Al-Li Alloy Composition Patent Snapshot 2026
The Al-Li alloy composition patent space is dominated by a small cluster of aerospace and aluminum majors — led by The Boeing Co — with filing activity easing back from its 2018 peak. Europe (EPO) is the primary protection jurisdiction, and the competitive structure is highly concentrated among established players.
Boeing leads a concentrated field anchored by aerospace and aluminum producers
The Boeing Co holds the top position in this space, with Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood LLC, Alcoa Inc, Pechiney Rolled Products LLC, and Aluminum Company of America rounding out the top five. Together, these five filers account for 52% of the combined output of the ranked applicants visible in this query — a sign of strong concentration at the top.
The tier gap between the leader and the rest is meaningful: Boeing’s patent record count is nearly double that of the second-ranked filer. The mid-tier — Reynolds Metals Co, Sumitomo Light Metal Industries Inc, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University — holds ground but well below the leading cluster.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Boeing Company | 17 | |
| 2 | Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood LLC | 9 | |
| 3 | Alcoa Inc. | 8 | |
| 4 | Pechiney Rolled Products LLC | 8 | |
| 5 | Aluminum Company of America | 7 | |
| 6 | Reynolds Metals Company | 6 | |
| 7 | Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd. | 5 | |
| 8 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University | 4 | |
| 9 | The Boeing Company | 4 | |
| 10 | Honeywell International Inc. | 3 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | McCook Metals LLC | 3 | |
| 12 | Howmet Aerospace Inc. | 3 | |
| 13 | KAISER ALUMINUM & CHEMICAL CORP | 2 | |
| 14 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | 2 | |
| 15 | Harbin Engineering University | 2 | |
| 16 | UNIV OF SCI & TECH BEIJING | 1 | |
| 17 | Alcan International Ltd. | 1 | |
| 18 | Jiangmen Lingzhi Technology Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 19 | KOREA INST OF SCI & TECH | 1 | |
| 20 | Beijing Yuding Additive Manufacturing Research Institute Co., Ltd. | 1 |
The leaders’ positions reflect decades of proprietary alloy development tied directly to aerospace structural applications, creating a substantial barrier for new entrants seeking to challenge in core composition claims. Academic institutions such as Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Harbin Engineering University signal ongoing exploratory research at the margins.
Recent filing years (approximately 2024–2025) are likely under-counted due to standard patent publication lags and should not be interpreted as a structural change in activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Filing activity peaked around 2018 and has eased; alloy composition dominates the technology mix
The annual filing trend and technology composition charts together reveal a maturing field with a well-defined technical core and a narrow set of adjacent branches with relatively sparse coverage.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings peaked around 2018 and have eased since. The years 2024–2025 show very low recorded activity, which is consistent with publication lag rather than an abrupt halt in innovation. The field should be read as past-peak on an annual basis, with the multi-year trajectory in negative territory (-33% recent growth).
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
C22C (Alloys) is overwhelmingly visible, reflecting the core focus on alloy composition design. C22F (Non-ferrous metal treatment) forms a substantial secondary branch, capturing thermal and mechanical processing work that complements composition claims. All remaining branches — including B22D (Metal casting), C25C (Electrolytic metal production), and B23K (Welding) — are sparsely populated, pointing to areas where composition-adjacent process innovations are underrepresented.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Spray cast Al-Li alloy composition and method of p…
A composition and method for producing a low density, high stiffness aluminum alloy which is capable of being processed into structural components having a desired combination of tensile strength, fracture toughness and ductility. The method includes the steps of forming, by spray deposition, a solid Al-Li alloy workpiece consisting essentially of the… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Production of aluminum-lithium alloy by continuous… | 51 |
| 2 | Low density, high strength Al-Li alloy having high… | 45 |
| 3 | Aluminum alloy composites | 35 |
| 4 | Method of improving fracture toughness in aluminum… | 31 |
| 5 | Aluminium base copper-lithium-magnesium welding al… | 28 |
| 6 | Aluminum-lithium alloy | 27 |
| 7 | Aluminum-lithium alloys | 26 |
| 8 | Manufacturing method of aluminum-lithium alloy by … | 24 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
Assignee snapshot from the current evidence set
The applicants below are visible in this query result. Because the evidence set is relatively small, read this section as a directional snapshot rather than a full competitive ranking.
The Boeing Company
Boeing holds the top position with 17 patent records, focused primarily on C22C 21 (aluminum alloy compositions) and C22F 1 (non-ferrous metal treatment), consistent with proprietary alloy development for aerospace structural components. Applicant momentum data is not available for this corpus, so trajectory cannot be quantified; however, the 2018 peak and subsequent easing align with broader fleet development cycles.
patent records: 17Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood LLC
Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood LLC ranks second with 9 patent records. Its technology profile, like Boeing’s, centers on C22C 21 alloy compositions and C22F 1 heat treatment, reflecting a rolled-products focus that serves aerospace plate and sheet applications. Alcoa Inc and Pechiney Rolled Products LLC are closely matched at 8 patent records each, forming a tight challenger cluster just behind.
patent records: 9Frequently asked questions
The Boeing Co leads all applicants with 17 patent records, followed by Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood LLC with 9, and Alcoa Inc and Pechiney Rolled Products LLC each with 8.
Europe (EPO) leads all jurisdictions, reflecting the significant European aerospace manufacturing base. The United States ranks second, followed by Canada, with China and Japan each showing a smaller but meaningful presence.
The field is in a Decline stage based on available evidence. Annual filing volume peaked around 2018 and has eased since, with the recent-window growth rate at -33%. Note that the most recent years may be partially under-counted due to publication lag.
C22C (Alloys) is overwhelmingly visible, followed by C22F (Non-ferrous metal treatment). These two branches together represent the core of alloy composition and heat-treatment claim activity. All other branches are sparsely represented.
Collaboration activity is limited in the evidence. The only identified co-filing relationship is between two Boeing-affiliated entities — a Japanese-registered entity and the US parent — with 4 joint filings. No cross-company or university-industry co-filings are evident in the data.
Powder metallurgy (B22F) and welding/brazing (B23K) are among the sparsest branches, with 2 and 4 patent records respectively. Electrolytic metal production (C25C) and corrosion treatment (C23F) are also relatively thin. These are observations of sparsity; technical and commercial viability should be assessed independently before treating any as investment targets.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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