Development of elemental technology for decomposition of PFAS using a high-power fiber laser
- PFAS degradation efficiency exceeding 99.999% achieved by laser irradiation -
October 2, 2026
Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
Ryuki Engineering Inc.
- Contributes to the decomposition and detoxification of PFAS, a problematic substance in terms of environmental pollution and health risks
- Application of a laser quickly raises the surface temperature of the target material to over 1100℃, thereby realizing highly efficient thermal decomposition
- Both companies will continue research and development toward advancing PFAS decomposition technology, and aim to realize future social implementation
Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (Head office: 2-6-4 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Hideya Moridaira; hereinafter "Furukawa Electric") and Ryuki Engineering Inc. (Head Office: 3-4-2 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Satoshi Nishimura; hereinafter "Ryuki Engineering") have developed elemental technology for decomposing PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances) through the application of a high-power fiber laser that is used for Furukawa Electric’s infrastructure surface treatment solution InfraLaser®. Application of a high-power fiber laser on activated carbon with adsorbed PFAS achieved a PFAS degradation efficiency exceeding 99.999%.
Background
The PFAS used in industrial and household products are often called "forever chemicals" due to their slow decomposition and tendency to reside for a long time in the environment. Soil and ground water pollution, as well as health risks due to accumulation in the body, have become an international issue. In Japan, the PFAS substances PFOS and PFOA were added to the drinking water quality criteria in April 2026, and it is required to test and comply with these criteria. Following the enactment of responses to PFAS, there are growing needs to appropriately process and detoxify the adsorbent materials used to remove PFAS.
Furukawa Electric and Ryuki Engineering have conducted joint research based on the concept of decomposing PFAS through the application of a high-power fiber laser that is used for Furukawa Electric’s infrastructure surface treatment solution InfraLaser® and has normally been used to remove rust and coatings from steel surfaces without contact.
Furukawa Electric and Ryuki Engineering have conducted joint research based on the concept of decomposing PFAS through the application of a high-power fiber laser that is used for Furukawa Electric’s infrastructure surface treatment solution InfraLaser® and has normally been used to remove rust and coatings from steel surfaces without contact.
Details
The newly developed elemental technology realizes thermal decomposition of PFAS by applying a high-power fiber laser on activated carbon with adsorbed PFAS. By directly beaming the laser on the target material, the surface temperature quickly rises to over 1100℃, thereby achieving a degradation efficiency exceeding 99.999% indicated as the environmentally appropriate decomposition treatment level in the technical guidelines of the Basel Convention. In the evaluation tests, residual PFAS remaining in both the solid and gaseous phases after laser irradiation was collected and quantitatively analyzed using LC-MS/MS. When the laser is directly applied to the target material, the optical energy is converted into thermal energy, and because the material can be quickly heated to the temperature required for PFAS decomposition through localized heating, it is possible to reduce the treatment time, including preparations. Also, it is possible to decompose PFAS without fully incinerating the activated carbon, so it is expected to enable reuse of the activated carbon and reduce CO2 emissions from combustion.
The current results demonstrate the new technological possibilities of using a high-power fiber laser to decompose and detoxify PFAS. Also, instead of the traditional combustion treatment method with high environmental load, we will aim to realize revolutionary volume reduction technology that can efficiently treat materials onsite (contaminated site). Both companies will continue joint research toward social implementation of PFAS decomposition technology. In the future, we will combine both companies’ technology and know-how with the aim of realizing total solutions covering everything from site surveys to the purification and detoxification of PFAS.
Fig. 1 Laser beam area
Fig. 2 Image of laser application to the target material
Fig. 3 Evaluation results of the PFAS degradation efficiency
"InfraLaser" is a registered trademark of Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. in Japan.
About Furukawa Electric Group
Leveraging our 4 core technologies of metals, polymers, photonics and high frequency, Furukawa Electric Group operates a wide range of businesses in fields including infrastructure such as telecommunications and energy, automotive products and electronics. Based on our Purpose of "Composing the core of a brighter world", we strive to solve social issues such as supporting faster optical communications, addressing carbon neutrality and evolving mobility, and contribute to the establishment and development of next-generation infrastructure
About Ryuki Engineering
Ryuki Engineering is an environmental solutions provider and engineering manufacturer that solves issues related to "fluids" including air, water, oil and gas through mechanical technology. The company has top level market share in Japan in large-scale dust collectors for tunnel construction, and it operates an original direct rental business. In addition to possessing over 100 patents and being selected as one of the Global Niche Top 100 Companies, Ryuki Engineering was awarded in 2026 the Grand Prix & Sustainable Evolution Award at the Forbes JAPAN "SMALL GIANTS AWARD 2026".
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