Technology

SCWO: Permanent Contaminant Destruction Across the Broadest Range of Waste Types

How SCWO Works

In a supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) environment, PFAS and other persistent organic pollutants are rapidly and completely oxidized at the molecular level. The strong carbon–fluorine bonds that make PFAS so resistant to traditional treatment are broken, converting compounds into benign end products such as carbon dioxide, water, inorganic salts, and fluoride. Destruction and Removal Efficiencies (DRE) greater than 99.9% are routinely achieved, even in complex waste streams.

Unlike thermal or separation-based approaches, SCWO is a true destruction technology—it does not concentrate, immobilize, or transfer contaminants from one medium to another. The reaction occurs in a closed system, eliminating the formation of toxic byproducts such as dioxins or incomplete combustion residues. Air emissions are consistent with current regulatory requirements.

SCWO is also highly adaptable. It can treat:

liquids
slurries
foams
solids
granular activated carbon (GAC)
ion exchange resins
PFAS-laden media

This flexibility allows SCWO to be deployed on-site or off-site, integrated directly into broader treatment workflows, and scaled to meet demanding throughput requirements.

SCWO vs. Other PFAS Treatment Methods

Incineration

High-temperature incineration relies on extreme heat and long residence times to destroy PFAS. It faces growing regulatory scrutiny due to stack emissions, public opposition, and the risk of incomplete destruction. Incineration is energy-intensive, logistically complex, and in limited supply. Access to proper equipment requires transporting hazardous materials for long distances, increasing both environmental impact and safety risks.

Landfilling

Landfilling does not destroy PFAS—it relocates and recirculates them. Over time, PFAS can leach back into groundwater, creating long-term environmental and liability risks as well as overwhelming leachate collection systems. As regulations tighten, landfilling is increasingly viewed as an unacceptable and unsustainable option.

Plasma, Electrochemical, and Emerging Methods

Several emerging technologies for PFAS treatment, including plasma and electrochemical processes, have demonstrated effectiveness at laboratory or pilot scale. However, many of these approaches currently face limitations related to throughput, operational reliability, and cost when applied at industrial scales. In addition, some technologies are applicable only to dilute liquid waste streams and are not suitable for treating solids or complex, mixed waste matrices.

AxNano Advantage

SCWO stands apart as a commercially proven, regulator-supported technology capable of permanently destroying PFAS across diverse waste forms. It delivers:

True molecular destruction (not transfer or containment)
99.9% destruction efficiency
Continuous process for increased throughput
Air emissions consistent with current regulatory requirements
Compatibility with liquids, slurries, and solids
Scalable, integrated deployment on- or off-site

Integrated for Complete PFAS Removal

AxNano combines SCWO with advanced system engineering to deliver end-to-end PFAS solutions:

AxTract™ extracts and concentrates PFAS and other contaminants from large volumes of water or waste streams.

AxSure™ uses SCWO to permanently destroy contaminants in both liquid and solid phases.

Together, AxTract™ and AxSure™ form a closed-loop system that ensures complete PFAS removal—reducing risk, cost, and long-term environmental liability while meeting the highest standards for destruction performance.