VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MAX Power Mining Corp. (CSE: MAXX; OTC: MAXXF) (“MAX Power”, “MAX” or the “Company”) has entered into a cooperative research and development agreement (“CRADA”) with the University of California Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to develop state-of-the-art direct lithium extraction (“DLE”) technologies for brine resources.
Highlights:
- Dr. Brett Helms and Dr. Michael Whittaker, two preeminent American research scientists at LBNL, are leading the technology development;
- Dr. Helms is the co-founder of two deep tech Bay Area start-ups while Dr. Whittaker is the co-founder and Director of the Lithium Resource Research and Innovation Center at Berkeley Lab;
- MAX Power and LBNL will focus on developing new intellectual property and incorporating innovative methods and novel materials into the DLE process;
- MAX Power and its executives have been cleared by the U.S. Department of Energy to proceed with this project.
Mr. Rav Mlait, MAX Power CEO, commented: “Collaborating with two individuals of the stature of Brett Helms and Michael Whittaker on potential groundbreaking DLE technologies is tremendously exciting for MAX and further enhances our overall value proposition.”
Mr. Mlait concluded, “With American and Canadian lithium divisions, encompassing hard rock, brine and technology, we have carved out a niche for MAX in this sector that will underpin and drive shareholder value in 2023 and beyond. We look forward to officially unveiling our brand and aggressively rolling it out to American and Canadian investors in the near future.”
MAX Power-LBNL Agreement
The agreement with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will focus on new DLE technologies targeting lower grade and challenging lithium brine deposits located in the United States and Canada. This is largely in response to the strategic initiative undertaken by the U.S. and Canada in their 2022 Joint Action Plan on Critical Minerals to advance bilateral interest in securing supply chains and resources for critical minerals like lithium needed for strategic manufacturing sectors, including communication technology, aerospace and defence, and clean technology.
The continuous global trend to massive electric vehicle manufacturing and instituting alternatives to fossil fuel energy presents an opportunity to use technology to unleash lower grade lithium deposits in order to secure additional North American supply while also reducing time and costs for lithium mineral extraction.
The MAX Power-LBNL research agreement is targeting dynamic new approaches in DLE covering pre-treatment, concentration, extraction, purification and post-treatment.
Dr. Brett Helms
Dr. Helms’ research program at Berkeley Lab is devoted to materials discovery and development to solve outstanding challenges in energy and sustainability, including membranes for efficient ion separations relevant to resource extraction, refining, and circularity. He is co-founder of two deep tech Bay Area start-ups, Sepion Technologies and Cyklos Materials. At Cyklos, his award-winning innovations in PDK circularity have been featured in print, radio, television, on the web. Dr. Helms is a Kavli Fellow (2019) and co-inventor on more that 30 patents on performance polymers. He is deeply committed to solving problems in energy and sustainability through the development of better materials and lower-carbon manufacturing processes. Dr. Helms received his B.S. from Harvey Mudd College in 2000 and his Ph.D. in 2006 at the U.C. Berkeley at the Technische Universiteit Eindhoven where his focus was on supramolecular chemistry.
Dr. Michael Whittaker
Dr. Whittaker is a research scientist in the Energy Geoscience and Materials Science Divisions at LBNL. He is also co-founder and Director of the Lithium Resource Research and Innovation Center (LIRRIC) (https://lirric.lbl.gov/) at LBNL. Berkeley Lab established LIRRIC to power lithium innovation and guide research and development into lithium extraction technologies so that science breakthroughs lead to the greatest economic and environmental benefits. He is Principle Investigator of the Minerals for Energy Storage (MINES) Project, and Group Leader of the Living Minerals Team (https://livingmineral.lbl.gov/). Dr. Whittaker received his BS/MS degrees from the University of Utah in Materials Science and Engineering in 2012, and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University in Materials Science and Engineering in 2017.
Agreement Details
Under the Agreement, MAX Power will be funding research and development for DLE technology, estimated at $915,111 (U.S.) over two years (both direct and in-kind contributions). Furthermore, the Company has been granted the right to negotiate an exclusive license in the field of use for inventions generated from the CRADA and file related patents. The U.S. Government will retain a non-exclusive license to practice the invention.
Video
To view a video interview with MAX CEO regarding today’s news, please click on the following link:
About MAX Power
MAX Power is a dynamic exploration stage resource company targeting domestic lithium resources to advance North America’s renewable energy prospects.
Contact: [email protected]
MarketSmart Communications at 877-261-4466.
Forward-Looking Statement Cautions
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider, (as the term is defined in the Policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release includes certain “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating to the future operating or financial performance of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “estimates”, “potential”, “possible”, and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results “will”, “may”, “could”, or “should” occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate to, among other things: statements relating to the CRADA, and any particular outcomes thereof. Actual future results may differ materially. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, technical, economic, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these times. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.
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