Ihor A. Kunasz

World-renowned Lithium Expert

2024 Medal of Merit Recipient

Ihor A. Kunasz is a world-renowned expert in lithium was born of Ukrainian parents in France where he completed his high school education at the College St. Clement, after which he emigrated to the United States in 1958. He graduated with a B.S. degree from Western Reserve University in Ohio where he was an All-American soccer player.  Kunasz started his lithium career with a doctoral thesis at the Pennsylvania State University on the Origin of Lithium in the Clayton Valley, where Foote Mineral produced the very first lithium carbonate from brine.

Subsequently, Kunasz became chief geologist for Foote Mineral Company, where he was responsible for the spodumene and brine operations. His accomplishment defining the different chemical make-ups of brine deposits and developing models to aid in lithium extraction that are still used to this day.

He brought to the project development stage two of the world’s lowest-cost lithium reserves—Silver Peak, Nevada, and the Salar de Atacama, Chile (one of the world’s largest sources of lithium). At Silver Peak, he was responsible for identifying production targets and developing a hydrological model for the basin, which is still valid. At the Salar de Atacama, his discovery of calcium-rich brines resulted in a new brine process, which replaced costly lime addition.

While working at Cyprus Mineral Company, Kunasz was involved in the successful development of a first-ever gold mining joint venture (Omolon Mining) in the Russian Far East. He finished his career with Newmont Mining Corporation as president of Newmont Uzbekistan Ltd., a gold mining joint venture partnership with the Uzbek government in the Zarafshan.  

Kunasz has been active in the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration for more than 4 decades, serving as chair of the Philadelphia Section and chair of the Industrial Minerals Division. In 1998, he was President of the Society. He was the recipient of the 1988 AIME Hal Williams Hardinge and 2014 SME Robert M. Dreyer awards for outstanding achievements in the exploration and development of lithium brine and became an AIME Honorary Member in 2024.

He has presented papers on lithium at a number of symposia, SME annual meetings, and lectured on lithium at Chinese, Argentinian, and Chilean universities.

Upon his retirement, he joined the TRU Consulting Group analyzing the viability of most known lithium pegmatite and brine deposits. He lives in Tucson with his wife, Zenovia. His book – The Lithium Legacy – which reflects his 50 years of experience with lithium has been recently published.