Restricted Research - Award List, Note/Discussion Page
Fiscal Year: 2023
1510 The University of Texas at Arlington (143398)
Principal Investigator: Erika La Plante,erika.laplante@uta.edu,(817) 272-7718
Total Amount of Contract, Award, or Gift (Annual before 2011): $ 2,999,994
Exceeds $250,000 (Is it flagged?): Yes
Start and End Dates: 1/18/23 - 1/17/26
Restricted Research: YES
Academic Discipline: Department of Materials Science & Engineering
Department, Center, School, or Institute: none
Title of Contract, Award, or Gift: RECLAIM: Electrochemical Lithium and Nickel Extraction with Concurrent Carbon Dioxide Mineralization
Name of Granting or Contracting Agency/Entity:
ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy)
CFDA: 81.135
Program Title: Mining Innovations for Negative Emissions Resource Recovery (MINER)
Note:
(SAM Category 1.1.1.) The development of domestic supplies of critical energy-relevant metals that are extracted with a minimum of energy input and environmental damage is of urgent importance. In addition, the capture and sequestration of CO2 is now recognized to be one of the greatest challenges of our time. Therefore, coupling domestic production of critical metals with CO2-negative mining activities is an attractive approach. In this project, we will develop two technologies towards the production of Li and Ni from CO2-reactive minerals and rocks that contain Ca and Mg, while sequestering CO2 in the form of carbonate solids (CaCO3, MgCO3, and variants thereof). The technologies, acoustic stimulation and electrolytic proton production, use electricity to liberate valuable metal ions from the surrounding mineral matrix at sub-boiling temperatures (~20-to-80°C). Feedstocks will include Li/Ca/Mg-rich igneous and sedimentary minerals such as holmquistite and hectorite, etc., and lateritic Ni ores enriched in Mg-rich serpentine. In the first step, the electrolytic breakdown of water to H+ and OH– will be induced through the application of an electric potential to simultaneously produce acidity and alkalinity. The solid feedstocks will be dissolved in the acidic anolyte under acoustic stimulation. Solubilized species will then undergo separation using our unique Li+-selective membranes driven by electrodialysis, leading to concentration of Li as soluble lithium silicate, from which Li2CO3 can be derived by CO2 bubbling. At the cathode, stepwise electrolytic precipitation of different metals as metal hydroxides, including Ni(OH)2, Ca(OH)2, and Mg(OH)2 is performed along a continuous or cascade reactor in which both the applied potential and pH increase downstream, thereby simultaneously extracting and separating the metals. Finally, exposure of Ca(OH)2 and Mg(OH)2 to dilute CO2 concentrations (< 20 vol.%) will result in CO2 uptake in the form of Ca and Mg carbonates. The proposed technology enables net carbon-negative mining that is cost-effective without any need to rely on carbon taxes, penalties, or credits.
Discussion: No discussion notes