Lithium Australia protects battery recycling processes

Lithium ion battery materials group Lithium Australia has filed two patent cooperation treaty (PCT) applications seeking protection for its lithium ion battery recycling technologies.

PCT protection is a way of gaining coverage in multiple overseas jurisdictions in one step.

The first of its applications involves the recovery of electrode materials and electrolyte from spent lithium ion batteries.

The second is for its technology for selective separation of mixed metal sulphates.

Lithium plans a mine to production and recycling battery value chain which it is commercialising through its VSPC cathode manufacturing business subsidiary, and battery recycling business Envirostream Australia.

The ‘process for recovering value from batteries’ technologies, which are covered by Australian provisional patent applications, support the company’s circular economy ambitions.

Lithium Australia managing director Adrian Griffin said the company was in a strong position to accelerate commercialisation of its technologies, having just completed a $6.4 million capital raising.

Griffin said: “Indeed the first of these (technologies) has already been implemented on a commercial scale at our Melbourne processing plant.”

Picture: Lithium Australia/recycling process

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