Nickel Foam Patents: Who Leads, Where the Gaps Are 2026
- Filing has cooled since 2018. The peak year (147 records) sits nearly a decade back, with the trend flat-to-declining through the 2022 midpoint and 2026 filings still incomplete due to publication lag.
- No single assignee dominates. The leader holds 135 records against a ranked field of 100 companies, and the top 5 combined account for just 14.2% of all 2,108 records in scope — this is a fragmented field, not a walled garden.
- Batteries and powder metallurgy overlap heavily. B22F (powder metallurgy) and H01M (batteries, cells & fuel cells) each cover roughly a fifth of records, meaning most substrate innovation is being claimed alongside cell-level design, not separately from it.
What's being claimed, and by whom
Nickel foam and related metal foam substrates sit at the intersection of powder metallurgy and electrochemical device design. The search scope captures 2,108 published records spanning porosity control, compression and thickness management, areal density, corrosion resistance and manufacturing cost — the practical levers that determine whether a foam substrate performs in a battery electrode, a catalyst support or a structural filter. Filing activity is not concentrated in one geography or one assignee; it is spread across battery makers, industrial gas and metals firms, and research institutes filing in overlapping but distinct IPC classes.
The representative record in this dataset, US5578397A from SAFT, dates to 1996 and already shows the core engineering problem: controlling local density within a single foam sheet by compressing different regions to different degrees. Three decades later, the same variables — density gradients, compression ratios, plate-head versus body thickness — still recur across the most recent filings, suggesting the underlying manufacturing challenge has not been fully solved even as application areas have multiplied.
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Filing trend and technology composition
Two views of the same 2,108 records: how filing volume has moved year over year, and which IPC subclasses carry the claim density.
A decade of flat-to-declining filing
Filings ran at 109 in 2017, peaked at 147 in 2018, and had fallen to a midpoint of 73 by 2022. The 2026 figure of 8 is a partial year and understates true filing activity, since publication typically lags filing by around 18 months — but the multi-year trajectory from peak to midpoint is real and points to a maturing, not expanding, filing environment.
Powder metallurgy and batteries lead, but overlap is the story
B22F (powder metallurgy) and H01M (batteries, cells & fuel cells) each sit near 18-19% of the 2,108 records, with C22C (alloys) close behind at 11.5%. Because records can carry multiple IPC classes, these shares add up to more than 100% — the practical reading is that a large share of foam-substrate filings are being claimed jointly with electrochemical cell design rather than as standalone materials science.
Shares are the percentage of the 2,108 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Nickel Foam and Metal Foams with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about nickel foam and metal foams and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaThe filings setting the boundaries
US5578397A — Electrode plate with metal foam support (SAFT, 1996)
A method for forming an electrode plate which includes an active portion pasted with active material and a plate head which includes a connection tab. The plate head is constituted by the same metal foam as the plate support, but the density of the metal foam in the plate head is not less than 2.5 times the density of the metal foam in the remainder of the electrode plate, the higher density of the plate head coming from an operation in which the foam of the support is compressed, the tab of the plate head emerging from the middle of the thickness of the plate and being derived from compression of the support in two directions.Granted 1996 · Assignee: SAFT
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US20030153981A1 | Porous metallic scaffold for tissue ingrowth | 290 |
| 2 | US20070150068A1 | Gradient porous implant | 279 |
| 3 | US7578851B2 | Gradient porous implant | 234 |
| 4 | US20040031495A1 | Vaporization pipe with flame filter | 218 |
| 5 | US6652222B1 | Fan case design with metal foam between Kevlar | 175 |
| 6 | US6196307B1 | High performance heat exchanger and method | 150 |
| 7 | US6558634B1 | Catalyst structure and method of fischer-tropsch synthesis | 126 |
| 8 | US6698331B1 | Use of metal foams in armor systems | 116 |
| 9 | US20080199720A1 | Porous metal foam structures and methods | 112 |
| 10 | US6491880B1 | Catalyst structure and method of fischer-tropsch synthesis | 112 |
Citation counts reflect influence within the searched corpus and skew toward older filings; treat them as a signal of prior-art density, not current commercial relevance.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
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Browse MCP servers →What the data means for a filing decision
Three patterns emerge once the raw counts are read against denominators and time.
A fragmented leaderboard, not a duopoly
The leading assignee holds 135 records, fifth place holds 34, and tenth place holds 24 — a steep drop-off rather than a plateau. With the top 5 combined at only 14.2% of all records in scope and the top 10 at 20.6%, most of the field's claim space sits with a long tail of single- or few-filing entrants rather than a small number of blocking players.
Filing has cooled from its 2018 peak
Filing volume peaked in 2018 at 147 records and had roughly halved by the 2022 midpoint to 73. Recent-year momentum by assignee shows several previously active filers, including major industrial and research names, recording zero filings in the latest year — consistent with a technology area where claim space is filling rather than expanding.
US and EPO dominate the filing map
The United States receives the largest share of filings at 647 records, with Europe (EPO) second at 327 and WIPO/PCT filings at 205. China, Canada and India each carry meaningfully smaller counts, suggesting the commercial and litigation stakes for this substrate technology have so far been concentrated in North American and European markets.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to nickel foam and metal foams, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who is filing, and where the gate is set
No single company controls the field, but a handful of names recur across battery, industrial-metals and research-institute filings. Recent-year momentum has gone flat across nearly all of the most active historical filers.
The single largest filer, still a minority share
The top-ranked assignee holds 135 of the 2,108 records in scope, well ahead of the fifth-place holder at 34 — but even this leading position represents a small fraction of total filing activity, leaving substantial room for new entrants to build a differentiated position.
A wide base of occasional filers
The ranking runs to 100 assignees, and the steep drop from the leader to single-digit counts by the lower ranks indicates most organisations in this field file occasionally rather than systematically — a pattern that favours new entrants willing to file precisely rather than broadly.
Even established filers have gone quiet recently
Several assignees with substantial historical filing records, spanning battery makers, industrial metals firms and research institutes, show zero filings in the latest year, with year-over-year momentum reported at -100% for at least one major research institute. This is consistent with a field where the core claim space has already been staked out.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| LG Chem, Ltd. | 0 | — |
| Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. | 0 | -100% |
| Battelle Memorial Institute | 0 | — |
| Inco Ltd. | 0 | — |
| Fourte International Sdn Bhd | 0 | — |
| S C P S SOC DE CONSEIL & DE PROSPECTIVE SCI | 0 | — |
| CELLMOBILITY INC | 0 | — |
| Alcoa Inc. | 0 | — |
Where to take this analysis
The dataset points to a maturing filing environment with a long tail of occasional filers — the next steps depend on whether you are clearing a filing or scouting a gap.
Map claims against the co-assignee clusters
Only 10 co-assignee pairs appear in this dataset, and the strongest pairs point to specific collaborative filing relationships between research institutes and industrial partners — worth checking before assuming a filing is independent.
Explore co-assignee patterns in EurekaCheck the under-claimed branches against your own claims
Heat-exchanger integration and electrolytic production overlap with core foam claims but carry lower filing density — a candidate area for a narrowly drafted first claim.
Run a white-space search in EurekaVerify freedom-to-operate against the oldest active families
The most-cited records in this space date back two decades or more; confirming their current legal status and family scope is a necessary step before committing to a compression or density-control claim.
Check family status in EurekaCommon questions on nickel foam and metal foam patents
The leading assignee in this dataset holds 135 of the 2,108 records in scope, which is the single largest position but still a small fraction of total filing activity. The field is fragmented rather than concentrated: the top 5 assignees combined account for only 14.2% of all records, and the ranking extends to 100 companies with a long tail of occasional filers. This means no single company's patents are likely to block an entire approach to foam substrate manufacturing, though specific claims within the leader's portfolio may still be relevant to freedom-to-operate checks.
Filing activity has slowed from its peak. Volume ran at 109 records in 2017, rose to a peak of 147 in 2018, and had fallen to 73 by the 2022 midpoint, indicating a flat-to-declining trend over the period. The most recent year's figure is a partial count and understates real activity, since publication typically lags actual filing by around 18 months, but the multi-year direction from peak to midpoint is a genuine slowdown rather than an artifact of reporting lag.
The two largest IPC subclasses are B22F (powder metallurgy), covering 18.8% of the 2,108 records, and H01M (batteries, cells and fuel cells), covering 18.5%. C22C (alloys) follows at 11.5%, with smaller but notable coverage in B01J (catalysis), B32B (laminates), B22D (casting), F28F (heat exchangers) and C25B (electrolytic production). Because a single record can carry multiple IPC classes, these percentages sum to more than 100%, and the overlap between B22F and H01M in particular shows that much of this field is claimed jointly with battery or cell design rather than as pure materials science.
US5578397A, assigned to SAFT and granted in 1996, claims a method for forming an electrode plate where the plate head region is compressed to a density at least 2.5 times that of the foam body, with the connection tab emerging from compression in two directions. This is a specific density-ratio and compression-direction claim, not a claim over metal foam electrodes generally, so it constrains designs that use a comparable multi-directional compression method to create a denser tab region rather than blocking foam electrodes outright. Anyone designing a foam electrode with a reinforced connection point should check this claim's exact density ratio and compression geometry against their own process rather than assuming it covers foam density gradients broadly.
Based on IPC composition, branches like F28F (heat-exchanger integration) and C25B (electrolytic production of porous substrates) show meaningfully lower filing density than the core B22F and H01M classes, despite technical overlap with mainstream foam substrate work. Corrosion resistance in electrolytic environments and areal density uniformity at production scale also appear less densely claimed relative to compression and porosity control, which dominate the most-cited records. These are reasonable starting points for a first claim, though a specific freedom-to-operate search against the relevant IPC subclass is necessary before drafting.
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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.
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.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company’s registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.