Aqua Metals Announces Allowance of Foundational U.S. Patent for Lithium Battery Recycling Technology
- Patent allowance strengthens company's intellectual property portfolio and competitive position
- Technology offers $1,100 cost savings per metric ton compared to conventional methods
- Process eliminates sodium sulfate waste and generates negligible CO₂ emissions
- Multiple potential licensing and joint venture partnerships under discussion
- Successfully demonstrated recovery of battery-grade lithium carbonate and high-purity nickel/cobalt materials
- None.
Insights
Aqua Metals secures key patent for its cost-effective, environmentally superior lithium battery recycling technology, strengthening its licensing potential.
Aqua Metals has received a crucial Notice of Allowance from the USPTO for their lithium battery recycling technology patent application. This is a significant development as it protects their AquaRefining™ intellectual property—a novel electrified hydrometallurgical process that can recover battery-grade materials while offering substantial advantages over conventional methods.
The patent application (No. 17/584,975) filed in January 2022 represents the culmination of extensive R&D that has progressed from laboratory testing to successful pilot operations. The technology demonstrates cost savings of approximately $1,100 per metric ton of black mass processed compared to traditional hydrometallurgical approaches.
From a technical perspective, what makes this patent particularly valuable is that it covers a process that can efficiently recover battery-grade lithium carbonate, nickel, and cobalt—all critical materials in the battery supply chain. The technology also offers substantial environmental benefits by eliminating sodium sulfate waste, generating minimal CO₂ emissions, and providing a safer workplace environment.
This patent allowance significantly enhances Aqua Metals' ability to execute their business strategy of scaling through both owned recycling facilities and global partnerships. The company is now better positioned to pursue licensing and joint venture opportunities, which could accelerate their market penetration and revenue generation. Additionally, they're pursuing patents for producing battery precursor materials, suggesting a strategic move toward vertical integration in the battery recycling value chain.
With the critical minerals supply chain becoming increasingly important for energy transition, this patent strengthens Aqua Metals' potential role in building domestic battery material production capabilities—a priority for reducing dependency on foreign sources for these essential materials.
Patent Strengthens AquaRefining™ IP Portfolio and Supports Licensing and Joint Venture Strategy for Global Expansion
RENO, Nev., June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aqua Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AQMS), a leader in sustainable lithium battery recycling, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) 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
“This allowance represents a major milestone in our strategy to scale AquaRefining™ through both owned recycling campuses and global partnerships,” said Steve Cotton, President and CEO of Aqua Metals. “It strengthens our IP foundation and positions us to pursue licensing and joint venture opportunities with partners who share our vision of building a clean, secure, and domestic battery materials supply chain. We look forward to sharing more on these partnerships soon.”
Aqua Metals is also pursuing additional patents, including a novel and cost-efficient process to produce lithium battery precursor materials. The Company is currently in discussions with multiple potential licensees and JV partners worldwide, with this broad new patent allowance expected to play a central role in enabling and structuring those relationships.
This patent allowance represents continued progress in Aqua Metals’ mission to build a robust intellectual property portfolio and lead the build out of a domestic lithium battery supply chain.
About Aqua Metals
Aqua Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AQMS) is reinventing metals recycling with its patented AquaRefining™ technology. The Company is focused on commercializing sustainable lithium-ion battery recycling that is non-polluting and closes the loop on critical minerals for clean energy technologies. Aqua Metals is based in Reno, Nevada, with facilities located in the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center. For more information, visit www.aquametals.com.
Aqua Metals Social Media
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Safe Harbor
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Aqua Metals, Inc. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, our plans, objectives, expectations, and intentions and other statements that contain words such as "expects," "contemplates," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "believes", "estimates", "potential" and variations of such words or similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes, or that do not relate to historical matters. The forward-looking statements in this press release include our expectations for our recently issued patent covering our lithium battery recycling technology, including the expected beneficial impact of the patent on our licensing and joint venture opportunities. Those forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to, the risk that (1) we have not commenced the commercial production of recycled black mass using our lithium battery recycling technology or otherwise; (2) there can be no assurance we will be able to realize the expected benefits of our lithium battery recycling process once we commence commercial recycling; (3) the risk we may not be able to successfully acquire the funding necessary to commence commercial recycling; (4) even if we are to able acquire the necessary funding, the risk we may not be able to commence commercial recycling or realize the expected benefits from such recycling; (5) the risk that we may not be able to acquire the funding necessary to maintain our current level of operations; and (6) those risks disclosed in the section "Risk Factors" included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 31, 2025. Aqua Metals cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to update or revise such statements to reflect on new circumstances or unanticipated events as they occur, except as required by law.
Contact Information
Investor Relations
Bob Meyers & Rob Fink
FNK IR
646-878-9204
aqms@fnkir.com
Media
David Regan
Aqua Metals
415-336-3553
david.regan@aquametals.com
FAQ
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