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Berkeley Lab leading investigation to quantify and characterize Salton Sea’s geothermal lithium resources

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The hot brine that comes up from the subsurface as part of geothermal power production at the Salton Sea in California is a rich stew of minerals, including iron, magnesium, calcium, sodium, and lithium. We’ll look at how quickly might you expect the resource to be regenerated—is it centuries? Credit: Jenny Nuss/Berkeley Lab).

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Study finds high sodium bicarbonate concentrations in water from coal-bed natural gas production harms aquatic life; water treatment can mitigate effects

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Produced water from coal-bed natural gas (CBNG) production may contain sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ) at concentrations that can harm aquatic life, according to a new study by the US Geological Survey; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; the Bureau of Land Management and the US Environmental Protection Agency.

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New heterogeneous acid catalyst shows high activity in release of hydrogen from sodium borohydride; lowest activation energy yet reported

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A team from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay has devised a heterogeneous acid catalyst, silica sulfuric acid, that shows high activity towards releasing hydrogen from sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ), with a hydrolysis rate of 5.5 Issues included water handling and catalytic reactivity and durability. Earlier post.). 2014.11.040.

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New liquid alloy electrode significantly lowers operating temperature of sodium-beta batteries; improved performance

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Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have devised an alloying strategy that enables sodium-beta batteries to operate at significantly lower temperatures. The new electrode enables sodium-beta batteries to last longer, helps streamline their manufacturing process and reduces the risk of accidental fire.

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German team produces hydrocarbons from thermal degradation of free fatty acids and animal fat in water and sodium carbonate; ultimately 43% diesel-range and 14% gasoline-range fractions

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Researchers in Germany have produced a hydrocarbon-based bio-crude and non-condensable gases from the thermal degradation of free fatty acids and animal fat in the presence of water and sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 , a sodium salt of carbonic acid commonly used as a water softener). 1 over a period of 6 months.

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KAUST team devises electrically-driven membrane process for seawater lithium mining

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Seawater contains significant quantities of lithium—approximately 5,000 times more than is found on land—potentially providing an almost unlimited resource of lithium for meeting the rapid growth in demand for lithium batteries. 13000 ppm of sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium ions, among others). —Li et al.

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Hatch report finds NOVONIX dry cathode synthesis process offers cost and waste reduction improvements

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Hatch was commissioned to conduct a commercial-scale capital and operating cost comparison study, as well as a high-level evaluation of plant emissions and impacts to natural resources between NOVONIX’s patent-pending process and the conventional wet process.

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