Sitration, Inc. — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: T

Description

As a critical component of lithium-ion batteries, demand for lithium is expected to soar in coming decades. While the current global supply is dominated by ore and brine extraction, these processes are energy- and cost-intensive, and rely on finite reserves concentrated in only a few countries. As demand grows and favorable sources are depleted, a new source must be tapped: recycling of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. While techniques for extracting lithium from spent batteries exist today, they are not yet economically viable or environmentally sustainable, requiring the consumption of large amounts of reagents to drive complex chains of chemical reactions. SiTration is overcoming this challenge by developing a new type of filtration membrane that is well-suited to selectively extract lithium in the existing battery recycling process flow. While the use of membranes for lithium extraction has always been desirable, today’s commercial membranes are either incompatible with the harsh chemical environments of battery recycling, or not selective enough to extract lithium from a complex solution. SiTration’s nanofiltration technology provides significant advantages in both of these areas, allowing it to serve as a drop-in stage in the existing recycling process, ultimately extracting lithium more efficiently and at a lower cost. By simultaneously enabling the recycling of lithium-ion batteries and providing cheaper lithium feedstock for the next generation of energy storage devices, SiTration aims to close the loop in the lithium lifecycle.