The University of Nevada, Reno’s Mackay School student team last month got second place in an inaugural carbon management collegiate competition.
Dubbing themselves “Biggest Little Lithium,” three undergraduate students – Alexia Carver, Trista McLaughlin and Ash Thompson – alongside graduate student Kamal Mousavi earned the team $8,000, which will be split evenly among the students.
“Our team is the next generation of metallurgists, geologists and environmentalists, so the strategies in this project will be vital for creating more sustainable mining technology as we enter the workforce—especially in the lithium sector,” Carver said.
Biggest Little Lithium’s submission turned carbon dioxide into magnesium carbonate through chemical engineering.
Lithium Americas, which is building its mine at Thacker Pass, gave the students guidance.
Carbon capture will reduce the environmental footprint of the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada, according to UNR.
“By addressing the carbon emissions associated with the mining process, our team aimed to contribute to sustainable practices in the industry,” said the team’s Professor, Ehsan Vahidi.
The top three teams, including the first-place team from the University of Michigan, and the third-place team from the University of Houston, will present their proposals at a federal Department of Energy’s meeting in August. The meeting is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Source: UNR
