UK clean technology company Altilium has secured its first patent for its EcoCathode EV battery recycling process, marking a major step in the commercialisation of its technology and supporting the growth of domestic battery materials production.
The UK Intellectual Property Office has awarded UK Patent No. GB2637908B, titled Material Recovery Method and Use, protecting the company’s hydrometallurgical process for recovering, purifying and regenerating high-value cathode materials from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. The technology converts ‘black mass’ into high-purity battery-grade materials that can be used in the production of new electric vehicle batteries, helping to keep critical minerals within the UK battery supply chain.
The newly granted patent also strengthens Altilium’s intellectual property portfolio, with related patent applications progressing in key international markets as the business continues to expand its commercial operations and explore overseas licensing opportunities.
Unlike conventional recycling methods, which often require intermediate products to be refined abroad, Altilium’s closed-loop process directly recovers and regenerates battery-grade cathode materials in the UK. The company says this approach cuts energy use, lowers greenhouse gas emissions and reduces reliance on imported critical minerals.
The process has already been demonstrated at industrially representative scale through collaborative research and development projects with leading automotive manufacturers, supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre. Independent validation by Imperial College London also found that Altilium’s recycled materials deliver performance comparable to virgin mined materials, confirming their suitability for next-generation battery production.
Dr Christian Marston, Co-Founder and COO of Altilium, commented: “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 supports Altilium’s wider portfolio of technologies covering cathode active materials, anode active materials and other critical battery materials. These innovations underpin the company’s recycling facilities, including its ACT3 commercial plant in Plymouth and future large-scale production at ACT4, while supporting strategic partnerships, licensing opportunities and international expansion as demand for sustainable battery materials continues to grow.
