TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY: Selective Separation
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is offering a technology licensing opportunity for its Selective Separation technology. This innovation provides a simpler, faster, and more cost-effective method for separating closely related metals, including challenging actinide and lanthanide elements, by using a flexible, single-step selective precipitation approach. This is a licensing opportunity for commercialization, not a call for external services. Interested parties should contact licensing@lanl.gov by April 24, 2027.
Technology Overview
Selective Separation replaces complex solvent extraction systems with tunable chemistry, enabling precise metal isolation. It addresses the challenge of separating metals with nearly identical chemical properties, which is critical in nuclear fuel recycling, critical mineral processing, and advanced manufacturing. The technology strategically combines metal-binding and phase-transfer mechanisms to selectively control metal behavior in solutions, reducing process complexity, lowering costs, and minimizing secondary waste.
Key Advantages
- Simplified processing: Replaces multi-step separation systems.
- High selectivity: Effectively separates chemically similar metals (e.g., actinides, lanthanides).
- Reduced chemical burden: Minimizes harsh organic solvents.
- Lower cost and faster throughput: Decreases processing time and operational expenses.
- Reduced secondary waste: Improves environmental performance.
- Flexible and tunable platform: Adaptable to various metal systems and industrial applications.
Market Applications
- Nuclear Energy (fuel reprocessing, waste management)
- Critical Minerals (rare earth processing, battery materials)
- Mining and Metals Processing (ore refining, hydrometallurgy)
- Healthcare and Medical Isotopes (isotope production, radiochemical purification)
- Chemical Manufacturing (catalyst recovery)
- Environmental Services (waste treatment, resource recovery)
Development Status & Intellectual Property
The technology is at TRL 3 with a US Patent pending (LA-UR-26-22792).
Licensing Details
LANL's licensing program aims to move inventions to commercial innovations through exclusive and non-exclusive licensing agreements. For specific discussions, contact the provided licensing email.
Opportunity Details
- Type: Special Notice (Technology Licensing Opportunity)
- Published Date: April 7, 2026
- Response Date: April 24, 2027
- Department/Agency: Department of Energy / TRIAD - DOE CONTRACTOR
- Place of Performance: Los Alamos, NM
Contact Information
- Primary Contact: Satya Srinivasan (licensing@lanl.gov)
- Secondary Contact: Lindsay Augustyn (licensing@lanl.gov)