RecycLiCo Battery Materials Secures Two Additional Patents in Japan and Australia for Battery Recycling

RecycLiCo Battery Materials Inc. to hold Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders on October 31, 2023

SURREY, British Columbia, Oct. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RecycLiCo Battery Materials Inc. (“RecycLiCo” or the “Company”) (TSX.V: AMY; OTCQB: AMYZF; FSE: ID4), a global leader in sustainable lithium-ion battery recycling technology, is pleased to announce that the Australian Patent Office and Japanese Patent Office have issued patent No. 2020237451, and No. 7341598 for the RecycLiCo’s lithium-ion battery recycling process. The two patents issued bring RecycLiCo’s patent portfolio to ten granted patents and an additional six applications for battery recycling around the globe. This is RecycLiCo’s second patent granted in both regions.

Securing patents for our innovative technology on a global scale is pivotal to fortifying our commercial business model and facilitating the widespread deployment of our RecycLiCo solution. These patents not only provide legal protection for our intellectual property but also create a formidable moat of knowledge and expertise in our field. This strategic emphasis on intellectual property and technological know-how ensures that we maintain a competitive advantage, fostering sustained growth and allowing us to stay at the forefront of our industry as we commercialize our process.

The granted patent encompasses the following enhanced developments to the Company’s RecycLiCo process:

• Separation of graphite and carbon from ground battery concentrates - Ground battery concentrates, or black mass as it is known in the industry, is a waste product generated through the mechanical shredding of end-of-life batteries. Within black mass lie precious metals including cobalt, nickel, lithium, and manganese. In terms of volume, Fastmarkets predicts that the black mass market will experience growth from 468,000 tons in 2023 to 753,000 tons by 2025. This underscores the vital need for the RecycLiCo process to handle both battery production scrap and black mass material.
• Treatment of fluoride originating from electrolyte solution - The electrolyte is a highly toxic and hazardous lithium-ion battery material found in some black mass materials. If not treated, it could lead to complications in downstream recycling functions and environmental damage.
• Separation of aluminum from cathode active material - It is estimated by Benchmark Minerals that by 2025, 78% recyclable material feedstock will come from production scrap generated from the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion battery manufacturing includes coating cathode active material containing lithium, nickel, manganese, and cobalt to an aluminum foil to form the cathode electrode. This manufacturing process can result in off-spec cathodes that are scrapped as waste, which the RecycLiCo process can treat to produce high-quality cathode materials for battery re-manufacturing.