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Non-flammable gel polymer electrolyte for solid-state

Energy & Power ElectronicsAdvanced MaterialsChemical ProcessesLab validatedPatent pending

This technology is a new type of flexible, solid-state electrolyte membrane designed for rechargeable batteries. It combines two specialized polymers — one that conducts ions well and one that provides mechanical structure — with a dissolved salt to create a gel-like film that can serve as both the electrolyte and separator inside a battery. The manufacturing process is straightforward: mix the components in solvents, pour onto a surface, dry, and peel off a finished membrane. The result is a safer, potentially more stable alternative to the liquid electrolytes used in most lithium-ion batteries today.

What you could build

A solid or gel polymer electrolyte membrane sold as a drop-in component to battery manufacturers building next-generation solid-state or semi-solid-state lithium batteries for EVs, consumer electronics, or grid storage; primary buyers would be battery cell manufacturers and energy storage OEMs.

Who in Virginia should care

Defense contractors and federal agencies in Northern Virginia with battery-dependent systems (drones, sensors, portable electronics) could be early evaluators; also relevant to Virginia-based energy storage startups or DoD-adjacent R&D programs.

Readiness: Lab validated

Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.

Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.

The record

Inventors
Deyang Yu, Louis A. Madsen
Filed
Patent pending — filed January 10, 2025
Status
Application
Publication number
US20250226443A1

Ready to talk?

Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.

VTIP contact coming shortly

Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.