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From right Maeve Seto, Sophie Campbell, Rachel Kumara and Louise Tayzon

Winning a pitch competition is never easy, but it becomes even more challenging when there is no prototype or product ready for market. Despite these obstacles, Chemical Engineering Capstone Group 4 defied the odds and won $12,000 to advance their project!

The project, called Direct-Li, won the Norman Esch Entrepreneurship Award for Capstone Design. The group proposed a more efficient and eco-friendly process for lithium extraction.

Through engineering innovation, Group 4 developed a two-stage process called direct lithium extraction (DLE). Group members Rachel Kumara, Sophie Campbell, Maeve Seto and Louise Tayzon utilized nanofiltration and ion pump separation to extract 90 per cent more lithium per litre of water in half the time compared to��industry standards.

“We were delighted that we were successful in conveying our idea in a way that made the judges see value in something that we do not actually have, a solid prototype. Our ideas are based on simulations and models. We were shocked to win! We were just happy to be there and to be challenging ourselves, especially since we were the only all-women group in the competition!”

Lithium is used in batteries, medicine, sporting equipment and airplanes, resulting in an increase in the global demand for lithium. The current process for lithium extraction requires extensive land use and consumes up to 39 trillion litres of water annually, contributing to deforestation and causing significant harm to wildlife and surrounding ecosystems.

The industry standard for lithium mining uses a technique called evaporative extraction in which underground saltwater is pumped into massive ponds taking up to 24 months for the water to evaporate. The salt mixed with lithium left at the bottom of the pond is shipped to a factory where it is chemically processed into lithium carbonate. Only 50 per cent of lithium is recovered from the brine.

The novel approach the group took was to first run the water through a membrane to produce a higher concentration of lithium and then create an electrochemical reaction that would create a concentrated lithium chloride solution. The solution could be chemically processed into lithium carbonate more efficiently and use less land than the current method.

Their process does not use chemical solvents, and excess water is safe enough to be re-injected back into the ground, or it could be sent to a water treatment facility where it could be processed for agriculture or drinking water.

Some lithium is mined in South America, where residents and farmers are negatively impacted by the land and water loss involved with lithium mining.

“We knew we wanted to do a project that pushed a sustainable idea into an industry that historically has not considered its impact on ecosystems. We wanted to do something that positively impacted people and the environment.”

Group 4 began preparing for their Capstone project in their third year. They enjoyed classes taught by Professor Sarah Meunier and wanted to work with her on their project, so they chose a topic that aligned with her research interests.

The next steps for the project are to file a patent and create a pilot plant. The group is planning to apply to the summer Velocity Program to further develop their method.

They are planning to invest the $12K in their project. The group members agree that the road to a successful business venture from their Capstone Project may be a few years in the making, but they are grateful for the opportunities presented through their win at the Esch competition.