Hosted by: Argonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago
Register by: April 21st, 2025
Join University of Chicago for a virtual workshop to explore innovative methods for extracting critical minerals from water sources such as wastewater, seawater, and groundwater. As the United States faces a shortage of essential minerals like lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements, these resources are crucial for advancing energy technologies.
The workshop will focus on precision separation techniques that contribute to a circular water economy and address supply chain challenges. It will include discussion of RD&T (research, development, and translation) efforts in selective mineral separation, as well as the challenges and opportunities that could shape future research in this field.
All are welcome!
Co-Organizers
- Junhong Chen: Lead Water Strategist, Argonne National Laboratory; Professor of Molecular
Engineering, University of Chicago - Seth Darling: Chief Science & Technology Officer for the Advanced Energy Technologies Directorate
and Director of the Advanced Materials for Energy-Water Systems Energy Frontier Research Center,
Argonne National Laboratory - Chong Liu: Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago
Overview
This workshop aims to explore cutting-edge research on the recovery of critical minerals from various water sources, including wastewater, seawater, and groundwater. The United States is currently facing a shortage in the domestic supply chain of critical minerals—such as lithium (Li), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and rare earth elements—vital for various energy technologies. The precision separation of trace amounts of these critical minerals from diverse water sources not only promotes a circular water economy but also helps address the critical minerals supply chain challenges. The workshop will showcase state-of-the-art research, development, and translation (RD&T) around selective separation of critical minerals from water and highlight potential challenges and opportunities to inform future research.
10:00 – 10:05 AM: Welcome and Overview of Workshop
10:05 – 10:17 AM: Allison Bennett Irion
Argonne National Laboratory (Program Lead and Director of Supply Chain
Research for Advanced Energy Technologies and Nuclear Technologies and
National Security Directorates)
Title: “Critical Minerals and Materials Landscape”
10:17 – 10:29 AM: Menachem Elimelech
Rice University (Nancy and Clint Carlson Professor of Civil and Environmental
Engineering and of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)
Title: “Prospects of Critical Metal Recovery from Wastewater and Saline Brines”
10:29 – 10:41 AM: Michael Servis
Argonne National Laboratory (Chemist in the Heavy Element and Separation
Science group)
Title: “Insights into Solution-Phase Ion Separations from Experiment and Molecular
Simulation”
10:41 – 10:53 AM: Merlin Bruening
University of Notre Dame (Donald & Susan Rice Professor of Engineering and Site
Director of the Center for Bioanalytic Metrology)
Title: “Nanofiltration and Diafiltration for Isolation of Critical Ions”
10:53 – 11:05 AM: Z. Jason Ren
Princeton University (Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
Title: “From Lab to the Field: Interfacial Evaporation for Brine Lithium Recovery”
11:05 – 11:55 AM: Panel Discussion with Invited Speakers: Challenges and Opportunities for
Critical Minerals Recovery from Water
Moderator: Burt Thomas — Minerals Division Director of the U.S. Department of
Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management
11:55 AM – Noon: Concluding Remarks
Location
Virtual
