Next-Gen Bio-Integrated Lithium Recovery from Clay

Project Overview

The global transition toward a net-zero economy requires secure and sustainable supplies of critical minerals, with lithium forming the backbone of electric-vehicle batteries and grid-scale energy storage. Although most lithium is currently produced from brines, clay-hosted deposits represent one of the largest undeveloped global resources. However, existing extraction technologies for clays rely on high-temperature roasting followed by aggressive acid leaching, processes that are energy-intensive, generate substantial chemical waste, and produce significant carbon emissions. A further bottleneck is the “Mg/Li challenge”: the close chemical similarity between lithium and competing ions, particularly magnesium, severely limits the selectivity and efficiency of conventional extraction materials. Addressing these challenges requires fundamentally new approaches that integrate mineral liberation, molecular recognition, and process engineering.

What You Will Do

This PhD project contributes to the development of a Bio-Integrated Liberation and Extraction (BILE) platform that combines electrochemical activation of lithium-bearing clays with biologically derived extraction systems. Within this broader collaborative framework, the candidate will lead the discovery, engineering, and deployment of lithium-selective bio-extraction approaches to enhance recovery efficiency and sustainability.

Expected Outcomes

Advancement of novel, low-energy, low-waste lithium extraction techniques from clays; generation of scalable bio-electrochemical processes that overcome the chemical similarity challenges of lithium and magnesium; and contribution to securing critical mineral supply chains for sustainable technologies.

Why It Matters

Developing sustainable lithium extraction methods from clay deposits is critical to meeting future demand for electric vehicle batteries and grid storage technologies while minimizing environmental impact. This will help transition to a net-zero economy by reducing carbon emissions associated with traditional lithium production and advancing circular economy principles in critical materials supply.