B01 PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
Description
B01 encompasses apparatus and processes for fundamental physical and chemical operations that are not restricted to a specific technical field or application. This class covers general-purpose equipment and techniques such as mixing, separating, heating, cooling, and drying, along with associated control systems and apparatus designs. Inventions classified here typically serve as building blocks across multiple industries—from pharmaceuticals to food processing to chemical manufacturing—and are inventions that cannot be adequately classified within more specialized B-subclasses dedicated to particular applications or materials. B01 excludes devices designed for highly specific technical applications, which are classified in their respective specialized subclasses (such as B02 for crushing/grinding or B05 for spraying).
IPC and CPC are identically structured here. All 5 subcodes exist in both systems.
2 shared codes have differing titles between IPC and CPC.
Child Classifications
Navigate with arrow keys, Enter to open
- B01D SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) heading +29 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- B01F MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06) heading +2 CPC −1 IPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- B01J CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS heading +11 CPC −1 IPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- B01L CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE heading +4 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
Top Applicants
Top Applicants (IPC)
2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- SINOPEC (CHINA PETROCHEMICAL CORPORATION) 16,893
- CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 11,733
- BASF (BADISCHE ANILIN & SODA FABRIK) DE 3,898
- LG CHEM KR 3,367
- PETROCHINA COMPANY 3,224
- IFPEN (IFP ENERGIES NOUVELLES) FR 3,042
- ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY 2,890
- MANN + HUMMEL DE 2,740
- JOHNSON MATTHEY GB 2,534
- SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY SA 2,527
Top Applicants (CPC)
2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- SINOPEC (CHINA PETROCHEMICAL CORPORATION) 10,345
- CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 8,352
- BASF (BADISCHE ANILIN & SODA FABRIK) DE 5,134
- LG CHEM KR 4,290
- SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY SA 3,444
- IFPEN (IFP ENERGIES NOUVELLES) FR 3,417
- DOW GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES US 3,195
- MANN + HUMMEL DE 2,822
- JOHNSON MATTHEY GB 2,802
- UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY (UOP) US 2,737