CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass, C23F17/00)

Description

C22F covers heat treatment and mechanical processing methods that modify the physical structure and properties of non-ferrous metals and alloys without changing their chemical composition. This includes annealing, hardening, tempering, aging, and cold-working operations applied to aluminum, copper, titanium, nickel, zinc, and their alloys. The classification encompasses both the thermal processes and the resulting microstructural changes that enhance mechanical properties such as strength, ductility, hardness, or corrosion resistance. Note that chemical modification or alloying of non-ferrous materials is covered under different C22 subclasses, while C22F focuses exclusively on physical structure modification.

Filing statistics

CPC subclass C22F recorded 44,798 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 2,326 in 2013 to 4,450 in 2023 (+91%), peaking at 5,042 applications in 2018. The most active applicants in class C22 are JFE STEEL (7,620 applications), NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION (5,769 applications) and POSCO (POHANG IRON AND STEEL COMPANY) (4,523 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings