Aqua Metals announces allowance of patent for lithium battery recycling tech

Aqua Metals (AQMS) announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Application No. 17/584,975. The newly allowed patent covers critical aspects of Aqua Metals’ proprietary lithium battery recycling technology and further strengthens the Company’s AquaRefining intellectual property portfolio. Originally filed in January 2022, the application reflects years of R&D that progressed from lab and bench-scale validation to successful pilot operations. Aqua Metals has demonstrated the ability to efficiently recover battery-grade lithium carbonate, as well as high-purity nickel and cobalt materials, using its novel, electrified, and regenerative hydrometallurgical process. This patent protects core innovations in Aqua Metals’ AquaRefining technology-an environmentally superior alternative to traditional recycling. The process offers estimated cost savings of approximately $1,100 per metric ton of black mass input versus conventional hydrometallurgical methods. It also eliminates sodium sulfate waste, generates negligible CO2 emissions, and provides a safer workplace environment.