A Sustainable Cycle to Extract Valuable Metals and Green Hydrogen from Waste Brines

Driven by the global goal of achieving a net-zero emissions economy, green hydrogen (GH2) has emerged as a prominent solution for energy storage. However, its widespread adoption is hindered by high production costs. Similarly, the production of critical metals such as lithium has been limited in certain geographical locations, leading to uncertainty in the supply chain and the price increase. Additionally, the production of saline waste presents an environmental challenge, with potential damage amounting to over $1 million per 100 gallons per minute. To address these issues, a dual solution is proposed: coupling mineral desalination, such as Lithium extraction, with cost-effective GH2 production through water splitting. This integrated approach establishes a sustainable and circular process that extracts GH2 and value-added minerals from waste brines (e.g., seawater) while addressing environmental concerns.<br/>Our project aims to create value by extracting Lithium and other valuable metals from the waste brines of desalination plants, oil or gas industries, and semiconductor companies. A significant portion of Lithium salt will be extracted and sent to companies for further processing, while the purified water will be produced simultaneously in this process. The purified water will be subjected to water splitting, generating green hydrogen that can be utilized in various sectors, including agriculture, transportation, and the electricity grid. The extraction of additional metals from brines is possible when combining membrane technologies. We will create a circular process for its self-sustainability and energy efficiency. A model that can extract 368 kg lithium per day from seawater via solar thermal energy was already under testing and a prototype of a small 4cm*4cm PEME using a double perovskite OER catalyst was under construction.