Calgary-based Litus assembly rising international want for lithium amid race to power transition

Article content material

The demand for lithium is rising quickly. The massive-scale conversion of the inner combustion engine to electrical means the automotive business has set lofty targets that require a steep improve in lithium provide.

It’s a cornerstone of battery know-how, a key ingredient wanted to energy the batteries in electrical autos and it’s going through a vital scarcity. The world is in a race to safe entry to lithium and a brand new Calgary firm is forward of the pack because the rising chief in superior chemistry and nanotechnology, set to revolutionize the power business.

Article content material

Article content material

Litus was fashioned in 2019 on analysis initially performed on the College of Calgary by CEO and co-founder Dr. Ghada Nafie and her science-based crew. It harvests lithium from aqueous sources and delivers unmatched outcomes on low-concentration brines, making it each efficient and economical, in a position to retrieve the ingredient from North American sources beforehand deemed uneconomical.

Right this moment, typical lithium is extracted from prolonged operations within the south of Latin America by pumping water onto the bottom and letting it evaporate by 50 per cent, a course of that may take from 12 to 18 months to acquire a lithium product. It must be shipped in concentrated kind after which separated from magnesium, potassium and different components. In accordance with Nafie, the effectivity is poor and the purity shouldn’t be good.

The key supply is thru laborious rock mining all over the world that’s economically expensive and environmentally unfriendly.

Litus has developed a brand new course of utilizing nanoparticles to extract lithium proper from the supply in a considerably simpler, economical and environmentally sound method.

Article content material

Article content material

Nafie was introduced up within the U.S. however moved to Egypt earlier than coming to Calgary and, fascinated by science, know-how and engineering, started an extended relationship with the college right here. She earned her B.Sc., M.Sc. and PhD in mechanical engineering on the Schulich Faculty of Engineering, the place she is an teacher in engineering entrepreneurship.

After a break from the college to work within the oil and gasoline business, she returned to work with a bunch to design, develop and market one thing that might be impactful on this planet.

From its origins in a college lab, Litus was spun off as an organization that has secured a stable business area of interest with its distinctive success in extracting lithium.

Final month, it opened a state-of-the-art, first-of-its-kind nanomaterial manufacturing pilot facility in southeast Calgary, in a position to produce as much as 5 kilograms of its patent pending nanomaterial per day. From six cubes of water per day, Litus can provide one tonne of lithium per 12 months.

“We’re thrilled to begin our nanomaterial manufacturing in massive scale,” says Nafie,” This represents a serious step ahead in our mission to supply groundbreaking options on this planet’s power challenges. We’re excited to contribute to Canada’s power business, and proceed to underline our place as a world chief on this sector.”

Article content material

In a time when provide chains are unsure, Litus has made the strategic choice to supply and manufacture all nanomaterials in-house, guaranteeing entry to its patented nanotechnology materials, which has the potential to unlock huge power reserves.

Subsequent step is to construct a business plant within the area with a selected oil and gasoline associate that can be able to supplying 15,000 tonnes of lithium per 12 months. Litus will be capable to provide a much-needed useful resource for batteries, assembly a rising demand from its increasing buyer base.

Notes:

We’ve got one other first-in-Canada with the opening of Tous les Jours, the famend French-Asian bakery cafe chain that provides greater than 300 artisan pastries, gourmand muffins and desserts baked-in retailer day by day. Positioned throughout the H Mart grocery store, at 11810 Sarcee Tr. N.W., its Canadian debut will function a springboard for continued progress all through North America — 100 places within the U.S. — and past. Tony Hunsoo Ahn, CEO of Tous les Jours Worldwide, says, “Calgary is a complicated and trend-conscious metropolis, so we’re assured locals and guests will embrace and develop to like our distinctive French-Asian menu baked items.”

David Parker seems usually within the Herald. Learn his columns on-line at calgaryherald.com/enterprise. He will be reached at 403-830-4622 or by e mail at [email protected]

Article content material