A new technology for Gravity-driven Multiple Effect Thermal System (G-METS) distillation reduces energy and cost by 90% vs. traditional metal distillation.  This can potentially be used for magnesium recycling, and in low-cost electrolytic reduction of magnesium oxide.

Collaborators: Prof. Yu Zhong, Prof. Manish Sinha

Sponsor: WPI TRIAD Grant, Army Research Laboratory Cooperative Agreement W911NF-19-2-0108

Publications:

• Rutherford, Telgerafchi, Espinosa, Powell, Dussault, "Low-Cost Magnesium Primary Production Using Gravity-Driven Multiple Effect Thermal System (G-METS) Distillation," Magnesium Technology 2021: 139-144.

• Telgerafchi, Espinosa, Rutherford, Powell, Dussault, "Efficient Low-Cost Gravity-Driven Multiple Effect Thermal System (G-METS) Distillation of Magnesium," Magnesium Technology 2021: 145-152.

• Powell, "A Magnesium Clean Energy Ecosystem Vision," Magnesium Technology 2022: 121-126.

• Espinosa, Telgerafchi, McArthur, Rutherford, Powell, Dussault, "Design of Efficient Low-Cost Recycling of Magnesium Using Gravity-Driven Multiple Effect Thermal System (G-METS)," Magnesium Technology 2022: 135-140.

• McArthur Sehar, Espinosa, Telgerafchi, Chinwego, Lynch, Perrin, Powell, "Design of the Continuous Gravity-Driven Multiple-Effect Thermal System (G-METS) for Efficient Low-Cost Magnesium Recycling," Magnesium Technology 2023: 161-167.

• Telgerafchi, Rutherford, Espinosa, McArthur, Masse, Perrin, Tang, Powell, "Magnesium production by molten salt electrolysis with liquid tin cathode and multiple effect distillation," Frontiers in Chemistry 11, July 2023.

• Powell, Dussault, Earlam, Tajima, Raymes, Method and Apparatus for Efficient Metal Distillation and Related Primary Production Process, US and PCT patent applications July 30, 2020, US Patent 11,773,500 issued October 3, 2023.

• McArthur Sehar, Telgerafchi, Iurkovskyi, Opoku, Powell, "Recycling of Magnesium Alloy Using the Gravity-Driven Multiple-Effect Thermal System (G-METS)," Magnesium Technology 2024: 159-164.

• Zhang, Chahal, Azeem, Lam, Ludwig, Pal, Gao, Powell, Zhong, "Computational insights into the structural, thermodynamic and transport properties of CaF2-MgF2 binary fluoride system at high temperatures," Computational Materials Science 245:113294, October 2024.

• McArthur Sehar, Saito, Telgerafchi, Gallego, Sridhar, Iurkovskyi, Powell, "Efficient Recycling of Magnesium Alloys via Partial Distillation Using Gravity-Multiple Effect Thermal System (G-METS)," Magnesium Technology 2025, 77-84.

• Blazy, Courtney, Fenton, Logman, Wirsing, "Magnesium Production and Recycling for Clean Energy," WPI MQP Report, May 2025.

• Telgerafchi, Meinhart, Sehar, Iurkovskyi, Powell, "2D axisymmetric computational transport modeling of Gravity-Driven Multiple Effect Thermal System (G-METS) distillation for metals purification," Int. J. Heat Mass Trans. 251:127296, November 2025.

EMRG is developing a new molten salt magnesium-air battery designed for high energy density and low up-front cost.  The theoretical energy density of Mg-air is 6871 and 4144 W·h/kg in the charged and discharged states respectively.  This is several times higher than about 630 and 1100 W·h/kg for NMC811 lithium ion with graphite and lithium metal anodes respectively, and Mg-air specific energy will likely be around 8-10 times that of lithium ion.  As a high-temperature battery, this requires large form factor, making it suitable for zero-emissions shipping, grid scale storage, and potentially aircraft.

Collaborators: Prof. Aswin Gnanaskandan, Prof. Yu Zhong

Sponsor: Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Catalyst Award

Publications:

• Shahabi, Masse, Sun, Wallace, Powell, Zhong, "Design of a Molten Salt Metal-Air Battery with High Energy Density," REWAS 2022 (Vol II): 47-57.

• Shahabi, Masse, Lota, Wallace, Bastow, Powell, "Molten Salt Mg-Air Battery Improvement and Recharging," Energy Technology 2023 171-179.

• Riggs, Miller, Simon Villacis, Lindenthal, "High Energy Density Magnesium-Air Battery for Shipping, Rail and Aviation Electrification and Grid Storage," WPI MQP Report, May 2023.

• Shahabi, "Design of a Molten Salt Metal-Air Battery with High-Energy Density – Proof of Concept, Modeling, and Recharging," WPI Ph.D. Dissertation, May 2023.

• Powell, Sun, Shahabi, Zhong, Metal-Air Battery, U.S. and PCT applications filed March 16, 2022, US Patent 11,955,618 issued April 9, 2024.

• Poulos, Howell, Sarantopoulos, "Design of a Molten Salt Magnesium Air Battery for Shipping and Other Applications," WPI MQP Report, May 2025.

Hydrocarbons make outstanding aerospace fuels due to their high energy/volume and energy/mass. However, air travel produces 3% of fossil-fuel GHG emissions, and will likely double between 2019 and 2030. EMRG is working with Prof. Jagannath Jayachandran in the WPI Aerospace Engineering Department to develop magnesium hydride (MgH₂) as an aerospace fuel additive which can be produced from seawater and renewable electricity with no direct atmospheric emissions (see Mg production below). Its combustion product can potentially absorb some, all, or more CO₂ from the atmosphere than is emitted by hydrocarbon combustion, resulting in air/space travel with net-zero or net-negative GHG emissions.

Collaborators: Prof. Jagannath Jayachandran (PI, Aerospace Engineering)

Sponsor: WPI TRIAD Grant

Publication: Wu, Scarponi, Powell, Jayachandran, "Magnesium hydride slurry: A potential net-zero carbon dioxide emitting aviation fuel", Fuel 333.2 (February 1, 2023): 126232.

The 15 lanthanides, yttrium and scandium comprise the rare earth elements.  These are among the most critical elements due to their concentrated supply in China and difficulty of substitution.  The recycling project assesses the ability to meet US needs for these elements from waste streams containing economically recoverable rare earths.  The smelting project is developing a semi-continuous calciothermic reduction process for neodymium oxide.

Collaborators: Prof. Brajendra Mishra, Dr. Chinenye Chinwego (Excava LLC)

Sponsor: Army Research Laboratory Cooperative Agreement W911NF-19-2-0108, Critical Materials Institute Project 2.3.12

Publications:

• Chinwego, Wagner, Giancola, Jironvil, Powell, "Low-Cost Distillation Technology for Rare-Earth Recycling," Rare Metal Technology 2022: 41-50.

• Chinwego, Wagner, Giancola, Jironvil, Powell, "Technoeconomic Analysis of Rare-Earth Metal Recycling Using Efficient Metal Distillation," JOM 74.4 (April, 2022): 1296-1305.

• Jironvil, "Rare Earth Metal Production by Semi-Continuous Calciothermal Reduction" WPI MQP Report, April 2022.

• Chinwego, "Metal Leaching and G-METS Distillation for Neodymium Magnet Scrap Recycling," WPI Ph.D. Dissertation, May 2023.

• Opoku, Khan, Chinwego, Powell, "Rare Earth Magnet Recycling Via Liquid Magnesium Leaching and Distillation," Rare Metal Technology 2024: 63-70.

• Opoku, Chinwego, Powell, Mishra, "Liquid Metal Leaching for Rare Earth Magnet Recycling," Metals 14(11):1299, November 2024.

• Opoku, "Liquid Metal Leaching for Rare Earth Permanent Magnets Recycling and G-METS Distillation," WPI M.S. Thesis, December 2024.

• Chinwego, Garcia, McArthur Sehar, MacGregor, Tate, Savage, Zuber, Sseruwagi, Dietrich, Opoku, Smith, Powell, Mishra, "Sufficiency-driven business models for rare earth recycling: integrating stakeholder collaboration and customer discovery for sustainable innovation," J Innov Entrep 14:20. 2025.

• Opoku, Chinwego, Powell, Mishra, "Recycling Rare Earth Permanent Magnets via Liquid Magnesium Leaching and Distillation," Rare Metal Technology 2025, 39--47.

All of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) non-doomsday scenarios rely on bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BE-CCS) for negative-emissions electricity production to meet atmospheric GHG targets. But biomass combustion is inefficient, and power plant flowsheets with CCS such as Direct Gasification Combined Cycle are excessively complex. EMRG is developing a new Direct Carbon Fuel Cell (DCFC) anode technology invented by Boyd Davis at Kingston Process Metallurgy which could roughly double the energy efficiency of BE-CCS with a much simpler flowsheet in a low-cost modular power plant.

Collaborators: Prof. Aswin Gnanaskandan, Prof. Yu Zhong

Publications:

• Faria, "High-Efficiency High Power Direct Carbon Fuel Cell," WPI MS Thesis, April, 2021.

• Jacek, "Development of a Support-Cathode-Electrolyte Structure for Direct Carbon Fuel Cell," WPI MS Thesis, December 2021.

• Powell, Davis, Pal, Zhong, Faria, Ono, Inozume, Endo, Miyauchi, Direct Carbon Fuel Cell (DCFC) with Molten Metal, U.S. Patent 11,862,822 issued January 2, 2024.

• Aimone, Fleischer, Ford, LaMarca, Pandappas, "Direct Carbon Fuel Cell for Efficient Negative Emissions Electricity," WPI MQP Report, May 2025.

Abundant, strong, and relatively inexpensive to process, iron and steel form the structural basis of most industrial products from ships to vehicles to buildings to toasters. But at 1.5 billion tonnes/year, ironmaking is responsible for about 7% of human GHG emissions. EMRG is working with process inventor Prof. Yan Wang to develop his novel Flow Electrolysis technology for using renewable electricity to convert aqueous iron oxide slurry to iron powder with zero direct emissions.

Collaborators: Prof. Yan Wang (PI), Prof. Brajendra Mishra

Publications:

• Shahabuddin, Powell, Wang, "Preliminary Economic Analysis of Red Mud Valorization via Colloidal Aqueous Electrolytic Reduction in a Modern Electricity Infrastructure", J. Sustain. Metall. 8 (August 2022): 900-912.

• Thanwisai, Yao, Shahabuddin, Hou, Fu, Powell, Wang, "Sustainable Iron Production via Highly Efficient Low-Temperature Electrolysis of 3D Conductive Colloidal Electrodes," Green Chemistry, 26 (July 2024): 9176-9185.

Though lithium ion batteries grab the headlines and are growing rapidly, their production volume (in GWh) only surpassed lead-acid batteries in 2020.  Lead-acid batteries will likely continue to be in vehicles for many years, and their low cost makes them excellent for grid energy storage.  EMRG is using G-METS efficient continuous distillation technology to improve lead refining in a sealed system.  Unlike traditional lead distillation, this should remove both high- and low-volatility impurities, including Zn, Sb, Ag, Cu, Sn, Se and Te.

Collaborators: Prof. Brajendra Mishra

Sponsor: Center for Resource Recovery and Recycling (CR³)

Silicon is the dominant photovoltaic material for solar power due to its bandgap match to the solar spectrum, abundance, and relatively low cost. However, its production using the dominant Siemens process (trichlorosilane synthesis, distillation and chemical vapor deposition) is expensive, energy-intensive, and unsafe. EMRG is leading a team to develop a process to produce solar silicon by molten salt electrolysis directly from natural quartzite with zero direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy use and economics similar to aluminum production, i.e. 80-90% lower energy use and cost than current solar silicon processes, and with much better process safety.

Collaborators: Prof. Yu Zhong, Prof. Uday Pal (Boston University), Prof. Aaron Deskins (Chemical Engineering), Prof. Walter Towner

Sponsors: National Science Foundation Awards 1937818 and 1937829, US Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office Office Contract DE-EE0008988

Publications:

• Buasai, McMahon, Wu, "Solar Silicon Epitaxy by Molten Salt Electrolysis," WPI MQP Report, May 2020.

• Moudgal, Buasai, Wu, McMahon, Hazerjian, Luu, Ly, Asadikiya, Powell, Pal, Zhong, "Finite Element Analysis and Techno-Economic Modeling of Solar Silicon Molten Salt Electrolysis," JOM 73.1 (January 2021): 233-243.

• Hazerjian, Luu, Ly, "Solar-Grade Silicon: Techno-economic Assessment, COMSOL Modeling, and Electrolysis," WPI MQP Report, May 2021.

• Moudgal, Asadikiya, Moore, Espinosa, Wallace, Wadsworth, Melo, Alonzo, Charlebois, Costa, Catalino, Powell, Zhong, Pal, "Macroscopic Modeling and Phase Field Modeling of Solar Grade Silicon by Molten Salt Electrolysis," Rewas 2022: Energy Technologies and CO₂ Management (Volume II).

• Alonzo, Catalino, Charlebois, Costa, Melo, "Solar Silicon Epitaxy by Molten Salt Electrolysis: Life Cycle Analysis and Experimental Augmentations," WPI MQP Report, May 2022.

• Moudgal, "Numerical Modelling and Experiments of Silicon Electrodeposition by Solid Oxide Membrane - Molten Salt Electrolysis," WPI Ph.D. Dissertation, May 2023.

• Moudgal, Asadikiya, Zhong, Powell, Pal, "Electrometallurgical Extraction of Silicon Using Solid Oxide Membrane—Molten Salt Electrolysis," Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, May 2024.

Magnesium metal (Mg) is an outstanding material for lightweight efficient vehicle body construction. However, welds between magnesium and other alloys, including aluminum (Al), corrode rapidly. EMRG is leading a team including Prof. Brajendra Mishra, PNNL, ORNL and Magna to accurately estimate corrosion rate of Mg-Al alloy welds to give auto makers confidence they will last throughout the 15-20 year life of a vehicle.

Collaborators: Prof. Brajendra Mishra, Tim Skszek (Magna→PNNL), Darrell Herling (PNNL), Piyush Upadhyay (PNNL), Donovan Leonard (ORNL)

Sponsor: US Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Office Contract DE-EE0008454

Publications:

• Ding, Das, Upadhyay, Sousa, Karayağız, Powell, Mishra, "Microstructural, Corrosion, and Mechanical Characterization of Friction Stir Welded Al 6022-to-ZEK100 Mg Joints," Corros. Mater. Degrad. 2023, 4(1), 142-157.

• Ding, "Microstuctural, Corrosion and Mechanical Characterization of Friction-Stir Welded Joints Between Aluminum and Magnesium Alloys," Ph.D. Dissertation, May 2023.

Solar and wind energy are rapidly becoming the lowest-cost electricity generation technologies in most of the world. But they only produce energy when sun is shining or the wind is blowing, and battery energy storage remains relatively expensive, liming wind and solar to just 30-50% of electricity at most. This on-campus IQP project topic explores research questions around using pricing and new technologies to align consumer electricity demand with intermittent renewable supply at lower cost than batteries in order to drive forward the clean energy transformation.

Collaborator: Prof. Isa Bar-On

Publications:

• Koethe, LaCroce, Poggioli, Shahabuddin, "Analysis of Thermal Energy Storage Solutions for Worcester Polytechnic Institute," WPI IQP Report, March 2020.

• Ahearn, Faria, Gancharova, Wolff, "Real Time Electricity Pricing: How Alternative Pricing Programs Can Be Used to Bring Awareness to Electricity Consumption, Encourage Smart Home Automation, Lower Monthly Electricity Bills and Improve the Electrical Grid," WPI IQP Report, April 2021.