Small, modular nuclear fission reactors and fusion facilities could each be the future of resilient and secure energy in the U.S. and around the world. But these technologies rely on isotopes of lithium to cool fission reactors and create fusion fuel. Currently, there is no sustained, domestic production mechanism for lithium isotopes in the U.S. that meets projected demand.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers are partnering with Hexium, Inc. to address this national need for lithium isotopes. This work is supported by recently awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy through the Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF). Managed by the Office of Technology Commercialization, this competitive funding opportunity aims to bridge the gap between research and commercial application.
With this DOE contribution, LLNL will adapt a technology that the Laboratory originally developed 50 years ago: Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS). Industry partner Hexium, Inc. aims to deploy the result commercially.
LLNL will leverage its unique expertise to design and prototype two high-power laser systems optimized for this project. A Cooperative Research & Development Agreement (CRADA) with Hexium will facilitate integration of those lasers with a lithium separation system, developed and constructed by Hexium. The collaboration will result in a pilot demonstration of lithium isotope enrichment at scale.
"Hexium approached LLNL looking for laser technology to help power their lithium AVLIS process at industrial scale," said LLNL scientist Brett Isselhardt. "Our team has developed promising solutions that extend beyond what is currently available commercially. DOE selected our cooperative project team to bring this technology to market, where it can make an impact on the nation's energy needs."
"Hexium is focused on producing enriched lithium, a material without an existing, scalable domestic supply," said Hexium CEO Charlie Jarrott.
AVLIS starts by heating lithium metal, which evaporates to produce a dense vapor of lithium atoms. As the vapor expands and rises, a series of lasers impart just enough energy for an electron to jump from level to level, out of the atom.
"We use a set of lasers to excite an atom from the electronic ground state all the way to the point where it becomes an ion. Once an ion is produced, we capture it using an electric field that pulls the ion onto a surface to collect it and lets any neutral atoms float on by," said Isselhardt. "We can shift the wavelength of the lasers to collect and enrich other ions. To me, that is the beautiful precision of using lasers for enrichment."
The AVLIS program began at LLNL in 1973, but by the late 1990s, the program was suspended due to shifting energy needs. Now, LLNL will improve the technique with modern laser technologies that were not available 25 years ago and focus its commercial application on the emergent need for domestic production of critical isotopes such as lithium. With this TCF award and its associated CRADA, both facilitated by LLNL's Innovation and Partnerships Office (IPO), the team plans to provide new integrated demonstrations and is aiming for full commercial production in the next 3 years.
"Public-private partnerships are how LLNL translates federal investments into private sector growth that underpins national security and U.S. economic competitiveness," said IPO Director Matthew Garrett. "This project illustrates the Laboratory's ability to pivot its technology applications to meet critical needs in both areas."
IPO is the Laboratory's focal point for industry engagement. It facilitates partnerships that commercialize LLNL's mission-driven technologies to create impactful solutions for industry challenges. LLNL Business Development Executive Jared Lynch is responsible for the Laboratory's energy portfolio of intellectual property.
