Altilium Secures UK Patent for EV Battery Recycling Technology

According to company reports, Altilium, a UK-based clean technology company focused on recovering critical battery materials, has secured its first UK patent for its EcoCathode EV battery recycling process. The patent covers a hydrometallurgical technology designed to recover, purify and regenerate battery-grade cathode materials from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, supporting the development of a domestic recycled battery materials supply chain.

The UK Intellectual Property Office granted UK Patent No. GB2637908B, titled “Material Recovery Method and Use,” protecting Altilium’s process for converting battery “black mass” into high-purity cathode materials suitable for use in new electric vehicle (EV) battery production.

Unlike conventional recycling methods that often produce intermediate materials requiring further processing overseas, Altilium’s technology is designed to directly regenerate battery-grade materials through a closed-loop process. The company said the approach can reduce energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on imported critical minerals by returning recovered materials directly into battery manufacturing.

The patent strengthens Altilium’s intellectual property portfolio as the company moves toward commercial-scale operations. The company said additional patent applications are progressing in other major markets to protect its recycling technologies and support future licensing opportunities.

Altilium’s recycling process has been demonstrated at industrially representative scale through research and development projects with automotive manufacturers supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre. Independent validation by Imperial College London found that materials produced through the process achieved performance comparable with virgin mined materials, indicating their suitability for next-generation battery applications.

“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,” said Dr Christian Marston, Co-Founder and COO of Altilium. “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.”

The patented technology forms part of Altilium’s broader platform covering the recovery and regeneration of cathode active materials (CAM), anode active materials (AAM) and other critical battery materials. These technologies support the company’s planned recycling facilities, including its ACT3 commercial plant in Plymouth and future large-scale production facility ACT4.

The development comes as demand for recycled battery materials increases alongside EV adoption and regulatory requirements for recycled content in battery manufacturing. New battery regulations in markets including the European Union are expected to increase demand for traceable recycled materials and strengthen the role of battery recycling in future supply chains.

Altilium said its technology is intended to keep strategic battery minerals in circulation while supporting domestic manufacturing and improving supply security for critical materials.

Source: Altilium

SUNSHINE Spotlight: Altilium’s patented EcoCathode process advances closed-loop EV battery recycling by enabling direct recovery of battery-grade materials for future production.