SBIR/STTR Award attributes
Statement of the problem or situation that is being addressed in your application. As the world moves towards renewable energy sources, with the U.S. at the forefront of energy sustainability innovation, there is a growing need to revolutionize the economical sourcing of lithium and other battery metals from domestic resources: biomining is an important solution that will lead us towards that goal. The technical problem that will be addressed in this application is how to develop a unique economical solution for low carbon emission sourcing of lithium from domestic resources. • General statement of how this problem is being addressed. This application proposes to increase utilization of domestic resources of lithium from domestic resources by developing sustainable and economically efficient microbially facilitated processes for extraction from lithium-bearing clays. The use of advanced biotechnology to optimize domestic mining processes and expand to processing of other minerals is still at an early stage. This technology will utilize microbes for the extraction, upgrading and purification of lithium, ultimately commercializing a process that will increase profits for stakeholders, while minimizing negative environmental effects and allowing for domestic mining which will ultimately decrease U.S. dependence on foreign resources. • What is to be done in Phase I? The proposed Phase I effort will build off current technology and existing research. The technical objectives focus on utilizing microbial processes to reduce sulfuric acid consumption in the leaching of lithium, to upgrade the clay by removal of unwanted cations, and to lower the cutoff grade of lithium clays that are commercially viable for extraction, by lowering the costs of extraction and recovery. Secondary objectives are to develop production of saleable byproducts (e.g., metal oxides of calcium and magnesium), and explore biological mechanisms of neutralization prior to back filling of waste rock for rehabilitation of environment. • Commercial Applications and Other Benefits The process of augmenting domestically sourced lithium supply will benefit numerous stakeholders including the public sector, commercial entities, and the federal government. With the increasing electrification of the U.S. transportation sector, growth in employment associated with electric vehicle is on a dramatic upward trajectory. Decarbonizing the transportation sector through electrification will clean up our air, help address climate change, and facilitate transition to a clean-energy economy that will benefit all communities. Stationary energy storage can benefit the electricity grid by providing many services such as enabling high penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources, serving remote communities, supporting transportation electrification, increasing resilience, optimizing energy production and usage, and supporting critical services like healthcare. Phase II and Phase III efforts will focus on deploying and commercializing the technology.
