Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Patent Landscape 2026
Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Patent Landscape in 2026
Umicore dominates a moderately concentrated field of 739 patent families, with the top five filers holding roughly one-third of the activity among the hundred largest filers. The field is still expanding on a multi-year basis, though annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak and the most recent years are further understated by publication lag.
Umicore leads a field with a clear tier gap and fast-growing challengers
Umicore holds the top position with 83 patent families, roughly 63% more than second-ranked Ascend Elements (51 families) and more than double third-ranked Li Cycle (28 families), establishing a clear lead among the top hundred filers in this space.
The top five filers together account for 34% of the combined total of the hundred largest filers, indicating moderate-to-high concentration: a dominant leader tier, a mid-tier of specialist recyclers, and a long tail of academic and industrial entrants.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Umicore (Belgium) | 83 | |
| 2 | Ascend Elements Inc | 51 | |
| 3 | Li Cycle Corp | 28 | |
| 4 | 1001297676 Ontario Inc | 27 | |
| 5 | UMICORE AG & CO KG | 25 | |
| 6 | Green Li-ion Pte Ltd | 20 | |
| 7 | Guangdong Brunp Recycling Technology Co Ltd | 18 | |
| 8 | RSR Technologies Inc | 18 | |
| 9 | Hunan Brunp Recycling Technology Co Ltd | 17 | |
| 10 | Hunan Jinyuan New Materials Co Ltd | 15 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Regents of the University of California | 14 | |
| 12 | Lithios | 11 | |
| 13 | RESOURCE CONSERVATION & RECYCLING CORP PTY LTD | 10 | |
| 14 | II-VI Delaware Inc | 10 | |
| 15 | Central South University | 10 | |
| 16 | Blue Whale Materials LLC | 8 | |
| 17 | Mangrove Water Technologies Ltd | 7 | |
| 18 | Hunan Brunp Scrap Cars Recycling Co Ltd | 7 | |
| 19 | Yichang Brunp Recycling Technology Co Ltd | 7 | |
| 20 | Albemarle Germany GmbH | 6 |
Umicore’s lead reflects a mature, diversified position across hydrometallurgical and electrochemical routes, while challengers such as Ascend Elements and the Brunp group have entered or accelerated recently, signaling that the competitive structure is still forming.
The most recent 18–24 months of filings are undercounted due to standard patent publication lag; apparent softness in 2024–2026 data should not be read as a real decline. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Multi-year growth intact; hydrometallurgy and cell chemistry dominate the technology mix
Annual filings grew strongly from 2017 through a 2023 peak, then eased — a pattern consistent with publication lag compressing the most recent bars. The technology composition reveals a field anchored in battery cell chemistry and metal extraction, with a broad set of adjacent process branches attracting lower but non-trivial activity.
Annual filing trend
Filings rose from 8 families in 2017 to a peak of 155 in 2023, representing a 97% increase in the recent three-year window versus the prior three-year window. The apparent drop in 2024 and 2025 reflects publication lag rather than a real decline; 2026 data are highly incomplete.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01M (batteries, cells and fuel cells) and C22B (metal extraction and refining) are the dominant IPC branches, reflecting the dual focus on battery disassembly and critical-metal recovery. Downstream branches — alkali-metal compounds (C01D), crushing and grinding (B02C), solid waste disposal (B09B), and wet separation (B03B) — are present but at substantially lower patent counts, pointing to processing-step specificity as a secondary frontier.
↗ 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.
Reactive phase separation of black mass from lithi…
Methods for processing black mass material from lithium-ion battery recycling processes include fractionating the black mass into a lithium fraction, a graphite fraction, and a concentrated metal powder fraction. This is accomplished using a multiphase liquid blend of nonpolar hydrophobic solvent and water to dissolve the lithium and produce a multiphase… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Process, apparatus, and system for recovering mate… | 67 |
| 2 | A process, apparatus, and system for recovering ma… | 56 |
| 3 | Process for recovering and regenerating lithium ca… | 51 |
| 4 | 废旧锂离子电池剥离浸出一步完成的回收方法 | 46 |
| 5 | Comprehensive recycling method for waste lithium i… | 39 |
| 6 | Process for recycling li-ion batteries | 39 |
| 7 | Magnetic separation of electrochemical cell materi… | 39 |
| 8 | Lithium-ion battery recycling method and recycling… | 35 |
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.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
The field combines a well-established leader, a cohort of fast-rising challengers, and deep collaborative networks — creating both barrier and opportunity signals for new entrants and incumbents alike.
Growth stage with annual volume easing from a 2023 peak
The lifecycle stage is Growth: the recent three-year filing window sits 97% above the prior three-year window, confirming multi-year expansion. Annual volume peaked in 2023 at 155 families and has eased since, though publication lag means the true recent rate is higher than raw counts suggest. Entry is still feasible but the field is no longer nascent.
Growth stageModerate concentration with a strong leader and active mid-tier
Umicore holds 83 patent families, more than 60% above the nearest rival. The top five filers account for 34% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, leaving meaningful room for mid-tier players such as Li Cycle, the Brunp group entities, and Ascend Elements to compete on specific process routes. A long tail of universities and start-ups adds further diversity.
Moderate concentrationBrunp group entities and Li Cycle / Ontario Inc. are the most active co-filers
The most frequent co-filing pair is Guangdong Brunp Recycling Technology and Hunan Brunp Recycling Technology with 17 jointly filed families, reflecting coordinated IP strategy within a corporate family. Li Cycle and 1001297676 Ontario Inc. co-filed 12 families, and Ascend Elements collaborated with Worcester Polytechnic Institute on 2 families, illustrating both intra-group and industry-academia models active in this space.
Intra-group & academiaChina leads filings; PCT and EPO signal broad protection strategies
China is the lead jurisdiction with 214 patent records, followed by the United States (133) and WIPO PCT filings (100). Europe via the EPO (91 records) and Australia (38) round out the top five. The prominence of PCT and EPO filings indicates that leading applicants are pursuing multi-jurisdictional protection, raising freedom-to-operate complexity across major battery manufacturing and recycling markets.
China-first, global reachGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Guangdong Brunp Recycling Technology Co Ltd | Hunan Brunp Recycling Technology Co Ltd | 17 |
| Li Cycle Corp | 1001297676 Ontario Inc | 12 |
| Guangdong Brunp Recycling Technology Co Ltd | Hunan Brunp Scrap Cars Recycling Co Ltd | 9 |
| Hunan Brunp Recycling Technology Co Ltd | Hunan Brunp Scrap Cars Recycling Co Ltd | 9 |
| Guangdong Brunp Recycling Technology Co Ltd | Yichang Brunp Recycling Technology Co Ltd | 5 |
| Hunan Brunp Recycling Technology Co Ltd | Yichang Brunp Recycling Technology Co Ltd | 4 |
| Ascend Elements Inc | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | 2 |
| Guangdong Brunp Recycling Technology Co Ltd | HUNAN BRUNP EV RECYCLING CO LTD | 2 |
| Hunan Brunp Recycling Technology Co Ltd | HUNAN BRUNP EV RECYCLING CO LTD | 2 |
| Guangdong Brunp Recycling Technology Co Ltd | Yichang Brunp Yihua New Materials Co Ltd | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Umicore dominates on metal-refining routes; Ascend Elements accelerates on hydromet
Two distinct strategic profiles emerge at the top of the ranking: an established hydrometallurgical and refining leader with decades of IP, and a fast-growing entrant focused on direct-recycling and leaching chemistry.
Umicore
Umicore holds 83 patent families, the largest position in the corpus. Its technology emphasis lies in metal extraction and refining (C22B 7 and C22B 26) alongside battery cell chemistry (H01M 10), reflecting deep coverage of smelting-based and hydrometallurgical lithium and cobalt recovery. Recent momentum is strongly positive at +104% in the recent window, indicating an actively expanding portfolio rather than a legacy one.
families: 83Ascend Elements
Ascend Elements has reached 51 patent families with a trend classified as a new entrant in the recent window (42 of those families filed recently), making it the fastest-growing named challenger. Its focus clusters on H01M 10 (battery cell chemistry), C22B 3 (leaching and solution purification), and C22B 7 (secondary material processing), pointing to a hydrometallurgical and direct-cathode-recycling strategy that differentiates it from Umicore’s smelter-led approach.
families: 51| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Umicore (Belgium) | 47 | ▲ +104% |
| Li Cycle Corp | 6 | ▼ -70% |
| Ascend Elements Inc | 42 | ▲ new entrant |
| Green Li-ion Pte Ltd | 7 | ▼ -46% |
| Guangdong Brunp Recycling Technology Co Ltd | 9 | ▲ new entrant |
| Umicore AG & Co KG | 11 | ▲ new entrant |
| Hunan Brunp Recycling Technology Co Ltd | 9 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served process branches adjacent to the core recovery workflow
Several IPC branches that are technically integral to battery recycling workflows show substantially lower patent counts than the dominant H01M and C22B classes, indicating relative sparsity that may offer room for focused IP development.
B03B · Wet separation of solids
Wet separation of solids (B03B) appears in 74 patent records — well below the H01M and C22B totals — despite being a critical intermediate step between mechanical pre-treatment and leaching. The technical value is clear: effective wet separation of electrode materials, current collectors, and separator films directly affects downstream metal recovery yields. Entrants with expertise in mineral processing or slurry handling have a plausible path here, particularly for electrode-level selective separation at scale.
Search this in Eureka →B09B · Solid waste disposal
Solid waste disposal (B09B) registers 87 patent records, indicating that formal solid-waste management and residue handling at the end of the recycling chain remains less patented than the primary extraction steps. As regulatory frameworks for battery recycling tighten globally, processes for handling black mass residues, separator waste, and electrolyte-contaminated solids represent an adjacent area where filing activity lags its likely commercial importance. Organizations with waste-management or environmental engineering expertise may find a realistic entry path here.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ across technology routes
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H01M 10 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | C22B 7 · Metal extraction & refining | C22B 26 · Metal extraction & refining | C22B 3 · Metal extraction & refining | C22B 1 · Metal extraction & refining |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Umicore (Belgium) | Moderate · 38 | Strong · 89 | Strong · 59 | Emerging · 16 | Emerging · 15 |
| Li Cycle Corp | Strong · 59 | Strong · 42 | Strong · 39 | Moderate · 15 | Strong · 39 |
| Ascend Elements Inc | Strong · 48 | Moderate · 20 | Moderate · 16 | Moderate · 22 | Emerging · 6 |
| Green Li-ion Pte Ltd | Strong · 20 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 15 | Absent |
| Umicore AG & Co KG | Absent | Strong · 18 | Strong · 15 | Absent | Absent |
| Resource Conservation & Recycling Corp Pty Ltd | Absent | Strong · 10 | Strong · 10 | Absent | Strong · 10 |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus examined contains 739 patent families in scope, spanning multiple jurisdictions and filing years through 2026, with recent years undercounted due to publication lag.
Umicore is the leading filer with 83 patent families, well ahead of second-ranked Ascend Elements at 51 families and third-ranked Li Cycle at 28 families.
China is the lead jurisdiction with 214 patent records, followed by the United States (133), WIPO PCT (100), Europe via the EPO (91), and Australia (38).
The field is in a Growth stage. The recent three-year filing window is 97% above the prior three-year window. Annual volume peaked in 2023 and has eased since, partly reflecting publication lag in the most recent years.
H01M (batteries, cells and fuel cells) and C22B (metal extraction and refining) are the two dominant IPC branches, reflecting the dual focus on battery disassembly and critical-metal recovery, particularly for lithium, cobalt, and nickel.
Guangdong Brunp Recycling Technology and Hunan Brunp Recycling Technology are the most active co-filers with 17 jointly filed families. Li Cycle Corp and 1001297676 Ontario Inc. co-filed 12 families, and Ascend Elements collaborated with Worcester Polytechnic Institute on 2 families.
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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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