In-Person
Where: The Petroleum Club of Shreveport, 15th floor
Cost: $25
If you’d like a seat, kindly use the form below to make your reservation by the preceding Friday.
We encourage members to invite guests, spouses, and friends to any of our meetings.
Virtual
Where: Zoom
Cost: $10
If you’d like to attend virtually, please register below. You may sign up anytime before the meeting begins.
After checkout, you will immediately receive an additional email with the Zoom Meeting details.
Biography
Dr. Mark E. Zappi, PE has over 25 years working with energy and/or waste management technologies ranging from basic research to full-scale commercialization. Dr. Zappi serves as the Executive Director of the Energy Institute of Louisiana at UL, Director of the UL Center for Environmental Protection, and the Director of the UL’s Louisiana Energy Extension Service (one of the first in the US). He holds a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Louisiana and a MS and PhD in Chemical Engineering from Mississippi State University. Dr. Zappi has over 250 technical publications, given over 300 technical presentations, holds six patents, and is a professional engineer within the State of Louisiana. He has secured over $120M in R&D funding and has managed numerous multi-million, multi-partner projects. Dr. Zappi has been very active with assisting Louisiana municipal and government entities with recruiting, evaluating, and assisting new industries into their regions.
Abstract
Lithium has become an essential component of today’s power industry with usage primarily driven by the growing global battery industry. Traditionally, lithium has been extracted from rock ore or heavy brines. Direct lithium extraction (DLE) systems are a group of evolving brine treatment processes that are capable of economically removing lithium from brines containing ~100 to over 500 mg/l. Within the U.S.A., DLE systems are a fast growing aspect of the domestic lithium market. Most of the brines targeted for DLE treatment are petroleum related brines or brines collected within petroleum reservoirs, such as the Smackover formation. Hence, lithium capture from sub-surface brines is a popular interest area for the ARK-LA-TEX region. The presentation will provide an overview of traditional lithium extraction methods followed by a more detailed overview of DLE systems, including one under development at UL.
