Andromeda Metals Ltd (ASX:ADN, OTC:ANDMF) has secured its first national patent for its proprietary high-purity alumina (HPA) production process, strengthening the intellectual property position underpinning its emerging HPA business.
The patent, granted in South Africa, covers Andromeda’s novel process for producing HPA and/or smelter-grade alumina and is the first approval from a broader portfolio of national patent applications being pursued by the company.
It follows recent progress including successful pilot-scale production of HPA at a measured purity of 99.9986% and a strategic supply heads of agreement with Traxys North America aimed at developing a pathway into the US market.
Patent supports commercialisation strategy
Andromeda has spent more than eight years researching, testing and optimising the process, which uses kaolin sourced from its Great White Project.
Acting CEO Sarah Clarke said securing the first national patent validated the originality of the technology and represented an important step in protecting the company’s intellectual property as it moves towards commercialisation.
“The granting of the first national patent is an important milestone in the development of Andromeda’s High Purity Alumina business and validates the originality of our proprietary technology.
“Protecting our intellectual property is a key component of our commercialisation strategy. This patent strengthens Andromeda’s competitive position as we advance our HPA Project and seek to establish a new, low-cost and low-carbon pathway for producing HPA from kaolin.
The company is progressing additional patent applications in other jurisdictions while continuing pilot-scale testing, customer engagement and project development activities.
Andromeda is targeting a potentially lower-cost and lower-carbon route to HPA production, with the material increasingly used across lithium-ion batteries, semiconductors, LEDs, synthetic sapphire and advanced ceramics.
HPA Project highlights potential scale
A 2025 scoping study assessed staged HPA production of up to 10,000 tonnes per annum and generated a pre-tax net present value of approximately A$1.48 billion.
The study also outlined potential average annual earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of around A$247 million.
The newly granted patent is held by Andromeda’s wholly owned subsidiary Andromeda Technologies Holdings Pty Ltd and was derived from the company’s international Patent Cooperation Treaty application.
