Australian Patent Application Faced Opposition for EcoGraf Limited

EcoGraf Limited has encountered opposition to its Australian patent application for a "Method of Producing Purified Graphite," filed on November 1, 2022. The opposition findings were issued by the delegate of the Australian Commissioner of Patents, highlighting issues with certain claims lacking inventive step and inadequate disclosure beyond the use of spheroidal and flake graphite.

The company is contemplating its next steps, which may include amending the application to address the identified deficiencies or appealing to the Federal Court. Despite these findings, EcoGraf's development of EcoGraf HFfree™ purification facilities in Australia remains unaffected.

EcoGraf has also filed patent applications in several other countries, with the US Patent and Trademark Office granting a patent for the same method on July 18, 2023. The production of environmentally superior battery anode material continues, supported by a $2.9m grant from the Australian Government under the Critical Minerals Development Program.

This development is part of the company's efforts to align with the Australian Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy and secure future commercial-scale purification facilities across the globe. EcoGraf's initiative has received significant interest from prospective customers and government support for its Australian Product Qualification Facility.