Manganese-Rich Battery Separator Patent Landscape 2026
Manganese-Rich Battery Separator Patent Landscape in 2026
LG Energy Solution holds a commanding position in this still-nascent field, accounting for a disproportionate share of activity among the top filers, while the broader landscape is in a Growth stage with filings expanding sharply over the most recent multi-year window. China is the dominant filing jurisdiction, reflecting where most R&D and manufacturing investment is concentrated.
LG Energy Solution leads a highly concentrated, fast-growing field
LG Energy Solution leads the top five filers together account for 41% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, signaling pronounced concentration at the top.
A clear two-tier structure exists: LG Energy Solution occupies the first tier alone, while a cluster of Chinese battery and automotive players — including CATL, Wanxiang 123, SVOLT Energy Technology, and Hefei Guoxuan High-Tech — share a much smaller second tier with 2–3 patent records each. The gap between the leader and challengers is wide enough that no single challenger poses an immediate head-to-head threat on volume.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LG Energy Solution Ltd. | 17 | |
| 2 | Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) | 3 | |
| 3 | Wanxiang 123 Co., Ltd. | 2 | |
| 4 | SVOLT Energy Technology Co., Ltd. | 2 | |
| 5 | Shenzhen Lithium Source Technology Co., Ltd. | 2 | |
| 6 | Guangdong Jusheng Technology Co., Ltd. | 2 | |
| 7 | GM Global Technology Operations LLC | 2 | |
| 8 | Hefei Guoxuan High-Tech Power Energy Co., Ltd. | 2 | |
| 9 | Henan Fusen New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 10 | Jiangsu Haiji New Energy Co., Ltd. | 1 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 12 | Nantong Morlus Technology Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 13 | Tianjin EV Energies Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 14 | Ningxia Hanyao Fuli Technology Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 15 | Shanghai Xuanyi New Energy Development Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 16 | Yuzhang Normal University | 1 | |
| 17 | Dalian CBAK Power Battery Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 18 | Tianmu Lake Institute of Advanced Energy Storage Technologies | 1 | |
| 19 | Xiamen Xinshu Energy Power Technology Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 20 | UNIV OF SCI & TECH OF CHINA | 1 |
LG Energy Solution’s early and concentrated filing posture implies a deliberate effort to secure foundational coverage in separator design for manganese-rich chemistries. Challengers entering now will need to differentiate on specific sub-aspects — coating methods, electrolyte compatibility, or structural geometry — rather than compete on breadth.
Filings from the most recent 18–24 months are likely under-counted due to standard patent publication lag; the activity level in 2025–2026 should be interpreted as a lower bound. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Sharp multi-year growth dominated by core battery cell IPC classes
The filing trend and technology composition charts together reveal a field that accelerated strongly from 2022 onward and remains almost entirely anchored in electrochemical cell technology, with only sparse activity in adjacent engineering disciplines.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings were negligible through 2021, then rose to 5 in 2022, 7 in 2023, and 16 in 2024 — representing the corpus’s steepest ramp. The 2025 count of 15 and the 2026 count of 1 should be read as lower bounds given publication lag; the underlying activity level in those years is almost certainly higher than recorded.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01M (Batteries, cells and fuel cells) accounts for the large majority of classified records, confirming that separator innovation is being pursued as part of integrated cell engineering rather than as a standalone materials process. Adjacent branches — including H02S (photovoltaic/solar), B05C/B05D (coating apparatus and processes), B23K (welding and brazing), and B82Y (nanotechnology) — each carry only 1–2 records, indicating that process-engineering and nanotechnology angles remain lightly explored.
↗ 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.
Lithium Secondary Battery Comprising Lithium-Rich …
A lithium secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator, and an electrolyte. The positive electrode includes lithium-rich manganese-based oxide in which a content of manganese in all metals excluding lithium is greater than 50 mol %, and a ratio of a number of moles of lithium to a number of moles of all metals excluding… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一种锂离子电池 | 78 |
| 2 | 一种以富锂锰基材料为正极的锂离子电池及其制备方法 | 59 |
| 3 | 一种富锂锰基动力电池及其制造方法 | 47 |
| 4 | 凝胶聚合物电解质动力电池 | 35 |
| 5 | 磷酸铁锂锂离子电池补锂方法及磷酸铁锂锂离子电池 | 27 |
| 6 | 一种锂电池及其制备方法 | 26 |
| 7 | 一种锰酸锂锂离子电池及其制备方法 | 22 |
| 8 | 一种高能量密度锂离子电池及其制备方法 | 22 |
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 IP structure means for R&D investment decisions
China-centric jurisdiction profile creates a specific set of strategic signals for teams evaluating entry or expansion in this space.
Early Growth — annual filings still rising from a low base
The lifecycle stage is confirmed as Growth, with annual filings still rising and the most recent years understated by publication lag. The 833% growth rate over the tracked window signals that the technology is past the proof-of-concept stage but well short of saturation. Teams entering now can still shape the claim landscape in separator sub-architectures not yet densely filed.
Growth stageSingle-company dominance with a shallow challenger tier
LG Energy Solution holds 17 patent records — nearly the combined total of all other top-ten filers. The top five filers account for 41% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total. This degree of concentration at such an early stage suggests LG Energy Solution filed early and broadly; new entrants should conduct a freedom-to-operate assessment focused on LG Energy Solution’s H01M10 and H01M4 claim families before committing to a separator design direction.
High concentrationThree co-filing pairs identified, all China-based
Three co-applicant relationships are recorded: Wanxiang Group with Wanxiang Electric Vehicle (2 joint filings), Hunan Guotuo New Energy Technology with Guangdong Jusheng Technology (1 joint filing), and Hefei Guoxuan High-Tech with the University of Science and Technology of China (1 joint filing). The Guoxuan–USTC pairing is notable as the only industry–academia collaboration, suggesting a modest but real pathway for universities to contribute to separator materials research in this chemistry.
Nascent ecosystemChina dominates; Europe and the US are secondary filing destinations
China accounts for 43 of the patent records in the corpus, making it the primary battleground for separator IP in manganese-rich batteries. Europe (EPO) follows with 6 records, the United States with 4, India with 3, and WIPO/PCT with 2. The low PCT count suggests most filers have not yet pursued broad international coverage, leaving non-Chinese jurisdictions relatively open — particularly relevant for manufacturers targeting the European or North American EV supply chain.
China-centricGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wanxiang Group Corporation | Wanxiang Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd. | 2 |
| Hunan Guotuo New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. | Guangdong Jusheng Technology Co., Ltd. | 1 |
| Hefei Guoxuan High-Tech Power Energy Co., Ltd. | University of Science and Technology of China | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
LG Energy Solution leads; Chinese cell makers and automakers trail at a distance
All five applicants with momentum data entered the corpus as new entrants in the recent filing window, underscoring that this is a field where positioning is still being established rather than defended.
LG Energy Solution
LG Energy Solution holds 17 patent records, the largest position in the corpus by a significant margin. Its technology focus is concentrated entirely in H01M 10 and H01M 4 — the core battery cell and electrode sub-classes — indicating a deep rather than broad filing strategy. Its momentum trend is flagged as a new entrant in the recent window, meaning its entire recorded position has been built in the most recent filing period, suggesting an aggressive and deliberate push into manganese-rich separator IP.
patent records: 17Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL)
CATL holds 3 patent records, ranking second, with technology coverage also centered on H01M 10 and H01M 4. Like LG Energy Solution, CATL’s momentum is flagged as a new entrant, placing all of its activity in the recent window. Given CATL’s scale in the broader battery industry, its modest current footprint in this specific sub-field may reflect early exploratory filing rather than a fully committed program, and its position could grow rapidly.
patent records: 3| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| LG Energy Solution Ltd. | 14 | ▲ new entrant |
| Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| GM Global Technology Operations LLC | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| SVOLT Energy Technology Co., Ltd. | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Coating processes and nanotechnology are under-served adjacent branches
Beyond the dominant H01M cell-engineering branch, several IPC classes appear with only 1–2 records each; these represent observations of relative sparsity in the current corpus, and some carry plausible technical value for teams seeking differentiated entry points.
B05C / B05D · Coating apparatus and processes
Each of these branches carries only 1 record, together representing a small share of the corpus. Separator performance in manganese-rich cells is strongly influenced by functional coatings — ceramic layers, ion-selective membranes, and surface treatments — that control Mn ion dissolution and dendrite resistance. The sparsity here suggests that coating process engineering, rather than just separator material selection, is an under-filed angle. Entry paths include process patents on slurry formulation, drying, or calendering steps specific to high-Mn cathode environments.
Search this in Eureka →B82Y · Nanotechnology applications
Only 1 record is classified under B82Y, indicating that nanomaterial-enabled separator approaches — such as nanofiber substrates, nano-ceramic coatings, or nanocomposite polymer matrices — have received minimal dedicated filing in this chemistry context. Nanotechnology-enhanced separators have demonstrated performance gains in related lithium-ion chemistries; the absence of dense prior art in this intersection may offer a differentiated entry point for materials researchers, particularly those with existing nanofiber or nanoparticle synthesis capabilities.
Search this in Eureka →How leading filers differ across technology sub-routes
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H01M 10 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | H01M 4 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | H01M 50 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | H01M 2 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | H02S 40 · Photovoltaic / solar power generation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LG Energy Solution Ltd. | Strong · 17 | Strong · 17 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Shenzhen Lithium Source Technology Co., Ltd. | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 |
| Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) | Strong · 3 | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Wanxiang Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd. | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Wanxiang Group Corporation | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Hefei Guoxuan High-Tech Power Energy Co., Ltd. | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 50 patent families focused on manganese-rich battery separator technology, drawing on global filings across all major jurisdictions.
LG Energy Solution leads with 17 patent records, nearly six times the count of the second-ranked applicant, Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), which holds 3 patent records.
The field is classified as Growth stage. Annual filings are still rising on a multi-year basis, with a recorded 833% growth rate over the tracked window. The most recent years are under-counted due to publication lag, so the true activity level is likely higher than current records show.
China leads with 43 patent records, followed by Europe (EPO) with 6, the United States with 4, India with 3, and WIPO/PCT with 2. The low PCT count indicates that most filers have not yet pursued broad international coverage.
Three co-applicant pairs are recorded: Wanxiang Group with Wanxiang Electric Vehicle (2 joint filings), Hunan Guotuo New Energy Technology with Guangdong Jusheng Technology (1 filing), and Hefei Guoxuan High-Tech with the University of Science and Technology of China (1 filing). All three pairs are China-based.
The most under-served adjacent branches relative to the dominant H01M class are B05C and B05D (coating apparatus and processes, 1 record each) and B82Y (nanotechnology applications, 1 record). These branches represent sparse filing relative to core cell engineering and may offer differentiated entry points, particularly for coating process engineering or nanomaterial-enabled separator designs.
Map your own position in the manganese-rich battery separator landscape
Join 18,000+ innovators using PatSnap Eureka to map any technology landscape: search 2B+ patents and papers, surface key assignees, and generate a report like this in minutes.
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.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. PatSnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.