Interview: Princeton Spin-off Targets Arkansas’ Lithium Boom

Apr 10

As the global race for battery minerals intensifies, Princeton Critical Minerals (PCM) is pitching a breakthrough technology to make lithium extraction in the Smackover Formation more efficient and economically viable.

Angela Maria Fasnacht, COO of PCM, joined Lithium Link on the sidelines of the Arkansas Lithium Innovation Summit last fall in Little Rock. PCM, a Princeton University spin-off, already has technology generating revenue in South America and is now eyeing the U.S. domestic supply chain, Fasnacht said.

How It Works

According to Fasnacht, PCM’s tech focuses on the “polishing” stage of direct lithium extraction (DLE):

The process: It uses a reactor with an IP-protected coating to separate ions and concentrate lithium.
Sustainability: The system requires minimal energy and no external chemicals.
The byproduct: It produces clean water that can be reused in other extraction phases, creating a circular benefit for operators.

Economic feasibility is key for U.S. lithium producers trying to compete with China’s market dominance. PCM’s strategy is low-friction adoption, offering its technology as a finishing step to help lithium players ease into downstream processing without massive energy or water costs.

“This is the place that is going to grow,” Fasnacht said of Arkansas. “We are sold into being part of this process ... for the entire United States.”