More on the lithium extraction from geothermal brines from Xerion, directly referencing Salton Sea geothermal brines. "Unlike polymer membranes, Xerion’s DirectPlate™ ceramic membrane is highly resistant to the temperature and chemistry of geothermal brines, providing the required lithium selectivity and durability for real-world operation."
DAYTON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Xerion Advanced Battery Corp., a privately held manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries with a vision to revolutionize the energy industry through the development of disruptive technologies, announced today that it has been awarded the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) inaugural American-Made Geothermal Lithium Extraction Prize, in partnership with a team from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The prize, which includes $1 million in funding from the Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO), will accelerate Xerion’s plans to commercialize its innovative, first-of-its-kind ceramic redox membrane technology, which significantly lowers the cost and reduces the energy required to extract lithium from geothermal brine by as much as 90% compared to current technologies.
Xerion’s novel approach to lithium extraction from geothermal brine offers substantial advantages over methods in use today related to selective extraction of lithium, material stability, and environmental impact. This separation technology is a significant extension of Xerion’s advanced dense cathode innovation. Professor Paul Braun, the University of Illinois team lead, notes, "Unlike polymer membranes, Xerion’s DirectPlate™ ceramic membrane is highly resistant to the temperature and chemistry of geothermal brines, providing the required lithium selectivity and durability for real-world operation."
Xerion demonstrated that its patented nanostructured ceramic redox membrane can efficiently extract lithium from raw geothermal brines with low lithium concentrations, such as those found in California’s Salton Sea region, and produce high-quality aqueous lithium hydroxide. This lithium hydroxide can be used directly as a battery feedstock to synthesize cathodes in a single step using Xerion's DirectPlate™ molten salt electroplating process; converted to a lithium metal anode for use in solid-state batteries; or fed into the current conventional cathode production process.
“The development of efficient geothermal lithium extraction technologies promises to simultaneously advance efforts to secure a domestic lithium supply and to solidify the United States’ position in the global transition to net-zero emissions,” stated John Busbee, CEO of Xerion. “Our membrane technology is uniquely suited to harness the full potential of the Salton Sea’s geothermal brine. We look forward to identifying and working alongside partners to continue bringing this exciting innovation to market. The development and commercialization of our low-cost, high-efficiency direct lithium extraction (DLE) from lithium brine sources globally will bring us one step closer to a clean energy future that is powered by homegrown innovation.”
