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IPC Subgroup
C21C 5/02

Crucible furnace processes

Introduced: September 1968

Last revised: January 2006

Full Title

Manufacture of carbon steel, e.g. plain mild steel, medium carbon steel, or cast-steel > Crucible furnace processes

Classification Context

Section:
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
Class:
METALLURGY OF IRON
Subclass:
PROCESSING OF PIG-IRON, e.g. REFINING, MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT-IRON OR STEEL; TREATMENT IN MOLTEN STATE OF FERROUS ALLOYS

Filing statistics

IPC C21C 5/02 belongs to the parent subclass C21C, which recorded 36,789 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 2,651 in 2013 to 4,505 in 2023 (+70%). The most active applicants in class C21 are JFE STEEL (7,470 applications), POSCO (POHANG IRON AND STEEL COMPANY) (4,615 applications) and JFE STEEL (4,538 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class C21, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

  1. JFE STEEL JP 7,470
  2. POSCO (POHANG IRON AND STEEL COMPANY) KR 4,615
  3. JFE STEEL 4,538
  4. NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION JP 4,536
  5. ARCELORMITTAL LU 2,597
  6. NSSMC (NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL) JP 2,241
  7. ANGANG STEEL COMPANY 2,126
  8. NSSMC (NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL) 1,783
  9. BAOSHAN IRON & STEEL COMPANY 1,620
  10. HYUNDAI STEEL COMPANY KR 1,545