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Firebird Metals (ASX:FRB) has locked down two key Chinese patents, which will now underpin the company’s lithium manganese iron phosphate battery strategy it has been working on for the last two years.
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Firebird confirmed the two Chinese patents through its active R&D program, signing a collaborative agreement with Central South University in Hunan last October.
With this deal locked in, the manganese trend-setter can now integrate high-purity manganese sulphate production with pre-cathode active material synthesis. One advantage of the integration is a better cost structure.
“Firebird committed early to this technology because we recognised the critical role manganese would play in next-gen battery chemistries,” Firebird’s managing director, Peter Allen, explained. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see LMFP now gaining the global traction we had forecast internally.”
Over 100 LMFP batches have already been produced at Firebird’s “Ore to Cathode” R&D centre; samples are being sent to Chinese and international customers.
The two-patent deal goes some distance to setting Firebird as “a leader in Western LMFP development,” the company wrote after the acquisition today.
That development will then roll on into a second stage where the testwork will incorporate customer feedback and tailor LMFP products to specific requirements. The target is to produce 200 tonnes per annum in early days.
Firebird also has four more patents pending; these are still awaiting review filings.
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FRB shares have jumped as much as +8% out the gates on Monday on the patent acquisition news, especially after Mr Allen declared the deal would lead to far stronger and “more cost-effective” material production.
“Our process innovation in manganese sulphate production is expected to deliver a meaningful cost advantage by eliminating the energy-intensive crystallisation step, [which is] historically the largest contributor to operating costs. This integrated approach enhances both the efficiency and production quality,” he said.
The Australian cathode producer has now gained +35% value in YTD.
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