Hexium: Laser-Powered Solution for Fusion Power Fuel

The Challenge of Fuel Supply for Fusion Startups

Fusion startups face significant hurdles in their pursuit of viable energy production. Their primary goal is to develop power plants capable of generating more energy than they consume – a feat yet to be accomplished in the realm of fusion. This necessitates demonstrating technological feasibility, achieving scalability, and securing profitable investment. However, a frequently overlooked challenge lies in sourcing the necessary fuel.

The Lithium-6 Bottleneck

Many fusion companies state their intention to produce their own fuel. While technically accurate, this statement often obscures a critical dependency. The creation of tritium, a vital fusion fuel component, requires a specific lithium isotope – lithium-6 – which is currently in limited supply.

This realization prompted Charlie Jarrott, formerly of Focused Energy, to investigate the fuel supply chain.

Hexium: Addressing the Fuel Gap

Jarrott observed a lack of dedicated companies focused on fusion fuel production. He shared with TechCrunch, “I realized no one is working on this supply chain stuff. There’s a whole bunch of fusion companies. There isn’t a single company that is going to make the fuel for those companies.”

Subsequently, Jarrott and Jacob Peterson, also from Focused Energy, co-founded Hexium to proactively address this impending fuel shortage.

Seed Funding and Investment

Hexium recently emerged from stealth mode, announcing $9.5 million in seed funding alongside a $2.5 million credit facility. This funding round was led by MaC Venture Capital and Refactor, with participation from Humba Ventures, Julian Capital, Overture VC, and R7 Partners.

AVLIS Technology: A Refined Approach

Hexium’s core technology leverages Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS), a method originally developed by the Department of Energy in the 1980s. AVLIS was initially designed to separate uranium isotopes for nuclear power, but the project was halted following the end of the Cold War and a surplus of uranium from decommissioned Soviet weapons.

Hexium has adapted this decades-old technology to efficiently separate lithium isotopes.

Precision Laser Separation

The process utilizes lasers with exceptional precision, tuned to picometer accuracy. Peterson explained that the lasers used are relatively low power – comparable to those used in tattoo removal – but their precision allows for selective interaction with lithium-6.

Lithium exists in two stable isotopic forms: lithium-6 (three protons, three neutrons, three electrons) and lithium-7 (with an additional neutron). Each isotope possesses a unique wave function, akin to a distinct vocal signature.

Jarrott clarified, “It’ll just blow right by a lithium-7 atom. It’ll go unnoticed,” as the lasers are specifically tuned to interact only with the lithium-6 wave function.

The Separation Process

Hexium’s method involves vaporizing lithium and then exposing it to the tuned lasers. When a laser interacts with a lithium-6 atom, it becomes ionized.

These ionized atoms are then attracted to an electrically charged plate, condensing into a liquid and flowing into a collection trough, similar to water droplets forming on a cold surface.

Applications and Byproducts

The resulting lithium-6 will be sold to fusion companies for tritium breeding and reactor protection. The remaining lithium-7 will be marketed to conventional nuclear reactor operators, where it serves as a protective additive in cooling water.

Pilot Plant and Scalability

Hexium will utilize its seed funding to construct and operate a pilot plant over the next year. Successful operation will pave the way for replicating the design in a modular fashion, enabling production ranging from tens to hundreds of kilograms of lithium-6.

Peterson emphasized the scalability of the process, stating, “We don’t have to build a facility the size of a Costco or a football stadium. We can do it in a facility the size of a Starbucks, and we achieve good economics at very small scale, and then we just parallelize our process.”

Update: Additional details regarding seed funding have been included.