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CPC Subgroup
B01D 3/26

Fractionating columns in which vapour and liquid flow past each other, or in which the fluid is sprayed into the vapour, or in which a two-phase mixture is passed in one direction

Full Title

Distillation or related exchange processes in which liquids are contacted with gaseous media, e.g. stripping ( gas chromatography B01D15/08; destructive distillation C10B; preparation of alcoholic beverages by distillation C12H6/02) > Fractional distillation > Fractionating columns in which vapour and liquid flow past each other, or in which the fluid is sprayed into the vapour, or in which a two-phase mixture is passed in one direction

Filing statistics

CPC B01D 3/26 belongs to the parent subclass B01D, which recorded 535,388 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 27,086 in 2013 to 52,287 in 2023 (+93%), peaking at 67,231 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class B01 are SINOPEC (CHINA PETROCHEMICAL CORPORATION) (10,345 applications), CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (8,352 applications) and BASF (BADISCHE ANILIN & SODA FABRIK) (5,134 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

1 direct subcode

Child Classifications

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  • B01D 3/28 Fractionating columns with surface contact and vertical guides, e.g. film action

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class B01, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

  1. SINOPEC (CHINA PETROCHEMICAL CORPORATION) 10,345
  2. CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 8,352
  3. BASF (BADISCHE ANILIN & SODA FABRIK) DE 5,134
  4. LG CHEM KR 4,290
  5. SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY SA 3,444
  6. IFPEN (IFP ENERGIES NOUVELLES) FR 3,417
  7. DOW GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES US 3,195
  8. MANN + HUMMEL DE 2,822
  9. JOHNSON MATTHEY GB 2,802
  10. UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY (UOP) US 2,737