Patenting activity illustrates R & D trends in LIB manufacturing
Perhaps unsurprisingly , over the past decade , the number of patents and patent applications being published related to the manufacture of electrodes ( Cooperative Patent Classification CPC H01M4 / 04 ) and to electrode manufacturing involving compressing or compaction ( CPC H01M4 / 043 ) such as dry coating , has increased significantly ( see Figure 1 ). Publications relating to the manufacture of electrodes generally have increased from about 1000 in 2012 to about 1500 in 2021 . In the same time period , publications relating to manufacturing involving compressing or compacting ( including dry coating ) have risen sharply from about 130 to over 600 .
Similarly , the number of patent publications in CPC H01M10 / 04 , related to manufacture of secondary batteries , has risen from about 230 in 2012 to nearly 1800 in 2021 .
The increase in patent publications may be explained in part by new players entering the market . For example , automotive OEMs and battery start-ups and scale-ups are getting involved in battery cell and pack manufacture , as well as seeking to make their own equipment for manufacturing electrodes , battery cells , and battery packs . With increasing commercial opportunity and competition , protecting intellectual property in this field becomes ever more relevant .
Most patent publications in battery manufacturing are filed by the ‘ usual subjects ’ – large manufacturers such as LG , Samsung , Toyota , CATL , and Murata . However , when looking at the most recent publications ( relating to inventions for which a patent application was first filed in 2020 ), automotive giants such as Volkswagen , and newer companies such as Prime Planet Energy & Solutions , Clever , and SVOLT , appear more frequently . It remains to be seen if this trend will continue .
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