Home-AMA Energy Insights: Lithoz and Evove Redefine Lithium Extraction with SeparonicsTM
WithAMA: Energy 2026just around the corner, 3D Printing Industry is taking a closer look at the role of additive manufacturing in the energy sector.
Lithium demand is accelerating as electric vehicles and grid-scale energy storage become pillars of the global energy transiton. Yet much of today’s lithium supply still depends on brine extraction methods that rely on vast evaporation ponds, land-intensive systems that encroach on sensitive ecosystems, disrupt local water tables, and require months or even years to concentrate lithium salts.
After this lengthy process, lithium-rich brine is often transported across continents to centralized processing facilities, compounding energy consumption, carbon emissions, and logistical complexity. Dependence on distant refining hubs also concentrates geopolitical and commercial risk. “So, why are we relying on 19th-century production methods for 21st-century technology?” said Johannes Homa, CEO, Lithoz.
Ceramic 3D printing specialistLithozand UK-based water filtration technology providerEvoveaim to change that paradigm by applying 3D printed ceramic membranes that feature bespoke porosities and structures, precisely optimized for specific application cases, such as lithium extraction. Their approach replaces slow evaporation ponds with modular, high-performance filtration systems designed to withstand chemically aggressive brines. By combining Lithoz’s additive manufacturing expertise with Evove’s SeparonicsTM filtration architecture, the collaboration enables faster processing, lower energy use, and more precise lithium separation, while remaining compatible with existing industrial infrastructure.
“All our answers to urgent questions, from sustainability to climate change, will somehow contain a 3D printed ceramic part as part of the solution,” said Johannes Benedikt, CTO, Lithoz.
Redesigning Filtration with 3D PrintingRather than altering lithium chemistry, Lithoz and Evove are redesigning the physical architecture of brine processing, focusing on how lithium-rich brines are filtered rather than how the lithium itself is treated.
Lithoz provides its Lithography-based Ceramic Manufacturing (LCM) technology to produce high-precision ceramic filtration segments, while Evove applies these components within its SeparonicsTM filtration architecture.
Using LCM, ceramic membrane filter module segments with customizable porosity are created and combined to filtration elements of one meter in length, fitting into existing hardware of existing traditionally-manufactured filters. In combination with precise control of surfaces, structures and porosities, technical ceramics are essential for lithium extraction environments, where brines contain high salt concentrations, metals, hydrocarbons, and extreme pH and temperature ranges. Unlike polymers or metals, ceramics maintain chemical, mechanical, and thermal stability under these conditions.
Additive manufacturing enables precise control over both micro- and macro-scale geometry, allowing ultrafiltration-grade porosity and optimized internal flow channels to be designed directly into the ceramic. This combination supports modular stacking and scalable industrial deployment without redesigning existing systems.
Source: 3D Printing Industry
