Energy and Resource Sustainability

At ERCL, we conduct research on sustainable energy and resource technologies to contribute to carbon neutrality and the circular economy. Our research focuses on clathrate gas hydrate-based technologies for gas separation, carbon capture, and energy gas storage. We also develop membrane- and electrochemistry-based processes for the separation and recovery of critical metals, including lithium and rare earth elements.

Resource recovery

The transition toward a sustainable society requires not only clean energy, but also secure and circular use of critical resources. As demand for lithium, rare earth elements, and battery metals continues to grow, recovering valuable materials from waste streams and low-grade resources has become increasingly important. Our research focuses on developing advanced separation technologies that enable selective recovery of critical materials from complex systems, contributing to resource circularity, environmental sustainability, and resilient supply chains.

Membrane technology for ion separaion

Our research explores membrane-based strategies for the selective separation and recovery of critical ions, including lithium, rare earth elements, and battery metals. We develop functional membrane materials and electro-driven separation processes that enable controlled ion transport in complex feed streams. In particular, we are interested in combining membrane science with electrodialysis and electrochemical separation to achieve high selectivity, low energy consumption, and scalable operation.

By tailoring membrane structure, interfacial chemistry, and ion–ligand interactions, we aim to create separation platforms capable of recovering valuable resources from wastewaters, spent battery streams, and other secondary resources. Our work ultimately supports sustainable resource recovery by linking fundamental transport phenomena with practical process design.

Clathrate Gas Hydrates

Clathrate hydrates are crystalline water-based materials in which gas molecules are enclosed within cage-like structures formed by hydrogen-bonded water molecules. Their unique host–guest architectures and selective inclusion behavior make them scientifically and technologically important for applications such as gas storage, gas separation, and carbon dioxide capture. By controlling hydrate formation and structure, clathrate hydrates can provide a useful platform for selective and energy-relevant gas processes.

Clathrate Hydrate-Based Gas Separation

Our research explores clathrate gas hydrates as a separation platform for energy-relevant gas mixtures. Because different gas molecules exhibit different hydrate-forming tendencies and cage occupancies, hydrate formation can be used to selectively enrich or separate specific gas components from mixed streams. This offers a promising approach for applications such as biogas upgrading, methane enrichment, carbon dioxide separation, and purification of light hydrocarbon mixtures.

We focus on understanding and controlling hydrate-based separation through lattice engineering, promoter selection, and process design. In particular, our work investigates how guest composition, hydrate structure, additives, and formation pathways influence gas uptake, selectivity, and enrichment performance. By linking molecular-level hydrate behavior with separation performance, we aim to develop sustainable gas separation technologies for clean energy and carbon management applications.

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