SBIR-STTR Award

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be a secure domestic supply of isotopes. The initial target isotope for production is lithium-7-hydroxide for use in US light-water nuclear reactors. Currently the only source of this critical material is China or Russia and so the supply is susceptible to disruptions that would cripple the US electrical generating capability. A cost-effective method to enrich very large quantities of lithium-7 is also required for the introduction of next-generation nuclear reactor technology. Molten salt reactors will deliver inherently-safe, environmentally friendly, carbon-free base load electrical power generation. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project provides an innovative approach to enriching lithium-7. The concept is to develop a liquid-liquid method for lithium isotope separation that will work with an innovative high-speed counter current chromatography (HSCCC) system. All commercial HSCCC suppliers (UK and China) build their bobbins by winding tubing around a shaft. The sides of the bobbins have the inlet and outlet fittings attached. This restricts the bobbins to only having a single inlet and outlet and having only a single tubing 'style' on a bobbin. Using 3-D printing to manufacture bobbins enables flexibility in design and manufacture while lowering cost. In this project, 3-D printing will enable bobbins with different configurations to be manufactured and tested quicker and cheaper than the current conventional tube winding method enabling the bobbin configurations to be quickly adapted alongside the liquid-liquid method extractant/diluent formulations to optimize performance criteria. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is a new domestic commercial source of enriched lithium isotopes. The U.S. nuclear power industry requires enriched lithium-7 hydroxide to prevent corrosion in its present fleet of pressurized water reactors. Currently, this strategic material is supplied outside the U.S. and recent supply disruptions jeopardize 20% of the U.S. electrical generation capability. Longer term, the development of safer, lower-impact, new technologies for nuclear power generation is critical to meet the U.S. and global goals of reducing carbon emissions. One of the most promising technologies, molten salt reactors, will require commercial production of large quantities of enriched lithium-7. Even longer term, many of the fusion energy technologies in development will require enriched lithium-6. The planned production of lithium isotopes will enable the development and commercialization of safer, lower-impact nuclear energy.This Small Business Innovative Research Phase II project proposes the implementation of a liquid/liquid extraction method for lithium enrichment in a pilot-scale production system. To date, this type of extraction has not been employed for commercial lithium isotope enrichment. The Phase II work will result in the design of the first commercial-scale production process. The innovative approach to lithium isotope enrichment will also have applicability in the purification of other stable isotopes.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.