Photo credit: www.sciencedaily.com
Emerging from foundational research at Princeton University, a new startup is set to transform long-established practices in the extraction of lithium and other essential materials such as nitrate and potash. These materials play a crucial role in modern energy technologies and agricultural practices.
The company, Princeton Critical Minerals (previously known as PureLi), has innovated a method to enhance mineral extraction from evaporation ponds. Currently, these ponds account for about 40% of global lithium production and the majority of naturally occurring nitrate.
At the heart of this innovation is a unique black disc featuring an anti-fouling coating that floats on the surface of the ponds, functioning similarly to a lily pad. This device significantly increases the amount of sunlight converted into thermal energy, thereby accelerating evaporation and boosting mineral yield.
Z. Jason Ren, a civil and environmental engineering professor and co-founder of Princeton Critical Minerals, explained that their technology is akin to adding an additional sun to conventional open evaporation ponds. “Traditional evaporation ponds dissipate solar energy across their entire surface, resulting in an efficiency of less than 50%,” he noted. “Our solution achieves over 96% efficiency in converting sunlight into thermal energy, thus enhancing evaporation in real-world conditions.”
In preliminary field tests conducted in northern Chile, in conjunction with chemical company Sociedad QuÃmica y Minera de Chile (SQM), the team observed that their technology improved evaporation rates by 40% to 122%, influenced by the specific brine composition in the ponds.
This increased efficiency in existing evaporation systems means there may be less need for further pond construction, which can occupy extensive land areas, thereby easing environmental concerns and meeting the rising global demand for lithium and other critical minerals with a smaller spatial footprint.
“The methodology for mineral extraction has largely remained unchanged for decades,” remarked Sean Zheng, CEO of PCM and a former Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow at Princeton. “Our technology holds the potential to revolutionize the conventional methods of extracting critical minerals.”
A Journey Through Princeton’s Innovation Ecosystem
In an article published on February 10 in Nature Water, Ren and Zheng detailed the evolution of PCM from a mere research concept to a viable real-world application.
The roots of the company trace back to Zheng’s tenure as a postdoctoral fellow in Ren’s lab at Princeton, where they explored technologies aimed at accelerating evaporation in saline water bodies. “This began as fundamental research, resulting in scientific publications on evaporation processes,” Zheng shared. “However, we recognized the potential impact of our technology and aimed to translate it from the lab to practical applications.”
Facilitating this transition was the wide array of resources available at Princeton, including initiatives from the Office of Innovation and the Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education.
Both Zheng and Ren took part in the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program and Princeton’s IP Accelerator Program, aimed at aligning research innovations with market needs. As the lead institution for the I-Corps Northeast Regional Hub, Princeton provided invaluable insights. “Engaging with potential customers through the I-Corps program reshaped our understanding of what aspects of our technology were most appealing and relevant to the industry,” Ren emphasized.
Zheng leveraged his experience in the inaugural cohort of the START Innovators program, a fusion of academic fellowship and startup accelerator, enabling researchers to cultivate their innovations while crafting business strategies.
“Fostering an environment where faculty can effectively transition their technologies into commercial avenues is central to the Office of Innovation’s mission,” explained Craig Arnold, Vice Dean for Innovation. “Professor Ren exemplifies how effectively utilizing various programs within Princeton’s innovation ecosystem can expedite technology transfer.”
The team also engaged in the Design for Impact program, which aids researchers in aligning their scholarly work with real-world implications. This program not only offers funding but also allows collaborations with experts who assist in preparing ideas for market readiness.
Nena Golubovic, director of the Design for Impact program in sciences and engineering, expressed, “We aim to fundamentally alter how participants perceive their innovations, pushing them to confront complex questions that are crucial for achieving commercial success.”
Following their deep involvement in Princeton’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, PCM was officially established in 2023. The company subsequently joined the HAX program, a startup development accelerator located in Newark, New Jersey, and forged a partnership with SQM to pilot their innovative technology.
“Our progress has been remarkably swift,” Zheng stated. “In under two years, we have advanced from testing prototypes in small-scale environments to deploying commercially viable products at operational mineral production sites in South America.”
“Princeton has provided the crucial foundation, resources, and skill set necessary for us to thrive as a startup,” he added.
Emerging Partnerships and Future Research Directions
Having successfully raised funds and conducted multiple pilot demonstrations in northern Chile, PCM is now entering the commercialization stage. While collaborations with SQM have validated the technology’s feasibility, Ren noted that they have also raised new research inquiries for his team at Princeton.
For instance, the team has found that the lily pad-enhanced ponds exhibit higher surface temperatures with minimal heat loss to the deeper water layers, contrasting with the more uniform heat distribution found in open ponds. Ren stated that temperature’s influence on mineral solubility has led to emerging research questions regarding brine chemistry aimed at further refining the evaporation process.
“These inquiries arose only as we observed our field test results,” Ren explained. “Staying confined to the lab would have prevented us from uncovering these new research avenues.”
In addition to fostering new academic inquiries, Ren believes that his involvement with PCM has broadened the impact of his work beyond conventional academic metrics like publications. “I hope that PCM’s journey can motivate my colleagues to envision how their research could similarly transcend laboratory confines and contribute to real-world solutions,” Ren concluded. “I want to share our narrative to encourage others to realize their potential to make a difference.”
Source
www.sciencedaily.com