Surface modified lithium manganese oxide for lithium extraction
Reusable: Surface coating reduces manganese loss up to 50% for improved reusability Superior Adsorption Capacity : Up to 24 mg/g lithium uptake from low-concentration lithium Optimized Design: Nanoscale coating on 200+ mesh sorbent to maximize adsorption capacity Environmental & Economic Sustainability: Improve water quality and additional revenue
Highlights
- Reusable: Surface coating reduces manganese loss up to 50% for improved reusability
- Superior Adsorption Capacity : Up to 24 mg/g lithium uptake from low-concentration lithium
- Optimized Design: Nanoscale coating on 200+ mesh sorbent to maximize adsorption capacity
- Environmental & Economic Sustainability: Improve water quality and additional revenue
Opportunity
This advanced sorbent meets the growing lithium demand driven by EVs and energy storage, bypassing the limitations of traditional extraction methods. A nanoscale coating on a lithium manganese oxide sorbent enhances recyclability up to 50%. This stands to enable scalable, direct lithium extraction from formation waters and sedimentary brines, opening up new lithium sources in previously nonviable regions, effectively expanding lithium supply options for the battery manufacturing market.
Competitive advantage
- High Selectivity and Capacity: The sorbent selectively targets lithium ions even in low-concentration brines, with performance optimized for formation waters.
- Compatibility with Harsh Conditions: Effective even in brines containing reductive agents, a common challenge in lithium-bearing waters from sedimentary sources.
- Scalable and Environmentally-Friendly Solution: Readily scalable to support large-scale lithium extraction. Enables adopters to meet environmental and sustainability goals.
Status
- Provisional US patent application filed
About University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a large, comprehensive public research university in Edmonton with multiple campuses and a strong applied research culture. Industry engages through co-located labs and pilot-scale facilities, as well as established co-op and internship programs that place talent with partners year-round. Integration with Alberta’s province-wide hospital system supports clinical research and accelerates translation. Companies also benefit from proximity to regional industry clusters and collaboration hubs on and near campus for joint R&D and prototyping. Supported by NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC, and Canada Foundation for Innovation funding—plus provincial and industry support—the tech transfer office manages IP, licensing, and startup formation with streamlined sponsored-research agreements.
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