Highlights of the Program
2 days business program:
Learn from real-world case studies by industry leaders.
SHOWCASING INNOVATION:
Discover the latest technology and techniques from across the industry.
leaders talk:
Hear from top-level experts about how to stay ahead in a fast-changing industry.
MULTIPLE STREAMS:
A business program that is multi-disciplinary, giving you a broad view of the industry.
SMART TECHNOLOGIES:
Explore the latest smart and AI-driven solutions, and see how they can be used in your business.
roundtable discussion:
Join talks with industry peers. Share ideas, make connections, and find new partners.
Program
Day 1 :
MONDAY, JULY 14, 2025
08:30 - 09:30
REGISTRATION AND MORNING REFRESHMENTS
09:30 - 09:40
OPENING ADDRESS
09:40 - 10:05
AVONLEA LITHIUM EXTRACTION FIELD PILOT RESULTS AND ECONOMICS
Douglas Brett
Avonlea
- Presenting a cost-effective lithium extraction method designed to reduce capital expenditure
- Increasing overall project value by recovering additional metals into profitable product streams
- Delivering high-purity powdered lithium solids through simplified processing techniques
10:05 - 10:10
Q&A SESSION ON COST-EFFECTIVE AND OPTIMAL LITHIUM EXTRACTION
10:10 - 10:40
SPEED NETWORKING SESSION
- Exchange business cards and get connected in short one-to-one meetings
- Start the conversation to arrange a more formal meeting later on in the conference
- Share your professional background and discuss your biggest business issues – don't forget your business cards!
10:40 - 11:00
MORNING COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
Sponsored By NANONORD AS
11:00 - 11:30
PANEL DISCUSSION ON SUSTAINABLE LITHIUM EXTRACTION: NAVIGATING COMMERCIAL CHALLENGES AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS
- Defining sustainability for Canada’s lithium industry while addressing evolving business, regulatory, and commercialization challenges over time
- Applying analytical chemistry to enable environmentally responsible, scalable, and well-characterized direct lithium extraction processes
- Addressing economic, environmental, and waste management challenges in scaling direct lithium extraction under market and resource pressures
| Enverus | Moderator
| Saskatchewan Polytechnic
| Agilent Technologies
| Avonlea
11:30 - 11:55
LITHIUM EXTRACTION FROM BRINES VIA INTEGRATED PROCESSES
Sanaz Mosadeghsedghi
Natural Resources Canada
- Examining key brine types, specifications, and implications for lithium extraction pathways
- Highlighting NRCan’s research on direct and post-direct lithium extraction technologies
- Integrating recovery processes to enhance efficiency and scalability across lithium projects
11:55 - 12:00
Q&A SESSION ON INTEGRATED APPROACHES TO LITHIUM EXTRACTION FROM BRINES
12:00 - 13:30
NETWORKING LUNCH AND VISITING THE DIRECT LITHIUM EXTRACTION EXHIBITION
13:30 - 14:00
PANEL DISCUSSION ON FUTURE LITHIUM DEMAND AND MARKET TRENDS: PAVING THE PATH FOR DIRECT LITHIUM EXTRACTION SUCCESS
- Navigating lithium demand surge with supply chain shifts, pricing impacts, and opportunities for battery producers in the EV and energy sectors
- Overcoming DLE technical challenges while evaluating how tariffs impact lithium collaboration and EV market growth in North America
- Identifying DLE investment drivers, regulatory hurdles, and how AI and automation enhance efficiency and project bankability
| Agilent Technologies | Moderator
| Litus
| Natural Resources Canada
| E3 Lithium
14:00 - 14:25
OPTIMIZING MATERIAL SELECTION FOR PIPING SYSTEMS AND TANKS IN NEXT-GENERATION DLE PROJECTS
Dave Harding
Fibreglass Solutions Inc.
- Analyzing the challenges of lithium brine’s corrosive nature in DLE systems
- Comparing materials like FRP, stainless steel, and rubber-lined steel for corrosion resistance and mechanical strength
- Improving the durability, performance, and reliability of piping systems with corrosion-resistant materials
- Demonstrating long-term cost savings from selecting the right materials, with examples highlighting FRP’s cost-effectiveness
14:25 - 14:30
Q&A SESSION ON MATERIAL SELECTION STRATEGIES FOR DLE INFRASTRUCTURE
14:30 - 14:55
DIRECT LITHIUM EXTRACTION TECHNOLOGIES TO PRODUCE COMMERCIAL-GRADE LITHIUM
Caroline Mussbacher
E3 Lithium
- Showcasing how E3’s DLE technology is reshaping lithium production for long-term impact
- Enabling local battery supply chains by processing battery-grade lithium on-site
- Repurposing legacy oil fields to produce lithium with a reduced environmental footprint
14:55 - 15:00
Q&A SESSION ON TRANSFORMING LITHIUM PRODUCTION THROUGH DLE INNOVATIONS
15:00 - 15:30
AFTERNOON COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
Sponsored By INTER-CHINA CHEMICAL
15:30 - 15:55
LEVERAGING ICP-OES WORKFLOW FOR OPTIMIZATION OF AN EIGHT-COLUMN DLE PILOT PLANT
Longbo Yang
Agilent Technologies
- Optimizing an eight-column DLE pilot unit with a focus on lithium recovery, impurity rejection, and efficient water usage
- Qualifying material balances using ICP-OES across feedstocks, intermediate streams, and final products throughout the column sequence
Annika Holm
Summit Nanotech
- Maintaining system integrity and operational balance through frequent and strategic process testing
- Supporting process monitoring by right-sizing fluid sampling workflows and applying fit-for-purpose ICP-OES methods
15:55 - 16:00
Q&A SESSION ON ADVANCEMENTS IN DLE TECHNOLOGIES
16:00 - 16:25
HIGH PERFORMANCE DIRECT LITHIUM EXTRACTION PROCESS
Craig Brown
Chemionex Inc.
- Increasing lithium concentration more than fivefold compared to conventional water elution methods
- Reducing water usage and impurity levels while minimizing downstream processing requirements
- Achieving over 99% extraction efficiency using a single fixed-bed column with higher flow rates
- Leveraging proven adsorption technology to simplify scale-up and reduce DLE system capital costs
16:25 - 16:30
Q&A SESSION ON STREAMLINING DESIGN AND EFFICIENCY IN DLE TECHNOLOGIES
16:30 - 17:30
NETWORKING DRINKS RECEPTION
Day 2 :
TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2025
09:00 - 09:30
MORNING REFRESHMENTS
09:30 - 09:40
OPENING ADDRESS
09:40 - 10:05
IMPROVING BRINE QUALITY FOR DLE VIA CO₂ MINERALIZATION TREATMENT
Dennis Jiang
Natural Resources Canada
- Removing high levels of bivalent cations (Ca-Mg-Sr) from brine through controlled CO₂ mineralization
- Capturing CO₂ from flue gas to produce valuable carbonate solids during brine pre-treatment
- Enhancing lithium recovery efficiency with ionic liquid-based DLE after brine treatment
10:05 - 10:10
Q&A SESSION ON TECHNIQUES FOR BRINE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT FOR DLE
10:10 - 10:35
PARTNERSHIP, PROCESS, OUTCOMES, AND TECHNOLOGY READINESS FOR LITHIUM EXTRACTION
Gregg Smith
Grounded Lithium Corp.
- Sharing insights into the strategic partnership, highlighting expertise in fluid extraction and in-situ mining
- Outlining key technical requirements, resource assessments, and economic factors for project feasibility
- Reviewing 2024 field activities, depletion modelling, and infrastructure planning for sustainable production
- Exploring direct lithium extraction approaches, engineering strategies, and cost considerations for scalability
10:35 - 10:40
Q&A SESSION ON ASSESSMENT, TECHNOLOGY, AND COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS FOR DLE SUCCESS
10:40 - 11:00
MORNING COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
Sponsored By AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES
11:00 - 11:25
THERMODYNAMIC AND KINETIC MODELS OF SORPTION/DESORPTION INTO THE SORBENT PARTICLES
Zhong Sheng (Simon) Liu
National Research Council Canada
- Discussing NRC’s ongoing research on modelling and characterization for Direct Lithium Extraction
- Modelling thermodynamic and kinetic models of ion intercalation and de-intercalation in sorbents
- Extracting model parameters and addressing key challenges, including impurities
- Characterizing sorbent particle microstructures and their impact on DLE
11:25 - 11:30
Q&A SESSION ON METHODS FOR MODELLING SORPTION AND DESORPTION FOR DLE
11:30 - 11:55
VALVE SELECTION FOR LITHIUM FROM BRINES
Ross Waters
CGIS
- Understanding the impact of solids deposition from saturated brines on valve specification
- Ensuring proper valve sizing and safety factors for handling dissolved and suspended solids
- Upgrading valve selection through early separation of clean and saturated fluids in facility design
11:55 - 12:00
Q&A SESSION ON SELECTING VALVES FOR LITHIUM BRINE PROCESSING
12:00 - 12:25
COMBINED DLE MEDIA AND SIMULATION MODEL TO IMPROVE EXTRACTION PERFORMANCE
Anthony J. (AJ) Gerbino
AQSim
- Enhancing lithium extraction selectivity and capacity using doped layered aluminum hydroxide media
- Predicting performance across brine compositions using a thermodynamic and kinetic simulation model
- Integrating lab-tested media data and simulation results for optimizing pilot-scale operations
- Functioning as a digital twin to accelerate engineering design and support plant-scale implementation
12:25 - 12:30
Q&A SESSION ON ENHANCING EXTRACTION USING OPTIMAL DLE MEDIA AND MODELLING TOOLS
12:30 - 12:45
FEEDBACK & RAFFLE DRAW
12:45 - 14:00
NETWORKING LUNCH
Become a Speaker & Join the Conversation
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