Old Dominion University research team has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop an environmentally friendly method for mining lithium used in high-capacity batteries. The team, led by principal investigator Sandeep Kumar, is a diverse group of interdisciplinary students who are already hard at work on their project titled “Production of lithium carbonate from geothermal brine by selective extraction of lithium using a novel ion sieve method.”
The team, consisting of graduate and undergraduate students in engineering and environmental studies, will each contribute their expertise to the project. Agyare Asante, Abigail Berardi, Jack Bruins, and Derik Thompson will work alongside Professor Kumar to research and design a more efficient and ecological way to extract lithium from geothermal brine. The current method of lithium extraction is time-consuming and water-intensive, posing risks to the environment and groundwater.
The P3 Award, received earlier this year, aims to support innovative solutions to environmental and public health issues. As the team dives into their research and lab experiments, they will also prepare for the P3 National Design Expo, where they will have the opportunity to showcase their work and network with other university teams working on similar projects.
Professor Kumar highlighted the importance of the project not only for its potential to improve lithium production domestically but also for the valuable learning experience it provides to the students. The team is already looking ahead to potential commercialization of their system with outside companies.
Overall, the ODU research team’s project represents a step towards sustainable mining practices and reducing reliance on imported lithium for high-capacity batteries, aligning with the growing shift towards cleaner energy sources.
