J. Mehta, P. Thallapally
U.S. Department of Energy,
United States
Keywords: lithium, DLE, critical minerals, critical materials, energy, batteries, separation
Summary:
Key Performance Indicators and Portfolio Evolution of Critical Materials Technologies at the U.S. Department of Energy The U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) is committed to advancing critical material processing technologies to enable secure and sustainable domestic supply chains. Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) serves as a prime example of AMMTO’s metric-driven approach to portfolio development, emphasizing the importance of systematically targeting and overcoming key technical challenges to derisk and scale up materials and manufacturing technologies. By offering greater energy efficiency, reduced land and chemical intensity, and cost-competitive advantages over traditional methods, DLE technologies are poised to strengthen the domestic lithium supply chain and support U.S. energy security. AMMTO’s lithium extraction portfolio spans early-stage research, development, and small-scale demonstration projects designed to meet ambitious material, process, and capacity targets. Recent investments in benchmarking analyses allow for a detailed evaluation of technological progress, highlighting where innovations surpass the state of the art and identifying critical gaps requiring further investment. To accelerate technological adoption and ensure the sustained growth of critical material supply chains, AMMTO’s investments aim to deliver measurable advances through technoeconomic analysis, life cycle assessment, material qualification, and demonstrated scalability and repeatability. In this talk, we will explore the evolution of AMMTO's critical materials portfolio to target key performance metrics informed by industry and research benchmarks.