F27B FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS OR RETORTS IN GENERAL; OPEN SINTERING OR LIKE APPARATUS
Introduced: September 1968
Description
F27B encompasses general-purpose furnaces, kilns, ovens, and retorts without restriction to specific heat sources or industrial applications, along with open sintering and related apparatus for materials processing. This classification covers structural designs, construction materials, refractory linings, burner arrangements, heating chamber configurations, and auxiliary equipment common to multiple furnace types. It includes both batch and continuous heating systems used across industries such as ceramics, metallurgy, chemicals, and thermal processing, excluding specialized furnace types assigned to more specific subclasses (F27D for electric furnaces, F27H for melting furnaces). The scope extends to apparatus for sintering, calcination, roasting, and similar high-temperature operations where materials are exposed to direct or indirect heat treatment in open or semi-open configurations.
Additional Content IPC
Bakers' ovens; Machines or equipment for baking Furnaces specially adapted for glass manufacture Retorts or ovens for production of gas, coke, tar or similar materials by destructive distillation of carbonaceous materials Furnaces, kilns, ovens or retorts specially adapted for apparatus for cracking hydrocarbons Furnaces, kilns, ovens or retorts for production of gases containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen from solid carbonaceous materials by partial oxidation processes involving oxygen or steam Blast furnaces Stoves for heating the blast in blast furnaces Manufacture of steel in converters General devices for heat treatment of ferrous or non-ferrous metals or alloys Furnaces for electroslag or arc remelting of metals Apparatus or furnaces for melting or fritting enamels Ovens specially adapted for firing enamels
IPC and CPC are identically structured here. All 12 subcodes exist in both systems.
6 shared codes have differing titles between IPC and CPC.
Child Classifications
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- F27B 1/00 Shaft or like vertical or substantially vertical furnaces +1 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- F27B 13/00 Furnaces with both stationary charge and progression of heating, e.g. of ring type or of the type in which a segmental kiln moves over a stationary charge IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- F27B 15/00 Fluidised-bed furnaces; Other furnaces using or treating finely-divided materials in dispersion +2 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- F27B 17/00 Furnaces of a kind not covered by any of groups F27B1/00 - F27B15/00 (structural combinations of furnaces F27B19/02) +2 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- F27B 19/00 Combinations of different kinds of furnaces that are not all covered by any single one of main groups F27B1/00 - F27B17/00 IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- F27B 21/00 Open or uncovered sintering apparatus; Other heat-treatment apparatus of like construction −1 IPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- F27B 3/00 Hearth-type furnaces, e.g. of reverberatory type (F27B9/00, F27B11/00, F27B13/00, F27B14/00, F27B15/00, F27B21/00 take precedence); Electric arc furnaces +1 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- F27B 5/00 Muffle furnaces; Retort furnaces; Other furnaces in which the charge is held completely isolated (furnaces through which the charge is moved mechanically or in which the charge moves by gravity F27B9/00) IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- F27B 7/00 Rotary-drum furnaces, i.e. horizontal or slightly inclined +1 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
- F27B 9/00 Furnaces through which the charge is moved mechanically, e.g. of tunnel type (rotary-drum furnaces with means for agitating or moving the charge F27B7/14); Similar furnaces in which the charge moves by gravity IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
Top Applicants
Top Applicants (IPC)
Class F27,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- POSCO (POHANG IRON AND STEEL COMPANY) KR 885
- ZHONGYE CHANGTIAN INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING COMPANY 670
- JFE STEEL 621
- JFE STEEL JP 492
- PAUL WURTH LU 418
- OUTOTEC (FINLAND) FI 346
- CHINA ENFI ENGINEERING CORPORATION 328
- THYSSEN KRUPP DE 310
- JINCHUAN GROUP 279
- NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION 262
Top Applicants (CPC)
Class F27,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- POSCO (POHANG IRON AND STEEL COMPANY) KR 930
- JFE STEEL JP 771
- PAUL WURTH LU 518
- OUTOTEC (FINLAND) FI 436
- THYSSEN KRUPP DE 422
- REFRACTORY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & COMPANY AT 370
- THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS DE 341
- JFE STEEL 323
- PRIMETALS TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AT 310
- ZHONGYE CHANGTIAN INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING COMPANY 299