One World Lithium revealed this month a collaboration to advance its proprietary clean technology.
Based in Vancouver, One World is developing extraction technologies and pursuing strategic partnerships to commercialize lower-impact, scalable production from brines and clay slurries.
Unlike traditional methods that tend to produce intermediates requiring additional downstream chemical processing, the B.C. firm’s objective is to produce lithium carbonate directly in a single-step process.
The company is collaborating with the University of British Columbia, the University of California Irvine, and nano-bubble technology innovator Moleaer to accelerate research and development of the firm’s single-step Direct Lithium Carbonation Extraction Technology.
The collaboration includes establishing a pilot system to demonstrate potential for direct production of lithium carbonate from natural brine, as well as evaluate potential recovery or co-production of additional industrial carbonates, such as sodium, calcium, and magnesium.
The UBC team will be led by Dr. Alex Tavasoli, an assistant professor in UBC’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, who will oversee the design and fabrication of the testing facilities.
Tavasoli’s research group, the Laboratory of Future Industry, conducts holistic research into the design, optimization, scale-up, and commercialization of novel sustainable industrial production processes and energy systems that rely on various interfacial phenomena for performance.
The UCI team will be led by Dr. James Earthman, a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Biomedical Engineering.
“We are extremely pleased to have such a talented team working with us in advancing OWL’s DLCE technology,” commented Doug Fulcher, chief executive officer of One World Lithium.
Fulcher points to Earthman’s “background in research and management of materials using nanobubbles,” to Tavasoli’s “background in chemical engineering and industrial production processing,” and to “the expertise of Moleaer’s nano-bubble team.”
“We are in a position to fast track our DLCE process for lithium and other critical mineral extraction from brine and complete the construction of a container size test plant in a timely manner,” he stated.