B03B SEPARATING SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS
Description
B03B covers mechanical separation of solid materials through liquid-based or pneumatic methods, including gravity separation in dense media, washers, classifiers, and jigging machines. Typical applications encompass mineral processing, coal beneficiation, recycling, and aggregates treatment where particle density, size, or shape differences are exploited for separation. This subclass excludes magnetic and electrostatic separation methods (covered by B03C), focusing instead on fluid dynamics and mechanical vibration techniques to achieve density-based or size-based sorting.
Filing statistics
CPC subclass B03B recorded 12,519 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 554 in 2013 to 1,268 in 2023 (+129%), peaking at 1,640 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class B03 are CENTRAL SOUTH UNIVERSITY (405 applications), CHINA UNIVERSITY OF MINING AND TECHNOLOGY (310 applications) and KMUST (KUNMING UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY) (303 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
7 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- B03B 1/00 Conditioning for facilitating separation by altering physical properties of the matter to be treated
- B03B 11/00 Feed or discharge devices integral with washing or wet-separating equipment
- B03B 13/00 Control arrangements specially adapted for wet-separating apparatus or for dressing plant, using physical effects
- B03B 4/00 Separating by pneumatic tables or by pneumatic jigs
- B03B 5/00 Washing granular, powdered or lumpy materials; Wet separating (separating by pneumatic tables or by pneumatic jigs B03B4/00)
- B03B 7/00 Combinations of wet processes or apparatus with other processes or apparatus, e.g. for dressing ores or garbage
- B03B 9/00 General arrangement of separating plant, e.g. flow sheets
Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class B03, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- CENTRAL SOUTH UNIVERSITY 405
- CHINA UNIVERSITY OF MINING AND TECHNOLOGY 310
- KMUST (KUNMING UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY) 303
- SHANGHAI BIXIUFU ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT COMPANY CN 296
- OUTOTEC (FINLAND) FI 252
- LG ELECTRONICS KR 234
- CIDRA CORPORATE SERVICES US 232
- BASF (BADISCHE ANILIN & SODA FABRIK) DE 218
- ADEY HOLDINGS (2008) GB 169
- FLSMIDTH DK 166