Claros Technologies, Kureha partner to power clean technologies by capturing valuable metals in oil- and gas-produced water

Oct. 28, 2022
The 12-month project will develop nanosorbent technology that can recover lithium, zinc, and cadmium from produced water for reuse.
Claros Technologies (002)
Claros Technologies (002)
Claros Technologies (002)
Claros Technologies (002)
Claros Technologies (002)

October 27, 2022 (MINNEAPOLIS; Claros Technologies release) — Claros Technologies is partnering with Kureha America, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kureha Corporation, to capture and reuse the highly coveted metals needed for batteries to power a net-zero economy. Awarded a grant to develop technology to recover lithium, zinc, and cadmium from oil- and gas-produced water, Kureha America sought out Claros because of its patent-pending sorbent technology that detoxifies and purifies water by removing heavy metals such as mercury.

Produced water from offshore oil and gas drilling has high concentrations of useful metals such as lithium, which is needed for electric vehicles and consumer electronics. The 12-month project will develop nanosorbent technology that can recover lithium, zinc, and cadmium from produced water for reuse. That could help feed the growing demand for lithium, which is projected to rise from approximately 500,000 metric tons in 2021 to 3 million to 4 million metric tons in 2030, according to management consulting firm McKinsey and Co.

“This project is building on our success with capturing phosphorus from water and reusing it,” said Dr. Abdennour Abbas, Claros founder and CTO. “We will create sorbents that chemically bond at a nanoparticle level to isolate these highly sought-after metals, resulting in clean water and the reuse of metals needed for a clean economy.” 

This is Claros’ second partnership with Kureha. The first, announced in May, is joint development of technology that captures, concentrates, and permanently destroys per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from wastewater for large-scale commercial use. 

“We asked Claros to partner with us again because we trust their science,” said Naomitsu Nishihata, president and CEO of Kureha America. “Our shared work to destroy PFAS in industrial wastewater is really moving forward and we are impressed by the efficacy of Clarosafe™ Hg, the Claros sorbent that captures mercury. We are very confident that we can do the same with lithium, zinc, and cadmium.” 

Michelle Bellanca, CEO of Claros Technologies, shares Nishihata’s confidence. “We are excited that Kureha has chosen to work with us again. We have a great partner in Kureha. They share our belief that environmental chemistry, engineering, and materials science has the power to help both the environment and industry.” 

About Claros Technologies Inc.

Founded in 2018, Claros is an advanced materials company that designs and develops sustainable materials and solutions for a circular economy. Claros’ proprietary technology platforms have been used to develop sustainable functional textiles that are antimicrobial, UV-resistant, and anti-odor; to develop water sorbents to capture, concentrate, and destroy pollutants such as PFAS and mercury, and to develop sorbents and processes for the recovery and reuse of industrially useful metals. For more information, visit https://clarostechnologies.com/  

About Kureha Corporation:

Kureha Corporation is a Japanese manufacturer of highly original specialty chemicals and plastics that leverages proprietary technologies to develop products in the fields of advanced materials, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and packaging materials. Since its establishment in 1944, Kureha has utilized its strengths in technology and innovation to provide a wide range of solutions suited to the market needs of each era. For more information, visit https://www.kureha.co.jp/.

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