Patented technology developed at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory uses magnetic magnetite nanoparticles to rapidly capture valuable critical minerals like lithium from industrial brines and wastewater. Moselle Technologies has exclusively licensed the process, launching pilot projects across the U.S. and international locations in Spring 2021.
A clever chemical engineering concept born inside a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory is making the leap from small-scale testing to industrial reality. Developed at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), a patent-pending extraction method deploys magnetic nanoparticles to capture high-value elements directly from water sources, ranging from geothermal brines and seawater to mineral mining effluent and produced water from petroleum operations.
The global supply chain for modern green energy technologies currently relies on extraction processes that are notoriously water-intensive, energy-heavy, and prone to generating toxic waste. With the Department of Energy reporting that the United States depends entirely on foreign imports for 14 of its 35 critical materials—and more than half for 17 others—domestic sourcing has become a top national priority. The PNNL technology aims to alter that balance by making domestic recovery economically viable.
Magnetite Cores and Molecular Collisions
At the center of the patented technology is an iron oxide core known as magnetite. This magnetic core acts as an anchor for an engineered adsorbent shell that selectively binds specific compounds of interest as the nanoparticles circulate through various water streams. When introduced into targeted solutions, the particles latch onto free-floating compounds via molecular collisions.
The operational footprint of this nanotechnology is remarkably compact compared to conventional infrastructure. Our nanotechnology process allows us to miniaturize everything and removes the need for massive ion exchange separators required in other processes,
according to PNNL descriptions. Within a few minutes, virtually all of the lithium has been pulled from the solution by molecular collisions with our sorbent and can then be removed with a magnet where its easily collected and purified.
Moselle Technologies, a start-up business, has exclusively licensed the PNNL technology and is driving its commercial deployment. Moselle Technologies CEO Jerry Mills pointed to the severe financial hurdles that have historically plagued domestic mineral extraction. People have lost a lot of money trying to harvest lithium,
Mills said. We need another way to do it. We had been searching for the lowest-cost technology to produce rare earth elements and strategically important elements like lithium. For many of these, the U.S. has little to no production. We are going to do our best to solve that problem. We think this technology will get us over the cost hurdle.
Field Testing Oil and Gas Brines in Washington State
To transition from laboratory scale to industrial production, researchers and industry partners are launching field tests. One prominent initiative targets oil and gas operations, which pump vast amounts of subsurface water to the surface alongside hydrocarbons. According to PNNL scientist McGrail, oil and gas brines represent an untapped domestic resource of lithium across wide swaths of the U.S. and Canada.
PNNL estimates suggest an enormous potential yield: capturing just 25 percent of the lithium present in water produced through North American oil and gas extraction would equal current annual worldwide production. To test this hypothesis, PNNL and Moselle Technologies teamed up with Canada Natural Resources Limited and ConocoPhillips Corporation for an extended evaluation cycle on PNNL’s Richland, Washington campus. The team plans to subject the magnetic separator system to rigorous stress-testing under prolonged operational cycles.
By using the magnetic nanoparticles to attach to the lithium particles in solution, we expect the resulting concentrate to be in a purer form, thereby reducing the cost of further processing. And this will take out more than half the cost.
Jerry Mills, CEO of Moselle Technologies
Nevada Mines and New Zealand Geothermal Expansions
Beyond oil and gas wastewater, the extraction platform is branching out into active mining operations and geothermal energy assets. A second project, selected through a competitive application process and backed by a 2021 DOE Advanced Manufacturing Office award, brings together corporate partners including Enerplus Corporation, Prairie Lithium Corporation, Enertopia Corporation, and Dajin Lithium Corporation. This consortium is investigating the technology’s application at lithium mine sites located in Nevada and Canada.
The system’s modular design also allows for chemical versatility. Because researchers can tailor the outer adsorbent shell to target different ions, the method is not restricted solely to lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements used in electric vehicle batteries, semiconductors, and wind turbines. A third cooperative research project targets cesium recovery in partnership with Geo40, a New Zealand-based geothermal company that has identified cesium in its local brines. If successful, that project aims to construct a pilot-scale plant in New Zealand.
Funding and the Path to Industrial-Scale Production
Advancing the technology from conceptual research to commercial viability has required sustained collaborative backing. PNNL and Moselle Technologies have successfully competed for multiple funding vehicles, securing two Cooperative Research and Development Agreements alongside the 2021 DOE Advanced Manufacturing Office award.
With Spring 2021 pilot projects officially underway, the central challenge shifts from chemical binding efficiency to mechanical durability under continuous industrial workloads. Whether extended cycle testing at the Richland campus and field trials across Nevada and international sites can fully translate laboratory selectivity into low-cost commercial mineral production remains the defining test for the partners involved.
