American Manganese files for patents in seven countries

American Manganese Inc. (AMY), a Surrey, British Columbia-based metals company, has filed National Phase Patent Applications for its RecycLiCo Technology, which recycles lithium-ion battery cathode materials.

Seven additional countries have been selected for National Phase Applications for the company’s original Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Application No. PCT/US2017/060794, filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization Nov. 9, 2017. In addition to US Patent No. 10,246,343, which was granted in April, AMY has filed National Phase Applications in China, Japan, South Korea, Europe, Australia, India and Canada.

Larry Reaugh, president and CEO of AMY, says, “The rationale for choosing these seven countries stems from the careful review of jurisdictions that will dominate the world battery materials market in addition to interest we have received from each regarding AMY’s patented RecycLiCo process.”

The company holds patented technology in four countries for its low-grade manganese mining process and a U.S. patent for its RecycLiCo recycling process. A third technology for handing commercially collected and processed end-of-life lithium-ion battery materials is patent pending.

American Manganese says it plans to file an additional patent application within the next several months on technology that is designed to enhance large scale industrial operation based on recent developments in stages three, four and five of the pilot testing presently underway.

During these three stages, material will be purified and battery-grade-ready lithium carbonate and base metal oxides will be recovered. The company says it also will recycle reagents and water used in the process.