Manufacturing advanced nanocomposite membranes for selective lithium extraction

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The demand for lithium (Li) is projected to grow by over 50% in the next five years. As a fundamental component in batteries, electric vehicles, and energy storage, Li is critical in a low-carbon economy. Such a high demand necessitates domestic Li supply for the North American supply chain. Alberta has globalized lithium resources that can be capitalized on using new technologies with net-zero GHGs. Currently, the primary source of Li is salt-lake brine, oilfield wastewater, and lithium ores. Alberta's oilfields hold rich lithium deposits in subsurface brine, but it has been overlooked as industrial waste so far. The Li+ ions extraction from the brine is complicated primarily due to the coexistence of abundant chemically similar ions such as Na+ and K+. The conventional methods such as adsorption and ion exchange are not efficient and scalable. Li-selective membranes, manufactured by advanced materials with atomically tunable dimensions, create opportunities to mimic molecular phenomena in nanopores. This project aims to incorporate selective receptors into polymeric membranes to achieve fast conductance of Li+ between fixed receptors and minimum penetration of undesired species. To enhance Li+ separation, efforts will be made to accurately tune the pore size and chemical functionality of novel materials, such as metal and porous organic frameworks. The feasibility of facilitated transport will also be demonstrated by functionalizing membranes with strain-tuned crown nanopores.The supply of precious metals is currently one of Alberta's Accelerators on Mobility in the Low-Carbon Future. As one of the leading suppliers of nickel and cobalt, Alberta plans to also establish itself as a source of a stable and secure supply of raw materials for Li-ion batteries. Hence, this project, which aligns well with the Advance program priority (Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies), will provide new market opportunities for rare earth metal recovery and diversification of Alberta's economy.