Vulcan Energy Resources (ASX:VUL) has reached an agreement to collaborate with global giant DuPont to test and scale up Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) solutions for Vulcan’s world-first Zero Carbon Lithium extraction process.
DuPont’s Water Solutions business will leverage its portfolio of proprietary Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) products to assist Vulcan with input and test-work during Vulcan’s Zero Carbon Lithium project Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS).
As part of the project, DuPont will be developing and testing an integrated Direct Lithium Extraction Process for Vulcan’s brine. DuPont’s multi-technology portfolio of lithium selective sorbent, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, ion exchange resins, ultrafiltration, and close circuit reverse osmosis will be leveraged for the study.
Vulcan Managing Director, Dr Francis Wedin, said the agreement is in line with Vulcan’s strategy to test and pursue commercially mature DLE products from major suppliers for its project to minimise technical risks and accelerate development of the project.
He said that unlike current extraction processes, the Zero Carbon Lithium project will demonstrate the world’s first completely carbon neutral lithium extraction process with virtually zero environmental disruption.
Collaborating with a company like DuPont is an important de- risking strategy for the DLE component of our Zero Carbon Lithium® project,” Dr Wedin said.
“DuPont’s diverse set of products which can be manufactured at scale are likely to be well-suited to sustainably extract the lithium from the brine.
“We look forward to a successful long-term relationship with DuPont, to implement our strategy of becoming a major supplier of our unique Zero Carbon Lithium hydroxide to the European electric vehicle battery market.”