Aqua Metals Secures Key U.S. Patent For Breakthrough Lithium Battery Recycling Technology, Further Strengthens The Co's AquaRefining Intellectual Property Portfolio

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.