Lignol Energy Corporation (TSXV: LEC), a leading technology company in advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals, today announced that it received confirmation from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office that its first Canadian patent application has been approved.<\/b><\/p>\n
“The approval of one of our core biorefining process patents in Canada is good news for Lignol and our shareholders,\u201d said Ross MacLachlan, President and CEO. “This patent reinforces our decision to invest in a robust intellectual property portfolio which provides significant barriers to competitors who may seek to replicate elements of our process or produce certain lignin derivatives.\u201d<\/p>\n
The patent, entitled “Continuous counter-current organosolv processing of lignocellulosic feedstocks”, is a companion to a US patent issued on December 16, 2008. The Canadian patent is broader in scope and includes process, systems and novel composition of matter claims.<\/p>\n
It is anticipated that over the next year related patent filings will be approved in a number of jurisdictions. It should be noted that this patent is separate and distinct from the four applications referred to in Lignol\u2019s April 14, 2011 press release.<\/p>\n
Lignol\u2019s rapidly growing patent portfolio currently consists of over sixty patent applications in various stages of approval and prosecution. The portfolio includes patent families relating to processes, systems, the composition of extractives (including lignin derivatives), and their applications. Lignol also owns several trademarks and a significant body of trade secrets.<\/p>\n
About Lignol<\/i><\/b>
Lignol (TSX-V: LEC) is a Canadian company undertaking the development of biorefining technologies for the production of advanced biofuels, including fuel-grade ethanol, and renewable chemicals from non-food cellulosic biomass feedstocks. Lignol\u2019s modified solvent based pre-treatment technology facilitates the rapid, high-yield conversion of cellulose to ethanol and the production of renewable chemicals, including high purity HP-LTM lignins. HP-LTM lignin represents a new class of high purity lignin extractives (and their subsequent derivatives) which can be engineered to meet the chemical properties and functional requirements of a range of industrial applications that until now has not been possible with traditional lignin by- products generated from other processes. Lignol is executing on its development plan through strategic partnerships to further develop and integrate its core technologies on a commercial scale. Lignol also intends to invest in, or otherwise obtain, equity interests in energy related projects which have synergies with its biorefining technology.<\/p>\n