Lithium ion batteries have been widely used in portable electronic devices, electric vehicles and power grids, which have a profound impact on people’s daily life. It is necessary to develop stable and efficient electrochemical energy storage materials due to their low energy density and safety. Clay minerals have great application potential in the construction of lithium battery materials because of their unique nanostructures, rich active sites, high specific surface area, rich reserves and cost-effectiveness. In this paper, the classification, structure and chemical composition of clay mineral were introduced firstly. Then, the application research progress of clay mineral in the separator and solid-state electrolytes of battery was reviewed. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of clay mineral in the energy-storage systems were discussed, and the future development trend was also prospected.