Title: Membranes and Electrochemical Lithium Extraction

 Speaker: Prof. Shihong Lin (Rice University)

 Invited by: Dr. Yanying Wei

 Time: Thursday, June 25, 2026, 10:00 AM–12:00 PM

 Venue: Room 105 of Shaw Engineering Building, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

 Organized by: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

 Biography:

 Shihong Lin is a faculty member in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University. His primary research focuses on aqueous separation technologies to address critical challenges in sustainable development. He is a Clarivate "Highly Cited Researcher," recipient of the Paul L. Busch Award and the Walter L. Huber Research Prize. Doctoral students under his supervision have twice received the AEESP Best Dissertation Award. He currently serves as Associate Editor of ES&T.

 Abstract:

 Direct lithium extraction (DLE) is an emerging approach for lithium resource recovery that can extract lithium from salt lake brines without relying on prolonged natural evaporation. Although DLE may involve various brine sources, process flows, and unit operations, selective ion separation remains central to achieving high lithium purity, high lithium recovery, and high process efficiency. In this presentation, I will first introduce the key separation requirements in DLE from an engineering perspective, with emphasis on how brine composition and process flow design determine the technical requirements. Subsequently, I will discuss two representative unit operations with distinct separation mechanisms—nanofiltration and electrosorption—and use these examples to illustrate that advancing practical DLE technologies requires integrated consideration of performance metrics, process configurations, and material selectivity.

Announced by School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering