I-Corps: Advanced Salt Electrolysis Process for the Domestic Refinement of Battery Minerals

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the potential development of technologies that could perform high-efficiency salt splitting electrolysis more efficiently and at reduced cost via innovations in catalytic materials design and reactor architecture. Current state-of-the-art electrolysis technologies utilize potentially expensive catalytic materials and can have limited efficiency due to their unoptimized cell design. The electrolysis technology to be developed utilizes low-cost carbon-based flow-electrodes that have high-catalytic activity and incorporate the latest innovations from flow-battery cell design into electrochemical mineral refining. The result may be a reduction in cost and a reduction in the environmental impact of what is traditionally a high-emissions chemical process. This I-Corps project is based on the development of potentially novel process technology. This innovation is the electrified, single-step conversion of lithium extracted from natural brines. This technology could have distinct economic and environmental advantages over conventional hydrothermal/chemical conversion processes and may support upstream chemical processes by producing hydrochloride for sorbent regeneration. This electrolysis technology may allow for ion-selective, closed-loop recycling, and could offer cost savings in energy consumption and carbon emissions compared to existing refinement processes that require a consistent supply of reagents. 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.