One World Lithium Partners with UBC and UC Irvine to Advance Direct Lithium Extraction Technology Toward Pilot Plant
One World Lithium has engaged the University of British Columbia and the University of California, Irvine to accelerate R&D on its single-step Direct Lithium Carbonation Extraction technology, aiming to design a containerized pilot plant for field testing.
One World Lithium Inc. (CSE: OWLI) announced it has engaged the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of California, Irvine (UCI) to work alongside Moleaer Inc., a global leader in nanobubble technology, to advance its single-step Direct Lithium Carbonation Extraction (DLCE) technology toward a pilot plant.
The company is in the process of assembling two Nanobubble Generators for shipping to the universities, along with additional equipment needed to continue DLCE test work. The equipment is expected to be delivered within six to eight weeks for setup in the two labs to begin the test work.
The primary project goal is advancing toward pilot-scale development. A statement of work has been completed outlining the focus of work by UBC and UCI. The first phase involves continued validation and optimization of the DLCE process, which uses a nanobubble extraction process with carbon dioxide (CO2) to separate lithium from brines. This work is intended to advance toward the design and construction of a pilot plant for field testing, demonstrating the potential for direct production of lithium carbonate from natural brines.
In parallel, UBC and UCI will evaluate the potential recovery of additional industrial carbonates from brine, including sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium. If successfully recovered at scale, these materials could represent incremental revenue streams and improve overall project economics.
The second phase of laboratory work is to complete test work on lithium clay to create an effective lithium slurry, validating the DLCE technology to produce lithium carbonate from clay slurry under various conditions. This process would enable lithium carbonate generation directly from slurries made from clays without requiring sulfuric acids, soda ash, sorbents or multiple concentration steps.
The UBC team is led by Dr. Alex Tavasoli, an assistant professor in UBC’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, who will oversee the design and fabrication of testing facilities for the extraction of lithium carbonate and other metals from brine. Dr. Tavasoli holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Toronto and completed her postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research group, the Laboratory of Future Industry (LoFI), focuses on design, optimization, scale-up and commercialization of novel sustainable industrial processes.
The UCI team is led by Dr. James Earthman, a professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Earthman received his PhD from Stanford University and has authored over 120 peer-reviewed publications. He is an inventor on 16 issued US patents and was elected Fellow of ASM International in 2023. His research includes the management of materials using nanobubbles.
Doug Fulcher, President and CEO of One World Lithium, commented: “We are extremely pleased to have such a talented team working with us in advancing OWL’s DLCE technology. We believe that under the direct supervision of Dr. Earthman with his background in research and management of materials using nanobubbles and Dr. Tavasoli’s background in chemical engineering and industrial production processing and alongside the expertise of Moleaer’s nanobubble team we are in a position to fast track our DLCE process for lithium and other critical mineral extraction from brine and complete the construction of a container size test plant in a timely manner.”
Unlike traditional methods that typically produce lithium intermediates requiring additional downstream chemical processing to generate lithium carbonate, the company’s objective is to produce lithium carbonate directly in a single-step process. By integrating CO2 in the separation chemistry and minimizing chemical inputs, OWL expects reduced environmental impacts, lower capital and operating costs, and potential carbon credit opportunities pending pilot validation.
One World Lithium is developing proprietary lithium extraction technologies and pursuing strategic partnerships to commercialize lower-impact, scalable lithium production from brines and clay slurries. For more information, visit https://oneworldlithium.com/.