MARCH 10-12, 2026 | RALEIGH, NC
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  SUSTAINABILITY INNOVATION  

Join industry partners and applied research leadership accelerating the development and deployment of
new energy solutions into products and society.



  Key Speakers & Chairs Include:   

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Sessions

Tuesday March 10

8:20TechConnect World Innovation Conference - Plenary Keynotes
10:30Supporting the Translation of Research-based Technologies to Products
10:30Innovative Approaches in Wastewater Treatment: Enhancing Sustainability and Efficiency
10:30Applying Energy Storage
10:30Opportunities for Innovation in Critical Materials Supply Chains
1:00TechConnect World Expo and SBIR/STTR Pavilion Open
1:30TechConnect Innovation Spotlights: Energy and Sustainability I
1:30The Role of Universities in Creating Innovation Ecosystems
1:30Innovative Approaches in Wastewater Treatment: Enhancing Sustainability and Efficiency
1:30Battery Energy Storage I
1:30Innovations in Magnet Materials and Manufacturing Techniques
2:30TechConnect Innovation Spotlights: Energy and Sustainability II
4:00TechConnect World Expo, Technical Poster Session I, and Expo Social (4:00 - 6:00)
4:00Wastewater Treatment - Posters
4:00Energy Storage I - Posters
4:00Critical Materials I - Posters
4:00Sustainability & Efficiency - Posters
4:00University Innovations - Posters

Wednesday March 11

8:30Advances in Critical Mineral Separation Technologies
9:00Biorefining and Petroleum & Gas Refining
9:00Energy Harvesting & Carbon Capture
9:00Battery Energy Storage II
9:30DOE EPIC Prize Challenge Pitch Competition
9:30LEAN Power and EMC2 Industry Day (open to all conference attendees)
10:30Collaboration to Advance Storage
1:00TechConnect World Expo and SBIR/STTR Pavilion Open
1:30Resource Recovery and Waste Reduction
1:30Storage Beyond Batteries
1:30Innvoations in Critical Materials
3:30DOE EPIC Prize Challenge Winner Announcement
4:00TechConnect World Expo, Technical Poster Session II, and Expo Social (4:00 - 6:00)
4:00Sustainability & Efficiency Innovations - Posters
4:00Critical Materials II - Posters
4:00PFAS and Emerging Contaminant Remediation - Posters
4:00Energy Storage II - Posters

Thursday March 12

8:30Extraction of Critical Minerals from Diverse Sources
9:00PFAS and Emerging Contaminant Remediation
9:00Keys to Storage Commercialization and Deployment
1:15Critical Materials - Workshop (open to all conference attendees)

2026 Detailed Program

Tuesday March 10

8:20TechConnect World Innovation Conference - Plenary KeynotesRCC Ballroom B
Session chair: Jennifer Rocha, Dalia Yablon, Matthew Laudon, TechConnect Division, ATI, US
Lightweighting with single crystal graphene, and new routes to growing diamonds
R. Ruoff, Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology, KR
Quantum Computing 101: Foundations, Frontiers, and Future Impact
W. Oliver, MIT, US
Architecting the Future with Silicon Carbide: A Platform for Power, Intelligence, and Immersion
E. Balkas, Wolfspeed, US
SBIR/STTR Keynote
TBA, U.S. Small Business Administration, US
10:30Supporting the Translation of Research-based Technologies to ProductsMarriott State A
Session chair: Christine Galib, Princeton University & Alex Norman, Princeton University
It Takes a Village: Innovation Ecosystem Building Panel
E. Dinu (Moderator), J.E. Odegard, J. Jones, B. Solomon, P. Datta, Numinous Capital, 62x Ventures, North Carolina State University, FedTech, Evonik, US
Research Triangle Innovation Sphere
J. Jur, NC Dept of Commerce, US
I-Corps as the First Stop: A Proven University Innovation Model
A.T. Trotsenko, J. Blaho, CUNY Incubator Network, US
10:30Innovative Approaches in Wastewater Treatment: Enhancing Sustainability and EfficiencyMarriott Congressional B
Session chair: Sehmus Ozden, Aramco Services
Specialty Ion Exchange Resins for PFAS Removal from Water
O. Coronell, F.A. Leibfarth, A.S. Gorzalski, UNC Chapel Hill, US
From Data to Decision: AI-Enabled Digitalization and Mechanistic Autonomy for Intelligent Biological Nutrient Removal
X. Wang, S. Lu, Z. Zhao, B. Li, University of Connecticut, US
Transforming PFAS contaminated biosolids into crude oil and water
A.H. Thomas, A.R. Maag, M.T. Timko, River Otter, US
TBD
A.M. Fasnacht, PureLi, US
10:30Applying Energy StorageRCC 306B
Session chair: Erik Spoerke, Department of Energy, Will McNamara, Sandia National Laboratories, & Xiaolin Li, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Introductory Remarks - Energy Storage
National Leading Energy Storage Demonstrations
K. Johnston, NextGen Energy, US
Integrating SMR's with Thermal Energy Storage
J. Koontz, Rock Energy Storage, US
Dispatching the Future: Long-Duration Storage for Alaska’s Grid Evolution
L. Vesely, K. Sedlacko, D. Jones, Echogen, US
10:30Opportunities for Innovation in Critical Materials Supply ChainsMarriott State D
Session chair: Alison Fritz, National Energy Technology Laboratory
Evolution of Key Performance Indicators for Critical Materials Technology Development and Derisking at the U.S. Department of Energy
J. Mehta, P. Thallapally, U.S. Department of Energy, US
Predicting Supply Chain Disruptions Across Critical Materials Value Segments
S. Kulkarni, L. Toba, Idaho National Laboratory; Critical Materials Innovation Hub, US
Industry Track Record in Ramping-up Critical Mineral Projects – An update
N. Verbaan, SGS Canada, CA
Unlocking Domestic Critical Mineral Supply: An AI-Powered Tool for Rapid Characterization of Unconventional Feedstocks
K. Rose, C.G. Creason, S. Montross, N. Cordero Rodriguez, Z. Jackson, S. O’Barr, R. Hess, C. Atkins, G. Hazle, S. Skipwith, A. Nawacki, F. Taglia, J. Hird, National Energy Technology Laboratory, US
1:00TechConnect World Expo and SBIR/STTR Pavilion OpenExpo Hall AB
1:30TechConnect Innovation Spotlights: Energy and Sustainability IRCC 305B
Session chair: Emma Mooney, TechConnect Division, ATI
Review Panelist
J. Caley, U.S. Navy Operational Energy, US
Review Panelist
L. Wilhelm, U.S. Navy Operational Energy, US
Review Panelist
Q. Holyfield (invited), ATI, US
Review Panelist
E. Armstrong, Naval Operational Energy Office, US
Review Panelist
M. Worley, Alexander County Economic Development Corporation, US
Review Panelist
K. Mish, Abbott On Call, US
"Plug-N-Forget" AI-powered Intelligent Miniature Sensor (AIMS) for Continuous in situ Wastewater Monitoring
B. Li, We-Sensing LLC, US
Transformative Energy Materials: Tunable Architectures for Scalable Storage and Hydrogen Futures
J. Liu, Nanoinnovation North American, LLC, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, US
Gateway System for Non-Penetrating Data & Power Transfer through Solid Barriers
K. Swinden, SDI Engineering Inc./Rho-C Limited, US
Carbon Dioxide Reduction Through Electrolysis for Green Chemistry
M. Rizkallah, Cincy Carbon, US
AquaSplash-Fast-Acting Nanotech Water Purification
S. Mandal, Texas State University, US
AI-Driven PFAS Discovery for Manufacturing Materials and Suppliers
J. Yu, EcoPulse, Inc., US
1:30The Role of Universities in Creating Innovation EcosystemsMarriott State A
Session chair: Christine Galib, Princeton University, & Alex Norman, Princeton University
Fireside Chat - Policy & Process: How Economic Policy Impacts Deep Tech Innovation
K. Stout, B. Soloman, International Center for Law and Economics, FedTech, US
From Princeton Lab to Global Lithium Operations: Commercializing Water-Smart Technologies for Critical Minerals
A. Fasnacht, PureLi, US
Adaptilens: Materials Innovations driving the Development of Biomimetic Accommodating Intraocular Lenses
M.L. Becker, Duke University, US
TBD
F. Heide, Princeton, US
VectorScribe: Spinning out from university lab to startup via NSF and APT
D.J. McGee, VectorScribe LLC, US
From Microliters to Market: QATCH's Journey
Z. Parlak, Qatch Technologies, LLC, US
Balancing Deep Tech and Market Agility: From MEMS Flow Sensing to Non-Intrusive Fill-Level Monitoring
Y. Fan, Tendo Technologies, Inc., US
From Ag Waste to Membraneless Separation: How Princeton PMI Catalyzed ZOLX’s Pivot
H. Parhizkar, ZOLX Inc., US
NSF I‑Corps Spin‑Out: HYDROGENISE - Hydrogen Generation through Integrated Sustainable Electrolysis for Scalable Clean Energy
S. Bashir, P. Robinson, J.L. Liu, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, US
1:30Innovative Approaches in Wastewater Treatment: Enhancing Sustainability and EfficiencyMarriott Congressional B
Session chair: Sehmus Ozden, Aramco Services
Transforming Urban Infrastructure: Integrating Decentralized Resource Recovery with Precision Agriculture Powered by AI
Y. Chen, Georgia Institute of Technology, US
What’s in the Water? A Review of Critical Mineral Content in Industrial Wastewater for Separation and Recovery
M. Wang, J. Park, S. Tay, R. Kingsbury, Princeton Univeristy, US
Electrochemical–Biological Coupling Systems for High-Performance and Energy-Efficient Biofilm-based Wastewater Treatment
X. Wang, S. Lu, B. Li, University of Connecticut, US
Biochar-Based Filtration Systems for Industrial Wastewater in the Energy Sector
A. Jha, S. Mandal, Texas State University, US
Applying Causal AI to Produced Water Desalination: From Process Understanding to Prescriptive, Profitable Action
S. Tamilarasan, Sotaog, US
From Waste to Wonder: Tailored Carbon Composites for Next-Level Effluent Purification
O. Karki, S. Mandal, Texas State University, US
1:30Battery Energy Storage IRCC 306B
Session chair: Erik Spoerke, Department of Energy, Will McNamara, Sandia National Laboratories, & Xiaolin Li, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Recent Insights into Aqueous Zinc Battery Behavior
E.S. Takeuchi, A.C. Marschilok, K.J. Takeuchi, Stony Brook University, US
Revitalizing Alkaline Zn-MnO₂ Battery for Scalable, Safe and Sustainable Energy Storage
J. Huang, G.G. Yadav, M. Weiner, G. Cowles, Urban Electric Power Inc., US
A Highly Densified, Aqueous Zinc Polyiodide (ZnI₂) Flow Battery Platform for Safe, U.S.-Manufacturable Long-Duration Energy Storage
K.P. Meagher, The BESSt Company, US
Low-cost, high-performance, Lithium-free battery with an in-built energy harvester as sustainable sources
B. Jain, A.J. Bandodkar, North Carolina State University, US
The Electrochemistry of Two-Electron Conversion Reactions for Rechargeable Aqueous Batteries
J.W. Gallaway, Northeastern University, US
Hybrid Metallic Cation−Anionic Surfactant Additive Regulating Interfacial Chemistry for High−Stability Zn Metal Anodes
N.A. Thieu, P. Gao, W. Li, S. Zhang, S. Chen, X. Li, X. Liu, West Virginia University, US
Textural Tuning of Municipal Solid Waste Biochar toward High-Performance Functional Materials
S. Bera, R. Rao, L. Pal, North Carolina State University, US
1:30Innovations in Magnet Materials and Manufacturing TechniquesMarriott State D
Session chair: Andriy Palasyuk, Ames National Laboratory
Anisotropic Field Orientation to Enhance Flux Density and Energy Product in Permanent Magnet Electric Machines
M. Hays, Orbis Electric, US
Towards the New Mass Market Magnet
A. Palasyuk, Ames National Laboratory, US
Crystallographic Alignment in a Castable Ce-Based Permanent Magnet Using Applied Magnetic Fields
M.S. Kesler, M.J. Thompson, A. Palasyuk, O. Palasyuk, M.A. McGuire, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US
Development of Rare-Earth-Free MnBi Magnets for Potential Motor Applications
W. Tang, J. Wang, Y. Varma, Jun Cui, Ames National Lab of USDOE, US
Alternative to Rare Earth Magnets for High Performance Motors
M. Lee, Island Park Labs, US
Comparative Analysis of Na-RE-F and K-RE-F Across the Rare Earth Series for Metallization
M. Segura Guererro, A. Karati, T. Parida, H. Parmar, D. Prodius, I.C. Nlebedim, Ames National Laboratory, US
Enhancing Magnet Production Technologies with Economic and Environmental Assessments: An Application to NdFeB Manufacturing
X. Zhou, S. Kulkarni, V. Roy, C. Nath, F. Zhao, J.W. Sutherland, Purdue University, US
2:30TechConnect Innovation Spotlights: Energy and Sustainability IIRCC 305B
Session chair: Emma Mooney, TechConnect Division, ATI
Review Panelist
J. Caley, U.S. Navy Operational Energy, US
Review Panelist
L. Wilhelm, U.S. Navy Operational Energy, US
Review Panelist
Q. Holyfield (invited), ATI, US
Review Panelist
E. Armstrong, Naval Operational Energy Office, US
Review Panelist
B. Burton, North Carolina Military Business Center, US
Review Panelist
K. Mish, Abbott On Call, US
Engineered amorphous aerogel catalysts for supercharged electrochemical processes
A. Kent, M1 Catalysts, Inc., US
Direct Salt-to-Anode Manufacturing for Fully Domestic High-Energy Lithium Metal Batteries
S. Esarey, Alpha-En Corporation, US
A next-generation solid-state hydrogen cell that protects itself from steam corrosion
L. Xingbo, West Virginia University, US
Chargeable Hybrid Flexible Ballistic Protection Battery Systems for Individual Warrior Power Consolidation
A. Kuntz, Salubrium Aegis, US
Organic SolidFlow battery
G. Damato, CMBlu Energy, Inc., US
A High Performance membrane electrolyte for Solid State Lithium-ion Batteries
H. Rathnayake, BRIGHT Institute, US
4:00TechConnect World Expo, Technical Poster Session I, and Expo Social (4:00 - 6:00)Expo Hall AB
4:00Wastewater Treatment - PostersExpo Hall AB
IoT-Based Water Quality Monitoring Systems: A Systematic Review of Architectures, Performance and Challenges
N.M. Leyva-Munguia, R. Maciel, Universidad de Guadalajara, MX
4:00Energy Storage I - PostersExpo Hall AB
Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids in Graphene-Capped Liquid Cells Probed by Synchrotron Infrared Nanospectroscopy: Insights into Electric Double Layers for Advanced Energy Storage
Z. Li, K.C. Ng, S. Anderson, M. Jaugstetter, M. Salmeron, M.C. Martin, H.A. Bechtel, S.N. Gilbert Corder, Hunter College of the City University of New York, US
Enhancing Military Resilience: A Suite of Mature Energy Generation, Storage, and Efficiency Technologies
M. Hartle, Nabors Energy Transition Solutions, US
Hybrid Energy Storage Systems for Renewable Integration: Combining Batteries, Supercapacitors, and Flywheels
T.M. Iwayemi, O.S. Tomomewo, S. Choudhary, D.K. Boakye, University of North Dakota, US
Characterization of particulate and gaseous emissions from thermal runaway of sodium-ion cells
V. Premnath, D. Kannan, I. Khalek, J. Jeevarajan, UL Research Institutes, US
Thermal Runaway of Portable Lithium-ion Batteries and Fire Suppression in an Aircraft Cargo Compartment
B. Kwon, C. Lopez, D. Overall, B. Connolly, V. Premnath and J. Jeevarajan, UL Research Institutes, US
Characterizing the safety of commercial sodium-ion batteries
D. Rajagopalan Kannan, J. Yap, V. Premnath, J.A. Jeevarajan, UL Research Institutes, US
Bolstering Energy Independence Within Asphalt Production via Thermal Energy Storage
L.P. McLaughlin, Sandia National Laboratories, US
CarbonCrete: A Multifunctional Cementitious Platform for Non-Battery Energy Storage, Electromagnetic Attenuation, and Infrastructure Resilience
R. Kristof, Amidon, US
4:00Critical Materials I - PostersExpo Hall AB
Role of Iron in REEs and Cobalt Extraction from Acid Mine Drainage Feedstock
A. Mishrra, B.C. Hedin, H. Hsu-Kim, Duke University, US
High Volume Production of Highly-Ordered Pyrolytic-Graphite (HOPG) at 1% Cost
S. Herrera, Cerebral Energy, US
Trapping Volatile RuO4 from Oxidized Simulated Used Nuclear Fuel Solutions
J.D. Einkauf, J.M. Pyles, M.E. Lamb, L.R. Sadergaski, H.M. Meyer, L.H. Delmau, B.A. Moyer, J.D. Burns, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US
Improved Adjacent Lanthanide Separation with Diglycolamide Resins and Neutral Aqueous Complexants
D.G. Racz, I.F. Chaple, S. Jansone-Popova, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, US
Engineering Genetically Programmable Spore Platforms for Rare Earth Element Recovery
B.C. Sanders, H. Andrews, A.Y. Borisevich, L. Hochanadel, B. Manard, J. Michener, J. Morrell-Falvey, J. Parks, A. Plechaty, S. Szakas, D. Vasileva, D. Walker, A. Webb, A. Williams, S. Yakubov, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US
Enhanced domestic extraction of platinum group metals, nickel, copper and cobalt from primary sources
M. Mettler, Colorado School of Mines, US
Techno-economic analysis of recycling strategies for catalyst and acid during catalytic graphitization of biocoke
J. A. Gonzalez-Aguirre, N. Islam, A. Dutta, W. J. Sagues, S. Rowland, S. Park, North Carolina State University, US
Electricity-driven technology for cost-effective and sustainable critical minerals separation
S. Mohammed, P. Ochonma, Earthium, US
Mechanistic Insights into Iron-Catalyzed Biographite Formation for Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes
M.N. Islam, S.C. Dey, M. Liu, J.S. Forrester, R.K. Bhardwaj, B. Tremolet de Villers, W.J. Sagues, S. Park, North Carolina State University, US
From Pyrolysis Oil to Hard Carbon Anode for Sodium-ion Batteries
S.C. Dey, S.-M. Cho, S. Appikatla, Z.A. Combs, W.J. Sagues, S. Park, North Carolina State University, US
Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from PhosphogypsumT
T.G. Levitskaia, E.M. Garcia, W. Hasley-Velez, N.P. Bessen, V. Drozd, Y. Katsenovich, A. Medley, P. Zhang, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, US
Closing the Loop: AI-Driven Circular Chemistry Approach to Direct Cathode Powder Production from Spent LIBs
L.P.R Moraes, H. Rathnayake, University of North Carolina Greensboro, US
Aqueous Critical Mineral Capture and Recovery
K.Y. Amen and J. Brockgreitens, Claros Technologies, US
Tracking Critical Materials in Battery and Solar Supply Chains: Enabling FEOC Compliance
V. Roy, F. Zhao, Purdue University, US
Battery-grade lithium from lithium-ion battery recycling: A techno-economic analysis
N.A. Chowdhury, S.M. Gallagher, Q. Dai, J.S. Spangenberger, Argonne National Laboratory, US
4:00Sustainability & Efficiency - PostersExpo Hall AB
Valorization of Municipal Paper Waste for Low-Carbon Ethanol: An Integrated Technoeconomic and Environmental Perspective
L. Pena, R. Kumar, V. Srinivasan, L. Pal, North Carolina State University, US
4:00University Innovations - PostersExpo Hall AB
Growing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems for Resilient Innovation – Regional Distribution of Participants in New York State FAST
Y-H. Kim, City University of New York, US
The NYC Innovation Hot Spot as a model for university-led incubators to support deep technology commercialization within a state-wide ecosystem
C. Cardaci, J. Blaho, NYC Innovation Hot Spot, City University of New York, US

Wednesday March 11

8:30Advances in Critical Mineral Separation TechnologiesMarriott State D
Session chair: Santa Jansone Popova, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
The L3 Approach for the Development of Technology Metals Extraction Processes: A Case Study on Rare Earth Element Separation
K. Strickland, L3 Process Development, AU
Direct Injection of a pH Control Agent in Metal Extraction Columns
L. Budeus, A. Jupke, RWTH Aachen University, DE
Non-Equilibrium Transport-Driven Separation of Critical Minerals
G.E. Johnson, M. Sushko, E. Nakouzi, C. Subban, P. Valdez, A. Lines, V. Prabhakaran, P. Simonnin, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, US
Translating Fundamental Science to Applications: Field-Driven Strategies for Selective Separation of Critical Materials
G. Ricchiuti, I. Jayalath, Y. Huang, M. Dinpajooh, Z. Fox, A.G. Joly, K. Crampton, A. Ritchhart, E. Nakouzi, G.E. Johnson, V. Prabhakaran, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), US
Advancing Rare Earth Element Separations with HEHEHP and DGA Extractants: New Insights from Established Chemistry
T.G. Levitskaia, D.H. Altavilla, N.P. Bessen, S. Jansone-Popova, B. O'Kelly, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, US
Engineering Selectivity: Advanced Ligand Design for Rare Earth Recovery
S. Pramanik, I. Popovs, A. Ivanov, J. Einkauf, M. Lamb, D-E Jiang, S. Jansone-Popova, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US
Lanthanide Sulfate Recovery by Enhanced Pressure Dimethyl Ether (DME) Fractional Crystallization
L. Ward, C. Tolbert, C. Orme, D. Prodius, I. Nlebedim, A.D. Wilson, Idaho National Laboratory, US
9:00Biorefining and Petroleum & Gas RefiningMarriott State E
Session chair: Carlos Quiroz-Arita, Sandia National Laboratories, & Anthe George, Sandia National Laboratories
Commercialization Opportunities for Renewable Fuels
M. Young, Chevron, US
Sustainable Chemicals and Fuels via Refinery Integration: Experimenting at Industrial Scale
A. Gupta, Phillips 66, US
Advances in FCC Co-processing: Tracking Biogenic Hydrocarbons
R. Baldwin, National Laboratory of the Rockies, US
Opportunities and Challenges Around Integrating Petroleum Refineries Into the Clean Energy Economy
C. Murphy, University of California, Davis, US
Scaling Feedstock Development and Precursors Using Multi-Source Wet Wastes
R.M. Burton, W.T. Smith, ProcessWerx, US
9:00Energy Harvesting & Carbon CaptureMarriott Congressional B
Session chair: David Calabro, ExxonMobil (retired)
*STUDENT BEST ABSTRACT WINNER* TiZnCeO-Enhanced PVDF Coatings for High-Performance Piezoelectric Yarn Nanogenerators in Wearable Textiles.
A. Talukder, S. Mesihovic, S. Sharma, University of Georgia, US
Reducing cost and space barriers for small-to-mid-size emitters through fully columnless and modular carbon capture technology
P.M. Kamat, Carbon Clean, US
Emerging Breakthroughs in Membraneless Electrochemical Carbon Capture Technologies
M. Rahimi, A. Hassan, University of Houston, US
Self Sufficient Net Zero CO2 Factories
D.E. Santo, Sisterm Thermal Systems, BR
Innovation in Decarbonizing Ammonia Production Using Rare-Earth-Based Catalysts
M. Maddah, G. Richardson, P. Calloch, P. Geraghty, F. Natali, Liquium, NZ
9:00Battery Energy Storage IIRCC 306B
Session chair: Erik Spoerke, Department of Energy, Will McNamara, Sandia National Laboratories, & Xiaolin Li, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Innovations in Battery Technology for Grid-Scale Energy Storage 
G. Damato, CMBlu Energy, Inc., US
Low-Cost Organic Electrolytes for Next-Generation Flow Batteries
M. Bahari, A.S Hamedi, V. Vallem, E. Beh, Quino Energy, Inc., US
9:30DOE EPIC Prize Challenge Pitch CompetitionRCC 305B
CurrentEdge Power Semiconductor LLC , US
Eden GeoPower Inc., US
Found Energy , US
Lukera Energy Corporation , US
Modal Motors, Inc. , US
Sensible Photonics, Inc. , US
9:30LEAN Power and EMC2 Industry Day (open to all conference attendees)RCC 201
Operational Energy, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Energy, US
Naval Surface Warfare Center - Crane Division, US
ATI, US
10:30Collaboration to Advance StorageRCC 306B
Session chair: Erik Spoerke, Department of Energy, Will McNamara, Sandia National Laboratories, & Xiaolin Li, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Grid Storage Launchpad: Advancing U.S. Energy Storage Technologies
V. Sprenkle, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, US
Use Case Development for Advancing Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Technologies in the LDES National Consortium
Z. Ma, National Laboratory of the Rockies, US
Innovation at the Cross-Section of Industry and Academia: Consortium for Lead Battery Leadership
T. Ellis, C. Greco, A. McQuilling, R. Miksad, M. Raiford, E. Thomsen, T. Fister, K. Knehr, A. Stack, D. Wu, X. Ma, Consortium for Battery Innovation, US
Sodium-ion Alliance for Grid Energy Storage
X. Li, D.M. Reed, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, US
1:00TechConnect World Expo and SBIR/STTR Pavilion OpenExpo Hall AB
1:30Resource Recovery and Waste ReductionMarriott Congressional B
Session chair: David Calabro, ExxonMobil (retired)
Guar to the Future: Biodegradable Hydrogels for Clean Water and Sustainable Living
S. Mandal, D. Morales, Texas State University, US
Engineering Biopolymer Hydrogels for Water Management and Soil Health in Agriculture
T. Wright, University of California, Los Angeles, US
Landfill Diversion through Spectral Intelligence: Food Waste Characterization by Hyperspectral Imaging for Sustainable Conversions
R. Rao, M. Salas, S. Singh, A. Mittal, J. Yarbrough, A. Singh, L. Pal, North Carolina State University, US
Integrating Hyperspectral Imaging and Machine Learning for Real-Time Characterization of Colored Plastics
A. Sarker, S. Singh, M. Salas, R. Rao, L. Pal, North Carolina State University, US
Waste and Environmental Impact Minimization with Nuclear Energy
R.B. Hayes, North Carolina State University, US
Point-of-Use Carbon Nitride-Based Photocatalyst for Water Disinfection in a Continuous Flow System
A.E. Rubin, Y. Shah, L.M. Gilbertson, Duke University, US
Direct Atomic Layer Processing of Platinum Catalysts for Waste-Minimized Fabrication and Sustainable Hydrogen Evolution
R. Sharma, M. Carnoy, M. Ceccato, B. Borie, M. Plakhotnyuk, Atlant 3D, DK
1:30Storage Beyond BatteriesRCC 306B
Session chair: Erik Spoerke, Department of Energy, Will McNamara, Sandia National Laboratories, & Xiaolin Li, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Formulation and Case Studies for Optimization of Thermal Energy Storage Dispatch for Industrial Process Heating
J. Rushkoff, Electric Power Research Institute, US
Subsurface Cold Thermal Energy Storage for Low-Carbon Cooling: Modeling Performance under Geological Uncertainty
H. Soroush, E. Gentry, R. Wichuk, Teverra LLC, US
Electrospun Nanofibrous Mat with Encapsulated Fatty Acid Phase Change Material for Enhanced Thermal Energy Storage
A.A. Bankole, A. Mali, S. Obare, L. Zhang, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, US
Testing of the first Commercial Energy Dome System
S. Hume, H. Hack, Electric Power Research Institute, US
Solving the "Small Door to the Mechanical Room" Problem - Modular, High Performance Thermal Storage Tank
G. Schultz, O. Buechse, Thermal Energy HQ, US
The Safety and Reliability Advantages of Underwater Megawatt Hydrogen Production and Storage
E. Greenbaum, GTA, Inc., US
1:30Innvoations in Critical MaterialsMarriott State D
Session chair: Andriy Palasyuk, Ames National Laboratory
TBD
R. Dilmore, National Energy Technology Laboratory, US
Life Cycle Environmental Impacts of U.S. Synthetic Graphite Anode Production for Lithium-Ion Batteries
R. Pandey, U.R. Gracida-Alvarez, R.K. Iyer, J.C. Kelly, Argonne National Laboratory, US
*STUDENT BEST ABSTRACT WINNER* Graphite Supply Chain Modeling using the Global Change Analysis Model
M.E. Liu, Y. Qiu, G.C. Iyer, A.A. Fawcett, B. Yarlagadda, S. Durga, Pacific Northwest National Lab, US
Toward a Renewable Supply of Graphite: Catalytic Biographite Production and Techno-Economic Evaluation for Energy Storage Applications
S. Park, North Carolina State University, US
Lithium from virgin and recycled pathways: a techno-economic overview
S.M. Gallagher, N.A. Chowdhury, Y. Khalid, Q. Da, J.S. Spangenberger, Argonne National Laboratory, US
From Stack to Supply Chain: Addressing the Economic and Regulatory Challenges for REE Recovery from Florida Phosphogypsum
P. Zhang, H. Liang, A. Medley, T. Levitskaia, R. Riman, C. Tsouris, Y. Katsenovich, FIPR Institute, Florida Poly, US
*STUDENT BEST ABSTRACT HONORABLE MENTION* Design and Optimization of Processing Pathways for Rare Earth Element Recovery from End-of-Life Products
C. Laliwala, O.O. Amusat, A.I. Torres, Carnegie Mellon University, US
Optimizing Domestic Supply Chain Strategies for Rare Earth Element Recovery from Coal Ash
B. McNeil, K. Menon, O. Khwaja, A. Santos Xavier, C. Iloeje, Argonne National Laboratory, US
Trends in Critical Metals Enrichment in Acid Mine Drainage Fluids and Treatment Residuals
H. Hsu-Kim, A. Mishrra, A. Altmann, B.C. Hedin, Duke University, US
Pilot-Scale Recovery and Refining of Rare Earth and Critical Minerals from Acid Mine Drainage and Coal-Based Feedstocks for Domestic Supply Chain Development
S.V. Pisupati, The Pennsylvania State University, US
3:30DOE EPIC Prize Challenge Winner AnnouncementRCC 305B
4:00TechConnect World Expo, Technical Poster Session II, and Expo Social (4:00 - 6:00)Expo Hall AB
4:00Sustainability & Efficiency Innovations - PostersExpo Hall AB
Flood Inundation Mapping Usine UAVSAR Data: A Comparative Analysis of Maching Learning Classification Models in Southeastern North Carolina
O.M. Ibrahim, Z. Yang, T.J. Mulrooney, North Carolina Central University, US
Superheated Steam from Low-Temperature Waste Heat: A Brief Technical Overview of The Open Oscillatory Approach
L. Thorgeirsson, A.U.B. Ardal, R.L. Rosenbæk, Hydram Research, IS
4:00Critical Materials II - PostersExpo Hall AB
Rare Earth Magnet Market 2026-2036: Material and Manufacturing Innovations, Demand Trends, and 10-Year Outlook
J. Howley, Y. Wang, IDTechEx, UK
Application of Phosphonic-Acid Ligands for Monazite Flotation
E. Konadu-Yiadom, C.G. Anderson, Colorado School of Mines, US
*STUDENT BEST ABSTRACT WINNER* Engineering membrane-based ion-ion separation and concentration for sustainable lithium recovery
K. Abels, A. Barbosa Botelho Junior, W. Kau, V. Yang, W. Tarpeh, Stanford University, US
Developments in rare earth production in the US – A concise review of commercial processes
V. Kashyap, K. Rippy, National Laboratory of the Rockies, US
Solids Characterization of Phosphogypsum Waste for Rare Earth Element Recovery
V. Drozd, Y. Katsenovich, A. Medley, T. Levitskaia, P. Zhang, Florida International University, US
Lanthanide “Tug of War”: Smarter ways to Separate Rare Earth Elements
M. Lamb, S.J. Popova, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US
Production of Battery-Grade Graphite from Fast- and Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Oils
S.M. Rowland, S.C. Dey, L. Lower, W.J. Sagues, J.A. Gonzalez-Aguirre, B.J. Tremolet de Villers, R.K. Bhardwaj, B. Freel, G. Hopkins, T. Vries, T. Vries, Z.A. Combs, S. Park, National Laboratory of the Rockies, US
Extraction of Rare Earth Elements using Molecular Sequestrants via Chemically-Enhanced Electrodialysis (CEED)
A. Bolon, University of California - Merced, US
Surface Modification of Carbon Materials for Enhanced Electrosorption of Lanthanide Ions
J.M. Bradley, L. Osmieri, Los Alamos National Laboratory, US
4:00PFAS and Emerging Contaminant Remediation - PostersExpo Hall AB
Integrated Foam Fractionation and Supercritical Water Oxidation for High-Efficiency PFAS Separation and Destruction
C. Theriault, Revive Environmental, US
Design of Energy Efficient PFAS Remediation via Electron Catalysis
K.M. Christopher, I.V. Alabugin, B.R. Locke, R. Bulusu, Florida State University, US
Expanding the Utility of SCWO – Pilot‑Scale Destruction of Solid‑Phase Residuals from PFAS Treatment
N. Ojeda, E. Hart, K. Liberty, A. Wells Carpenter, AxNano, US
Alternative In-Situ Solution for PFAS in Drinking Water Aquifers
D. Fiereck, Loureiro Engineering Associates, Inc., US
4:00Energy Storage II - PostersExpo Hall AB
NEMA
C. Granata, NEMA (National Electrical Manufactures Association), US
Detecting and Predicting the Performance of Lithium-ion Batteries after Abusive Mechanical Damage
J. Sherman, A. Bombik, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, US
An Equivalent Power Model for Simulating Thermal Performance of Lithium-ion Batteries
M. Tyrrell, F.A. Mier, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, US
Transformerless Paralleled Pulse-Width Modulated Current-Source Rectifier for Large-Scale Hydrogen Production via Water Electrolysis
H. Gao, Washington State University Vancouver, US
Sodium-Ion based BESS for AFB & Starter Battery for Navy
T. Vosburgh, Coulomb Technology, US
Large Scale Fire Testing – Navigating Codes and Standards in 2026
S.J. Jordan, Jensen Hughes, US
Breakthrough Technology for Compressed Hydrogen Energy Storage and Pipeline Technologies
J. Liberkowski, VSens Inc., US

Thursday March 12

8:30Extraction of Critical Minerals from Diverse SourcesMarriott State D
Session chair: Alison Fritz, National Energy Technology Laboratory
From Bottlenecks to Breakthroughs: Scaling a Domestic Rare Earth Industry
K. Stoll, Critical Materials Recycling, US
Electrochemical Separation For Chemical-Free Lithium Extraction From Geothermal Brines: Prospects and Challenges
L. Kong, Y. Yu, K. Hu, X. Liu, George Washington University, US
Direct lithium extraction from brines, minerals, and batter leachates
M.P. Paranthaman, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US
Membrane Solvent Extraction for the Recovery of Rare Earths from Phosphate Mining Process Streams
G.G. Jang, H. Liang, A. Medley, P. Zhang, P. Paranthaman, C. Tsouris, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US
Rare Earth Element (REE) Recovery from Coal Waste and Byproducts Using a Simple Weak Acid Dissolution Process
T.I. Pfeiffer, D.A. Bagdonas, M.S. Behrens, University of Wyoming, US
*STUDENT BEST ABSTRACT HONORABLE MENTION* Scrub n’ Sort: Producing A Dry Rare-Earth Mineral Concentrate Through Preferential Breakage, Ore Scrubbing, And Rock Sortation At The Bear Lodge Rare Earth Deposit
C. Gorski, Colorado School of Mines, US
A Novel Energy-Efficient Scalable Membrane Process for Separation and Recovery of High Purity Rare Earth and Battery Materials from Concentrated and Dilute Domestic Resources
S.Z. Islam, D.A. Kang, B. Trusty, S. Dangwal, R. Bhave, P. Paranthaman, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US
9:00PFAS and Emerging Contaminant RemediationMarriott Congressional B
Session chair: Meng Wang, University of Houston, & Zhe Qiang, University of Southern Mississippi
AI-Aided Inverse Membrane Design for Minimizing PFAS and Emerging Contaminants
Y. Chen, Georgia Institute of Technology, US
Supercritical water oxidation for the destruction of PFAS-impacted waste streams
R. Schmitz, 374Water, US
Electrochemical degradation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl acids using titanium suboxide anodes
Q. Huang, University of Georgia, US
UV-Based PFAS Destruction from Bench-Scale to Pilot-Scale at an Industrial Manufacturing Site
Z. Liu, Claros Technologies Inc., US
Catalytic Destruction of Persistent Gas-phase PFAS
P.M. Kester, Guild Associates, Inc., US
Novel Surface Modified Clay for PFAS Remediation in Groundwater
M.S. Donovan, R. Dickman, Minerals Technologies, Inc, US
Decoding PFOS Fate and System Design for Fe-Electrocoagulation
G. Kadarkarai, B.K. Mayer, P.J. McNamara, Marquette University, US
PFAS Treatment Market: Incumbent And Emerging Technologies, Key Players, And Trends
S. Selim, C. O'Brien, IDTechEx, UK
9:00Keys to Storage Commercialization and DeploymentRCC 306B
Session chair: Erik Spoerke, Department of Energy, Will McNamara, Sandia National Laboratories, & Xiaolin Li, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Can New York state realize its long-duration energy storage (LDES) goal of 600MW by 2030?
N. Trivedi, B. Xavier, Vrinda Inc., US
Mobilizing Investment to Spur LDES Technologies
K. Johnston, NextGen Energy, US
Design for Manufacturing as the Bridge to Scalable Long-Duration Energy Storage
K.P. Meagher, The BESSt Company, US
Leveling Up: Advancing how Future Storage will Turbocharge Economic Value
E. Hsieh, Department of Energy, US
Storage Innovations 2030: A Path to Storage Abundance by Bridging Gaps
V. Durvasulu, W.H. Balliet, P. Balducci, B. Shrager, Idaho National Laboratory, US
EverBESS: a tool for assessing the end-of-life management costs of sodium-ion battery energy storage systems
A. Baby, J.R. Elias, Q. Dai, J.S. Spangenberger, Argonne National Laboratory, US
Community-Scale Battery Storage Demonstrations for Grid Resilience in Puerto Rico
D.L. Troche, Boriken Futuro, US
1:15Critical Materials - Workshop (open to all conference attendees)Marriott State D
Session chair: Santa Jansone Popova, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Rare Earths and Permanent Magnets: TEA, Life Cycle, and Supply Chain
B.J. Smith, Argonne National Laboratory, US
From Mine to Concentrate: Extraction, Processing, and Separation
C. Anderson, Colorado School of Mines, US
Rare Earth Separation Technologies: History, Progress, and Current Practice
S. Jansone Popova, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US
Turning Waste into Resource: Secondary and Unconventional Feedstocks
A. Fritz, National Energy Technology Laboratory, US
Permanent Magnets: From Fundamentals to Recycling
A. Palasyuk, Ames National Laboratory, US
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