Water: The Mine of the Future

Host: Junhong Chen (Argonne National Laboratory), Seth Darling (Argonne National Laboratory), Chong Liu (University of Chicago)

This virtual workshop, hosted by Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago during Chicago Water Week, will explore cutting-edge research on separating and extracting critical minerals from different water sources, including wastewater, seawater, and groundwater. Developing these methods is crucial for advancing energy technologies in the face of shortages in the United States of essential minerals like lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare-Earth elements.

The workshop will focus on precision separation techniques that contribute to a circular water economy and address critical supply-chain challenges for minerals. It will also include discussion of research, development, and translation (RD&T) efforts in selective mineral separation, as well as the challenges and opportunities that could shape future research in this field.

The workshop will include short presentations by researchers in this field, as well as a panel discussion.