ALAMEDA, Calif., June 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aqua Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQMS), (“Aqua Metals” or the “Company”), which is commercializing a
non-polluting electrochemical lead recycling technology called AquaRefining™, has secured its first patent; Korea Patent No.
10-1739414, “Devices and Method for Smelterless Recycling of Lead Acid Batteries.”
The Company made a strategic decision to choose the Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) as the examining
authority because of its well-known rigorous examination process. To that end, Australia, China and other key Asian territories
tend to follow KIPO’s lead. Korea is also one of the world’s largest lead producers with a metals industry that uses large scale
hydro-metallurgical processes.
“While our initial patent provides us with protection in Korea only, we believe this first patent sets a strong
precedent that our technology is novel, of utility and an advancement over the prior art,” said Dr. Stephen Clarke, chairman and
CEO of Aqua Metals. “We anticipate this will be the first of many patents to be issued in the coming months. More importantly, this
is a landmark moment for our team – our technology has passed muster in one of the toughest patent jurisdictions in the world,
which paves the way for success elsewhere. We are extremely proud of this achievement, and believe it validates the hard work and
progress our team has put forth.”
The Company is pursuing a comprehensive and rigorous IP Strategy with more than 20 planned filings organized
into several “families” covering “matter”, “devices” and “processes” in up to 20 territories.
About Aqua Metals
Aqua Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQMS) is reinventing lead recycling with its patented and patent-pending AquaRefiningTM
technology. Unlike smelting, AquaRefining is a room temperature, water-based process that is fundamentally non-polluting. These
modular systems allow the Company to vastly reduce environmental impact and scale lead acid recycling production capacity both by
building its own AquaRefineries and licensing the AquaRefining technology to partners. This meets growing demand for lead to power
new applications including stop/start automobile batteries which complement the vehicle’s main battery, Internet data centers,
alternative energy applications including solar, wind, and grid scale storage. Aqua Metals is based in Alameda, California, and has
built its first recycling facility in Nevada’s Tahoe Reno Industrial Complex. To learn more, please visit www.aquametals.com.
Safe Harbor
This press release contains forward-looking
statements concerning Aqua Metals, Inc., the strength
and efficacy of its portfolio of patent applications and issued patent, the lead acid battery
recycling industry, the future of lead acid
battery recycling via traditional smelters, the
Company’s development of its commercial lead acid
battery recycling facilities and the quality, efficiency
and profitability of the Company’s proposed lead
acid battery recycling operations. Those
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially. Among those factors
are: (1) the risk no further patents will be issued on our patent applications or any other application that we may file in the
future or that, if such patents are issued, they will be sufficiently broad to adequately protect our technology, (2) the risk that
our initial patent and any other patents that may be issued to us may be challenged, invalidated, or circumvented, (3) the risk
that our initial patent and other any patents that may be issued to us may be may not stop a competitor from illegally using our
patented processes and materials, (4) the fact that the Company only recently commenced revenue producing operations, thus
subjecting the Company to all of the risks inherent in
a pre-revenue start-up; (5) risks related
to Aqua Metals’ ability to raise sufficient
capital, as and when needed, to develop
and operate its recycling facilities; (6) changes in
the federal, state and foreign laws regulating the
recycling of lead acid batteries; (7) the
Company’s ability to protect its proprietary
technology, trade secrets and know-how and
(8) those other risks disclosed in the section
“Risk Factors” included in the Company’s
Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 2,
2017. Aqua Metals cautions readers not to place undue
reliance on any forward-looking statements. The
Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims
any obligation, to update or revise such
statements to reflect new circumstances or unanticipated
events as they occur.
Aqua Metals Media Relations: Antenna Kimberly Setliff Senior Vice President 415-977-1942 aquametals@antennagroup.com Aqua Metals Investor Relations: MZ North America Greg Falesnik Managing Director Main: 949-385-6449 greg.falesnik@mzgroup.us www.mzgroup.us