Limitation | Capital Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Activated Carbon (GAC) | Captures PFAS but does not destroy it, creates a hazardous waste stream requiring further disposal | $43M construction + $5M/yr OpEx |
| Reverse Osmosis | Concentrates PFAS in brine reject, destruction still required; high energy demand | $50M construction + $2.5M/yr OpEx |
| Ion Exchange Resin | Selective for some PFAS chains; does not destroy; generates concentrated waste | $25M construction + $3M/yr OpEx |
The critical gap: Every existing approach captures or concentrates PFAS, shifting the problem rather than eliminating it. No commercially available technology both removes PFAS from water and permanently destroys the molecular structure, particularly the short-chain variants now entering regulatory scope.
The Solution: Polyceramic Nanofibers That Simultaneously Filter, Detain, and Destroy
TruSpin engineered a polyceramic nanofiber membrane that addresses all three stages of PFAS remediation in a single, scalable system. Protected under US Patents US20220145495A1 and US20220251732A1, the solution targets both long-chain PFAS molecules, those already legislated against, and the emerging short-chain variants positioned for imminent regulation.
Why TruSpin's AC Electrospinning Is the Enabling Technology
The performance of the polyceramic PFAS membrane is only possible through TruSpin's Alternating Current (AC) Electrospinning process, a fundamental advancement over the legacy direct current (DC) methods used by competitors. AC electrospinning enables a set of nanofiber characteristics that DC methods physically cannot achieve:
| AC Electrospinning Advantage | Why It Matters for PFAS Filtration |
|---|---|
| High Additive Tolerance | Allows boron nitride nanoparticles to be uniformly incorporated into the fiber matrix, essential for the UV-catalytic destruction mechanism |
| Non-Charged Collection Surfaces | Eliminates bead defects that reduce membrane surface area and create PFAS bypass channels |
| Long Fiber Length | Increases contact time between PFAS-contaminated water and the reactive fiber surface, driving higher destruction rates |
| Diameter Control | Sub-micron fiber diameters maximize surface-area-to-volume ratio for adsorption of both long- and short-chain PFAS |
| Safe Chemical Formulations | EPA/OSHA-compliant processing, no hazardous solvents introduced into the water treatment system |
| Industrial Output Rate | Scalable from single-site point-of-entry systems to full municipal treatment plant installations |
The Physics: Why Polyceramic Nanofibers Work
TruSpin's polyceramic membrane integrates two ceramic materials, boron nitride (BN) nanoparticles and silica, each contributing a distinct physical mechanism that together enable complete PFAS elimination.
Boron Nitride: Photocatalytic PFAS Destruction
Boron nitride nanoparticles function as UV photocatalysts. When the nanofiber membrane is irradiated with UV light, the boron nitride crystals absorb photons and initiate a catalytic reaction cascade that breaks the carbon-fluorine bonds in PFAS molecules, the same bonds that make PFAS compounds so persistent in nature. The nanofiber structure is critical here: it gives BN nanoparticles geometric locality and orientation, dramatically increasing the efficiency of photon-to-reaction energy transfer compared to BN particles suspended freely in solution.
Silica: Enhanced Water-PFAS Interaction
Silica's extreme hydrophilicity is the second key mechanism. Silica's water-attracting surface disrupts the intermolecular hydrogen bonding network of water molecules at the fiber surface, reducing the energy barrier for PFAS molecules to approach the reactive BN sites. In practical terms, this means more PFAS molecules encounter and bind to the catalytic surface per unit of contact time.
Silica's chemical stability also ensures that extended exposure to contaminated water, including water containing harsh industrial co-contaminants, does not degrade the fiber matrix or introduce secondary contamination into the treated stream.
Mechanism: How It Works, Step by Step
The TruSpin polyceramic PFAS remediation system operates through a three-stage destruction sequence:
Adsorption
PFAS-contaminated water passes through the polyceramic nanofiber membrane. Boron nitride nanoparticles embedded in the fiber matrix adsorb PFAS molecules onto crystal surfaces, concentrating them for the next stage. The high surface-area-to-volume ratio of the nanofibers ensures maximum PFAS capture, including short-chain variants that pass through conventional filters.
UV Reaction
The PFAS-loaded membrane is irradiated with UV light. Boron nitride crystals absorb UV photons and initiate a photocatalytic reaction. This step distinguishes TruSpin from every competing technology: rather than simply sequestering PFAS, the UV-BN reaction begins actively breaking the C-F molecular bonds that define PFAS persistence.
Destruction
The photocatalytic reaction proceeds through a stepwise degradation pathway, progressively cleaving PFAS chains from long-chain compounds (PFOA, PFOS) down through intermediate short-chain species and ultimately to inorganic end products. The reaction kinetics display a characteristic concentration curve: an initial drop as long-chain PFAS adsorb, a brief uptick as long chains fragment into multiple short-chain species, and a sustained decline toward total elimination.
The Reaction Kinetics Signature: The three-phase concentration curve, initial drop, brief inflection uptick, sustained decline, is the observable fingerprint of complete PFAS destruction rather than mere capture. The inflection point confirms that long-chain molecules are being broken into short-chain intermediates, which are then also eliminated. This distinguishes TruSpin's mechanism from adsorptive technologies, which show only an initial drop followed by saturation.
Go-to-Market
Beachhead Market: Municipal Water & Wastewater Utilities
- Target the 4,200+ municipal wastewater and drinking water facilities facing mandatory EPA PFAS compliance and increasing legal liability.
- Position TruSpin as a cost-effective alternative to activated carbon, reverse osmosis, and ion exchange by delivering PFAS filtration, detention, and destruction in a single system.
- Focus initial sales on municipalities seeking lower capital costs, reduced operating expenses, and elimination of hazardous PFAS waste streams.
Expansion Market 1: Commercial & Institutional Water Filtration
- Expand into whole-building filtration systems for hospitals, schools, office buildings, hotels, and commercial facilities requiring PFAS-free water.
- Develop point-of-entry filtration solutions for industrial campuses and facilities with elevated PFAS exposure risks.
- Partner with commercial water treatment companies and building system integrators to accelerate market adoption.
Expansion Market 2: Consumer Water Filtration
- Introduce high-performance residential whole-home filtration systems for homeowners in PFAS-affected regions.
- Develop under-sink, countertop, and faucet-mounted filtration products that leverage TruSpin's nanofiber technology.
- Expand into premium replacement filter cartridges for existing filtration platforms.
Expansion Market 3: OEM & Consumer Products
- License or supply TruSpin polyceramic nanofiber membranes to major water cooler manufacturers and filtration brands.
- Integrate the technology into reusable water bottles, portable filtration systems, and outdoor recreation products.
- Establish OEM partnerships to accelerate consumer market penetration while maintaining focus on proprietary nanofiber manufacturing.
Competitive Comparison: The Unfair Nanofiber Advantage
TruSpin's polyceramic nanofiber system is the only commercially available solution that simultaneously filters, detains, and destroys PFAS. Here's how it compares to the technologies municipalities most commonly evaluate:
| Evaluation Criterion | TruSpin Polyceramic | Activated Carbon (GAC) | Reverse Osmosis | Ion Exchange |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filtration / Capture | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| PFAS Destruction | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Eliminates Waste Stream | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Target Selective | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Low Energy Operation | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Construction Cost | ~$1M | ~$43M | ~$50M | ~$25M |
| Annual Operating Cost | ~$200K | ~$5M | ~$2.5M | ~$3M |
The bottom line: Competing technologies force municipalities into a choice between incomplete solutions at high cost, or deferred compliance with growing legal and regulatory risk. TruSpin's polyceramic nanofiber system is the only option that achieves complete PFAS destruction, and does so at a cost municipalities can realistically budget for within existing capital cycles.
What Partners Are Saying
"After our initial analysis of the samples, it's clear that TruSpin has unique nanofiber production capabilities, and we are excited to be partnering with them."
Steve Wilcenski, CEO, BNNano"Having your technology become a marketable product would be invaluable, it has the potential to have far-reaching impact on public health."
Myra Crawford, PhD, MPH, Executive Director