Pause
Read
CEA vacancy search engine

Direct lithium extraction from brine through adsorption


Thesis topic details

General information

Organisation

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.

Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.

The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
  

Reference

SL-DES-26-0376  

Thesis topic details

Category

Engineering science

Thesis topics

Direct lithium extraction from brine through adsorption

Contract

Thèse

Job description

The development of electric vehicles due to climate and the decision to turn towards a greener energy has increased sharply the demand of lithium over the past decade and will continue to escalate. Thus, lithium extraction projects are proliferating worldwide. Since mining presents a quite highly energy-consuming and polluting solution, alternative lithium sources like brine deposits or seawater are being currently investigated. In this study, we will focus on the approach of a direct lithium extraction from brine sources with different concentrations by adsorption. The first step will be to synthesize and characterize a wide range of materials as adsorbents, from classic oxides (LMO, LTO, etc) to functionalized hybrid porous materials (ZIFs, MOFs, etc). It is also intended to shape these materials with the help of an extruder, in order to enhance performances. Then, these materials will be evaluated both in static and dynamic conditions. Various parameters like the concentration of lithium, the presence of other cations and their concentration will be also evaluated and optimized so that we obtain a facile, efficient and selective process. The results of this study will be valorized through the deposit of patents and the submission of scientific articles along the whole duration of the thesis.

University / doctoral school

Ingénierie - Matériaux - Environnement - Energétique - Procédés - Production (IMEP2)
Université Grenoble Alpes

Thesis topic location

Site

Grenoble

Requester

Position start date

01/09/2026

Person to be contacted by the applicant

ANDRIOTOU Despoina despoina.andriotou@cea.fr
CEA
DES/DEHT//LM

0438783024

Tutor / Responsible thesis director

PERALTA David david.peralta@cea.fr
CEA
DES/DEHT//LM
Bureau C2/249
CEA-LITEN / DEHT / STB / LM
17, rue des Martyrs
38054 Grenoble Cedex 9


04 38 78 04 89

En savoir plus