Making Solid-State Battery Electrodes That Don't Swell and Crack
This patent describes a special design for solid-state battery electrodes that uses tiny internal holes and spaces between particles to prevent them from expanding and cracking during charging and discharging.
Original patent title: “Low-expansion composite electrodes for all-solid-state batteries”
This patent describes a special design for solid-state battery electrodes that uses tiny internal holes and spaces between particles to prevent them from expanding and cracking during charging and discharging. Granted to GM Global Technology Operations in 2022 with 22 claims and 6 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2038.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a composite electrode for all-solid-state batteries, which are a new type of battery that uses solid materials instead of liquids. The electrode is made of "solid-state electroactive material particles" that change size when the battery charges and discharges, and "solid-state electrolyte particles" mixed in (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). The clever part is that each electroactive particle has "internal pores formed therein," like tiny sponges. There are also spaces, called "interparticle porosity," between the electroactive and electrolyte particles (Claim 1). These internal pores and interparticle spaces work together to absorb the expansion and contraction of the electroactive material, preventing the electrode from swelling outwards, cracking, or falling apart (AbstractabstractA short summary at the front of the patent describing the invention. Not legally binding.Read more →, Claim 1). For example, an electrode might use silicon particles with 10% to 75% internal porosity, mixed with solid electrolyte particles, leaving 5% to 40% space between them (Claim 2, Abstract).
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover electrodes for traditional lithium-ion batteries that use liquid electrolytes.
- Does not cover solid-state electrodes that lack both internal pores within the electroactive particles and interparticle porosity between the electroactive and electrolyte particles.
- Does not cover electrodes where the electroactive material is a solid block without a network of internal pores.
- Does not cover battery chemistries that do not cycle lithium ions, as the patent specifically mentions "cycles lithium ions" (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- Does not cover electrodes where the solid-state electroactive material and solid-state electrolyte are not in particle form and intermingled.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The truly novel aspect is the dual-level porosity: internal pores within each electroactive particle and additional spaces between these particles and the solid electrolyte. This allows the electroactive material to expand inwards into its own pores, while the interparticle spaces further buffer any remaining outward expansion, preventing overall electrode damage.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Future electric vehicle batteries
High-performance portable electronics
Grid-scale energy storage systems
Aerospace and defense applications requiring high energy density
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Solid-state batteries promise safer, higher-energy-density power for electric vehicles and portable electronics. However, a major challenge is that electrode materials expand and contract significantly during use, which can damage the battery and shorten its life. This patent from GM addresses this critical problem by designing electrodes that can withstand these volumetric changes, potentially making solid-state batteries more durable and reliable for widespread adoption.
Filed
October 18, 2018
Granted
February 1, 2022
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
GM Global Technology Operations LLC, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is actively developing advanced battery technologies, including solid-state batteries, for its future electric vehicle lineup. Other major automotive companies like Toyota and Volkswagen, along with battery startups such as QuantumScape and Solid Power, are also heavily invested in overcoming the challenges of solid-state battery commercialization, including managing volumetric changes.
Market impact
This patent addresses a fundamental hurdle in solid-state battery development: the degradation caused by material expansion and contraction. By providing a structural solution, it contributes to the viability of solid-state batteries, which could enable electric vehicles with longer ranges and faster charging. Successfully implementing such designs could allow companies to produce more durable and safer batteries, potentially shifting market preference towards solid-state technology and accelerating its integration into various high-performance applications.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a composite electrode for all-solid-state batteries, which are a new type of battery that uses solid materials instead of liquids. The electrode is made of "solid-state electroactive material particles" that change size when the battery charges and discharges, and "solid-state electrolyte particles" mixed in (Claim 1). The clever part is that each electroactive particle has "internal pores formed therein," like tiny sponges. There are also spaces, called "interparticle porosity," between the electroactive and electrolyte particles (Claim 1). These internal pores and interparticle spaces work together to absorb the expansion and contraction of the electroactive material, preventing the electrode from swelling outwards, cracking, or falling apart (Abstract, Claim 1). For example, an electrode might use silicon particles with 10% to 75% internal porosity, mixed with solid electrolyte particles, leaving 5% to 40% space between them (Claim 2, Abstract).
The clever bit
The truly novel aspect is the dual-level porosity: internal pores within each electroactive particle and additional spaces between these particles and the solid electrolyte. This allows the electroactive material to expand inwards into its own pores, while the interparticle spaces further buffer any remaining outward expansion, preventing overall electrode damage.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover electrodes for traditional lithium-ion batteries that use liquid electrolytes.
- Does not cover solid-state electrodes that lack both internal pores within the electroactive particles and interparticle porosity between the electroactive and electrolyte particles.
- Does not cover electrodes where the electroactive material is a solid block without a network of internal pores.
- Does not cover battery chemistries that do not cycle lithium ions, as the patent specifically mentions "cycles lithium ions" (Claim 1).
- Does not cover electrodes where the solid-state electroactive material and solid-state electrolyte are not in particle form and intermingled.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
17/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$131K – $419K
Midpoint $262K · 12.3 yr remaining · industry ×1.4
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
22 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Cai, M., & Yersak, T. A. (2022). Making Solid-State Battery Electrodes That Don't Swell and Crack (U.S. Patent No. 11,239,459). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11239459/low-expansion-composite-electrodes-for-all-solid-state-batteries
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Making Solid-State Battery Electrodes That Don't Swell and Crack cover?
This patent describes a special design for solid-state battery electrodes that uses tiny internal holes and spaces between particles to prevent them from expanding and cracking during charging and discharging.
Who owns patent US 11239459?
GM Global Technology Operations owns this patent, granted in 2022.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on October 18, 2038, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 11239459 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 6 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Solid-state batteries promise safer, higher-energy-density power for electric vehicles and portable electronics. However, a major challenge is that electrode materials expand and contract significantly during use, which can damage the battery and shorten its life. This patent from GM addresses this critical problem by designing electrodes that can withstand these volumetric changes, potentially making solid-state batteries more durable and reliable for widespread adoption.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover electrodes for traditional lithium-ion batteries that use liquid electrolytes.
Same assignee
More from GM Global Technology Operations
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