Ann: Siviour Battery Anode Material Project - Project Update, page-9

Brilliant update by the Company!

A lot of information to absorb. Including, that it addresses our weekend's misguided, ill-informed and half-cocked guests.

I particularly enjoyed these parts, as it addresses the 'why' part of RNU opposition.

Downstream Purification Circuit and Patent Opposition:

Renascor recently lodged an opposition to a pending patent application relating to the purification of graphite. Renascor considers the pending patent application to be overly broad and relating to processing procedures that are not novel or inventive to merit patent protection.

Irrespective of the outcome of the pending patent application, Renascor does not anticipate the Siviour Project will be adversely impacted, as Renascor’s purification process can exceed lithium- ion battery anode purity specifications with processes that are outside the scope of the pending patent application.

and this…

Renascor’s Downstream Purification Circuit and Patent Opposition:

Renascor has developed an eco-friendly purification process to purify Siviour Graphite Concentrates to battery-grade without the use of hydrofluoric acid (HF), which is generally used in Chinese PSG operations. Instead, Renascor will use less environmentally harmful reagents to purify Siviour graphite for use in lithium-ion battery anodes.

Renascor’s purification process is based on previously existing and well documented mineral processing procedures in the public domain that use a caustic roast and an HF-free leaching process. Renascor believes these mineral processing procedures are not subject to patent protection. Renascor has adapted these procedures for the purpose of purifying its Siviour graphite to meet battery anode requirements.

Renascor’s caustic roast and HF-free leaching purification process permits the use of several alternative procedures that apply varying reagent regimes, retention times and other processing parameters to achieve the requirements of potential battery anode customers.

Renascor recently became aware of an application seeking patent protection over certain previously known and published procedures for purifying graphite25. In Renascor’s view, the pending patent application is overly broad and relates to processing procedures that are not novel or inventive to merit patent protection. Renascor (as well as at least one other industry participant) has now opposed the pending patent application to protect and preserve its flexibility to use these processing procedures (or similar), should it wish to do so.

Irrespective of the outcome of the pending patent application, Renascor does not anticipate the Siviour Project will be adversely impacted. Renascor’s purification process will allow it to purify Siviour graphitetobattery-gradeusingacausticroast,HF-freeprocedure. Renascor’spurificationprocesshas achieved battery-grade PSG, exceeding lithium-ion battery anode purity specifications, through caustic roasting and HF-free leaching processes that are outside the scope of the pending patent application. Renascor expects that the adoption of these processes (and/or other well-documented HF-free processes) would not adversely impact its ability to produce high quality and low-cost battery-grade PSG.

As part of the optimised BAM Study, the final operating parameters of the purification processes will be determined.

OODA-loop! What's next from our western friends?

All IMO, DYOR, GLTAH