Pure Lithium secures Australian patent for lithium battery technology

Chicago-based Pure Lithium Corporation has announced it has secured an Australian patent covering its lithium metal anode and battery technology.

Australia mines roughly half of the world’s lithium, yet has no domestic battery production, and the company says the patent could support the development of domestic battery manufacturing using locally sourced materials.

China controls the lithium-ion battery supply chain and manufactures the vast majority of batteries, leaving all other countries vulnerable. Pure Lithium says its central goal is in opening up markets around the world through battery technology that enables local, independent supply chains, keeping pace with demand and strengthening economies.

The patent protects Pure Lithium’s intellectual property in Australia, covering the company’s lithium metal anode technology and its integration into a complete lithium metal battery. The Australian patent bolsters the company’s portfolio of over 160 patents and patent applications spanning multiple jurisdictions.

Pure Lithium says the patent is an important step toward creating something Australia has never had: a complete domestic battery production supply chain, from lithium extraction to finished battery. Australia’s resource advantage extends beyond lithium: it also holds substantial vanadium deposits, the cathode material used in Pure Lithium’s Gen-2 battery, meaning both sides of the battery could be sourced on Australian soil.

“Securing patent protection for our lithium metal anode and battery technology in Australia is a significant milestone in our global strategy of establishing battery production hubs in key markets around the world,” said Pure Lithium Founder, Chairman and CEO, Emilie Bodoin. “Australia possesses the natural resources, technical talent, and regulatory environment to be an excellent jurisdiction for next-generation lithium metal battery manufacturing. This patent strengthens our position to bring lithium metal battery production to Australia and reinforces our mission of opening up markets to build a secure battery supply chain independent of Chinese dominance.”

Pure Lithium says its lithium metal anode represents a step-change improvement over the graphite anode used in today’s lithium-ion battery in various aspects; including energy density, cycle life and materials cost. The company believes its lithium metal battery is suitable for substantially all applications in which the lithium-ion battery is used today, including drones, smartphones, electric scooters, grid-scale energy storage systems and electric vehicles.

Pure Lithium’s lithium metal battery is free of graphite, cobalt, nickel, manganese and other materials that have supply chain vulnerabilities due to being predominantly sourced from or refined in China. Instead, Pure Lithium’s lithium metal battery technology could enable the first truly China-independent supply chain for next-generation energy storage.

Image credit: Pure Lithium