Altilium has been granted its first UK patent covering its EcoCathode electric vehicle battery recycling process, strengthening the company’s intellectual property portfolio as it advances the commercialization of its battery materials recovery technology.
The UK-based clean technology company said the UK Intellectual Property Office awarded Patent No. GB2637908B, titled “Material Recovery Method and Use,” for its hydrometallurgical process that recovers, purifies and regenerates high-value cathode materials from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries.
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Patent Supports Domestic Battery Materials Production
Altilium’s patented process converts black mass generated from recycled batteries into high-purity, battery-grade cathode materials that can be used in the production of new electric vehicle batteries.
The company said the technology enables critical minerals to be returned directly to the UK’s battery supply chain through a closed-loop recycling system.
Unlike conventional battery recycling methods that often produce intermediate materials requiring additional processing overseas, Altilium’s process directly regenerates battery-grade cathode materials. The company said this approach reduces energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on imported critical minerals.
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The patent forms the foundation of a wider international intellectual property strategy, with corresponding patent applications progressing in several major global markets as the company expands its commercial operations and explores international licensing opportunities.
Technology Validated for Commercial Scale
According to Altilium, the recycling process has already been demonstrated at an industrially representative scale through collaborative research and development projects with automotive manufacturers supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre.
Independent testing by Imperial College London found that battery materials produced using the company’s recycling technology deliver performance comparable with materials produced from newly mined minerals, supporting their use in next-generation battery manufacturing.
Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Dr Christian Marston said the patent marks an important step in commercializing the company’s technology.
“This patent represents a significant milestone for Altilium and validates years of research and development into creating a truly circular supply chain for battery materials. Intellectual property is fundamental to our strategy as we scale our technology from pilot operations to commercial production.”
“Our process enables critical battery metals to be recovered and regenerated into battery-grade materials with dramatically lower carbon emissions than traditional mining and refining. This is exactly the type of innovation needed to build a resilient and sustainable battery supply chain for the UK.”
The patent also supports Altilium’s broader portfolio of technologies covering cathode active materials (CAM), anode active materials (AAM) and other critical battery materials.
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The company said these technologies will underpin the expansion of its recycling operations, including its ACT3 commercial facility in Plymouth and the planned ACT4 large-scale battery materials production project, while creating opportunities for strategic partnerships and international licensing.
Altilium added that demand for recycled battery materials is expected to increase as electric vehicle adoption grows and new European Union regulations requiring higher levels of recycled content in batteries come into effect, strengthening the role of domestic recycling in securing critical mineral supplies.