Membrane for lithium extraction developed in Austin — InsideEVs

In the United States, the University of Texas at Austin has developed a membrane with artificial nanochannels designed for the selective extraction of lithium ions. According to the researchers, the technology is intended to separate lithium from other substances without using hazardous chemicals or solvents, InsideEVs reports.

Channels modeled on living cells

The development is based on artificial nanometer-scale channels created according to the principle by which ions pass through the cell membranes of living organisms. They were integrated into a new membrane that is intended to let lithium ions pass through while retaining other components of the mixture.

Manish Kumar, a professor in the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, noted that lithium is used in phones, cars and the power grid, but its environmentally friendly extraction remains a difficult task. The team's goal is to create a faster, cleaner and easier-to-use process.

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Testing industrial application

Lithium is currently obtained from hard rock, saline brines and recycled batteries. After mining or brine evaporation, lithium must be separated from other materials with which it is mixed or in which it is dissolved.

Harekrushna Behera, a research scientist in Kumar's laboratory, said that understanding the interaction of ions with chemical groups near the channel entrances could help create more selective channels for lithium and possibly other critical minerals. At the same time, the technology requires additional experiments to assess the possibility of its application on an industrial scale.