C22 METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
Description
C22 encompasses the extraction, production, refining, and treatment of ferrous metals (iron and steel), non-ferrous metals (aluminum, copper, zinc, titanium, etc.), and their alloys. This class covers metallurgical processes including smelting, casting, rolling, forging, heat treatment, and surface modifications, as well as the composition design and properties of metal materials. Applications range from structural steels and aerospace alloys to electrical conductors and specialty materials, excluding chemical processes for ore beneficiation (classified under C01) and the use of metals in specific end-products (covered by their respective technical classes such as H01 for electrical components or B21 for metal working machinery).
IPC and CPC are identically structured here. All 3 subcodes exist in both systems.
3 shared codes have differing titles between IPC and CPC.
Child Classifications
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- C22B PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS (electrolytic C25); PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS heading IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- C22C ALLOYS (flints C06C15/00; treatment of alloys C21D, C22F) heading +3 CPC −3 IPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- C22F 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) heading IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
Top Applicants
Top Applicants (IPC)
2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- JFE STEEL JP 7,152
- NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION JP 5,416
- POSCO (POHANG IRON AND STEEL COMPANY) KR 4,530
- JFE STEEL 3,986
- CENTRAL SOUTH UNIVERSITY 3,086
- NSSMC (NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL) JP 2,843
- CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 2,702
- ARCELORMITTAL LU 2,124
- NSSMC (NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL) 2,075
- KOBE STEEL JP 1,891
Top Applicants (CPC)
2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- JFE STEEL JP 7,620
- NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION JP 5,769
- POSCO (POHANG IRON AND STEEL COMPANY) KR 4,523
- JFE STEEL 3,080
- NSSMC (NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL) JP 2,999
- ARCELORMITTAL LU 2,962
- CENTRAL SOUTH UNIVERSITY 2,431
- KOBE STEEL JP 2,100
- CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 2,052
- MITSUBISHI MATERIALS CORPORATION JP 1,405