Lithium a step closer to process patent protection

Lithium ion battery materials group Lithium Australia (ASX: LIT) has moved a step close to achieving patent protection for its key proprietary processes for recovering lithium phosphates from silicate ores and solutions.

The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organisation has published two Lithium Australia patent applications, a key step in the process of obtaining a patent grant.

The applications describe two processing steps which together reduce the complexity of producing lithium ion battery cathode powders.

Lithium Australia managing director, Adrian Griffin said intellectual property protection was key to protecting the company’s assets.

Griffin said: “(Our) processes can facilitate vertical integration with the battery supply chain, potentially reducing the number of process steps involved and lowering costs for consumers.

“The ability to integrate metal recovery from batteries and regenerate cathode materials represents a major advance.”

The patent applications cover elements of the company’s SiLeach hydrometallurgical process for recovering metals, and its LieNA lithium processing technology developed in association with ANSTO Minerals.

Picture: Lithium Australia

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