LFP Separator Patent Snapshot 2026
The LFP separator patent field is in a Growth stage, with recent three-year filings running 57% above the prior three-year window, though annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak. The competitive structure is moderately concentrated, with Celgard LLC and Wayne State University jointly leading, while China and Germany anchor the dominant filing jurisdictions.
Celgard and Wayne State lead a moderately concentrated field
Celgard LLC and Wayne State University share the top position in the applicant ranking, each holding 4 patent records, followed closely by GM Global Technology Operations LLC and Samsung SDI Co Ltd at 3 patent records each.
The top five filers account for 55% of the combined output of the ranked applicants visible in this query, indicating moderate concentration — large enough to signal established incumbents but not so visible as to exclude new entrants. A noticeable tier gap separates the top four from the remaining applicants, who each hold only 1–2 patent records.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celgard LLC | 4 | |
| 2 | Wayne State University | 4 | |
| 3 | GM Global Technology Operations LLC | 3 | |
| 4 | Samsung SDI Co Ltd | 3 | |
| 5 | Suzhou University | 2 | |
| 6 | SHAANXI UNIV OF SCI & TECH | 2 | |
| 7 | RAI Strategic Holdings Inc | 2 | |
| 8 | Xuzhou Jiutong Power Co Ltd | 1 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Toyota Industries Corporation | 1 | |
| 10 | Battero Tech Corp Ltd | 1 | |
| 11 | Airbus Operations GmbH | 1 | |
| 12 | Bayerische Motoren Werke AG | 1 | |
| 13 | Chuangpusi (Shenzhen) New Energy Technology Group Co Ltd | 1 | |
| 14 | Hydro-Quebec | 1 | |
| 15 | CEA (Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives) | 1 | |
| 16 | Haian Kehao Textile Co Ltd | 1 |
The joint leadership of an industrial separator specialist (Celgard) and a university research group (Wayne State) reflects a field where proprietary manufacturing know-how and academic materials science both carry weight, suggesting that both route-specific depth and cross-disciplinary collaboration are viable strategic postures.
The most recent 18–24 months of data are subject to publication lag and will likely show additional filings once records become available; current low counts for 2024–2025 should not be interpreted as a slowdown. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Activity surged to a 2023 peak; battery-cell IP dominates the technology mix
Two charts together capture the field’s growth arc and its technology composition: the annual filing trend shows where activity has been concentrated over time, while the IPC branch breakdown reveals which technical domains are most and least developed.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings were modest from 2017 through 2022, with the field reaching a clear peak of 6 patent records in 2023 before easing to 4 in 2024. The multi-year recent window is still 57% above the prior comparable period, confirming genuine growth even as the single-year peak has passed. Zero counts for 2025 and 2026 reflect publication lag rather than inactivity.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01M (Batteries, cells and fuel cells) is visible in the IPC mix with 29 patent records, confirming that LFP separator work is firmly anchored in core electrochemical cell engineering. B32B (Layered products and laminates) is a distant second at 3 records, pointing to a secondary focus on composite membrane architectures. All remaining branches — including nanotechnology (B82Y), polymer processing (C08J), and inorganic compounds (C01B) — each hold only 1 record, marking them as sparse adjacent areas.
↗ 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.
Separator including substrate, first layer with li…
A separator includes a substrate, a first layer on the substrate, the first layer including LiFePO<sub>4 </sub>(LFP) particles, and a second layer on the substrate, the second layer including organic particles having a melting point in a range of about 100° C. to about 130° C. (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lithium ion secondary battery | 29 |
| 2 | 一种复合锂离子电池隔膜及其制备方法 | 10 |
| 3 | 一种锂离子电池及其制备方法 | 5 |
| 4 | 一种高效率锂离子电池及制备该电池的方法 | 5 |
| 5 | CATHODE COATED WITH A FILM COMPRISING LiFePO4 AND … | 2 |
| 6 | Active composite, positive electrode material, pos… | 1 |
| 7 | High temperature lithium-ion battery and method of… | 1 |
| 8 | Dry-process polyethylene membranes, coated membran… | 1 |
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.
Celgard LLC
Celgard LLC holds 4 patent records and is the sole dedicated separator manufacturer at the top of the ranking. Its technology focus spans H01M 50 (battery components including separators) alongside layered-product classes B32B 27 and B32B 5, reflecting proprietary dry-process membrane architecture expertise. Momentum data for Celgard was not captured in the applicant momentum list, but its portfolio remains the incumbent reference point in this space.
records: 4Wayne State University
Wayne State University also holds 4 patent records and is flagged as a new entrant with strong recent momentum, having filed all 4 records in the most recent period. Its focus spans H01M 10 (secondary batteries), H01M 4 (electrodes), and H01M 50 (battery components), reflecting broad electrochemical cell research rather than separator-specific manufacturing. As an academic filer, it may represent a licensing or spin-out opportunity rather than a direct manufacturing competitor.
records: 4Frequently asked questions
The analysis covers 23 patent families in scope. The applicant ranking is based on patent records, which can exceed the family count because a single family may be counted across multiple jurisdictions.
Celgard LLC and Wayne State University jointly lead with 4 patent records each, followed by GM Global Technology Operations LLC and Samsung SDI Co Ltd at 3 records each, and Suzhou University and Shaanxi University of Science and Technology at 2 records each.
The field is in a Growth lifecycle stage: recent three-year filings are 57% above the prior three-year window. Annual volume peaked at 6 patent records in 2023 and has since eased. The most recent years (2025–2026) show near-zero counts due to publication lag rather than a genuine decline.
China leads with 7 patent records, followed by Germany with 6, the European Patent Office with 4, and the United States with 4. WIPO (PCT) filings add another 3 records, indicating that visible assignees are pursuing broad multi-jurisdictional protection.
The current evidence shows no co-applicant filings in this corpus. Innovation appears to be pursued through single-entity routes, which may reflect early-stage proprietary positioning or that joint-development agreements have not yet produced jointly filed applications visible in this dataset.
B32B (Layered products and laminates) at 3 patent records and B82Y (Nanotechnology applications) at 1 patent record are the most notable adjacent branches with low filing activity relative to the visible H01M class. C01B (Non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds) and C08J (Polymer processing and solutions) each hold only 1 patent record as well.
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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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