Patents by Inventor Jack Groppo

Jack Groppo has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method for recovering valuable materials from batteries
    Patent number: 12676351
    Abstract: A method of recycling batteries includes steps of: shredding the batteries to generate a shredded battery feed material, wetting the shredded battery feed material with an ammonia carbonate lixiviant to generate a slurry, separating the battery feed material in the slurry into a relatively light fraction material slurry and a relatively heavy fraction material slurry, processing the relatively light fraction material slurry in a first counter current ammoniacal leaching and decanting circuit to produce a first pregnant leaching solution including a soluble lithium (Li) component, and processing the relatively heavy fraction material slurry in a second counter current ammoniacal leaching and decanting circuit to produce a second pregnant leaching solution including, if present in the batteries, soluble nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) components and insoluble graphite, iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), manganese (Mn) and rare earth element (REEs) components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2026
    Assignee: University of Kentucky Research Foundation
    Inventors: Joshua Werner, Lucas Bertucci, Yang-Tse Cheng, Jack Groppo, Matthew Weisenberger
  • METHOD FOR RECOVERING VALUABLE MATERIALS FROM BATTERIES
    Publication number: 20250030074
    Abstract: A method of recycling batteries includes steps of: shredding the batteries to generate a shredded battery feed material, wetting the shredded battery feed material with an ammonia carbonate lixiviant to generate a slurry, separating the battery feed material in the slurry into a relatively light fraction material slurry and a relatively heavy fraction material slurry, processing the relatively light fraction material slurry in a first counter current ammoniacal leaching and decanting circuit to produce a first pregnant leaching solution including a soluble lithium (Li) component, and processing the relatively heavy fraction material slurry in a second counter current ammoniacal leaching and decanting circuit to produce a second pregnant leaching solution including, if present in the batteries, soluble nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) components and insoluble graphite, iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), manganese (Mn) and rare earth element (REEs) components
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2023
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Inventors: Joshua Werner, Lucas Bertucci, Yang-Tse Cheng, Jack Groppo, Matthew Weisenberger