NSF Award
2432584
The broader impact of this I-Corps project is the development of a highly selective electrochemical separation technology that provides users with the ability to reduce the cost and environmental footprint of metal recovery processes. Such a technology can be used in numerous natural resource extraction processes. The ability of mining operators to reduce the freshwater consumption and eliminate the consumption of toxic chemicals could expand the production of metals critical to the energy transition. In the production of lithium from hypersaline aquifers, lithium producers could utilize such a technology to improve the purity of lithium products and reduce the environmental footprint. Additionally, this highly selective separation technology could allow lithium companies to economically extract lithium from domestic resources in the United States. This I-Corps project thus has the potential to reduce dependence on fragile and complex supply chains. The increased supply of lithium and other critical metal products would enable battery manufacturers to advance the performance of their products, decreasing the costs, and increase the adoption of electric vehicles and battery-based energy storage systems.<br/><br/>This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. This solution is based on the development of a highly selective, low-freshwater consuming, and renewable electricity-powered electrochemical separation technology that leverages a novel electrical-switch system to operate continuously. This electrochemical separation technology has demonstrated exceptional selectivity for removing monovalent cations from complex ionic solutions while minimizing energy consumption. Further research is being conducted to investigate membrane and electrode material combinations to improve lithium selectivity, increase cycling stability, and further minimize energy consumption. Novel electrode and membrane materials are also being investigated to explore the efficacy of this novel platform for extracting other critical metals from aqueous solutions including other alkali, alkaline, or transition metals from natural resources. This project has commercial potential in the recovery of critical metals from natural resources and aqueous waste streams.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
