Aqua Metals Announces Allowance of Foundational U.S. Patent for Lithium Battery Recycling Technology
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 $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.
“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
Aqua Metals has used, and intends to continue using, its investor relations website (https://ir.aquametals.com), in addition to its X, Threads, LinkedIn and YouTube accounts at https://x.com/AquaMetalsInc (@AquaMetalsInc), https://www.threads.net/@aquametalsinc (@aquametalsinc), https://www.linkedin.com/company/aqua-metals-limited and https://www.youtube.com/@AquaMetals respectively, as means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD.
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
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