Ceramic matrix composite patents for turbine hot sections
Five filers hold 68.3% of the field. 3,072 of 4,500 records in scope sit with the top five assignees — this is a concentrated landscape, not a fragmented one. Filings ran in the low 300s from 2017 through the 2018 peak of 357, then continued at a high level; the confirmed three-year growth from 2021 (198) to 2024 (275) is +39%. The apparent drop after 2024 is a publication-lag artefact, not a slowdown in actual filing.
- 1GENERAL ELECTRIC CO1,602
- 2RTX CORP686
- 3ROLLS ROYCE CORP377
- 4ROLLS ROYCE HIGH TEMPERATURE COMPOSITES INC224
- 5SAFRAN CERAMICS SA183
See the full ceramic matrix composites in hot sections analysis in Eureka
- The complete ranking, not just the top five
- Every IPC branch with its share of the corpus
- The most-cited records, and where claim space is still thin
Common questions on CMC hot-section patents
Who holds the most patents on ceramic matrix composites for turbine hot sections?
The dataset's leading assignee holds 1,602 of the 4,500 records in scope, well ahead of the rest of the ranked leaders — fifth place holds 183 and tenth place holds 44. Together the top five assignees account for 68.3% of all records, so the field is concentrated among a small number of aerospace engine manufacturers and their composites divisions rather than spread evenly. Anyone assessing freedom to operate should treat this small group as the primary reference set rather than sampling the wider ranking.
Is patent filing in ceramic matrix composites still growing?
Yes, based on the last full years of data: filings rose from 198 in 2021 to 275 in 2024, a 39% increase over that span. The peak year on record so far is 2018, at 357 filings, but growth resumed and continued through 2024. Figures for 2025 and 2026 appear lower only because patent publication typically lags actual filing by around 18 months, not because activity has slowed.
What are the main patent classes covering environmental barrier coatings for CMCs?
Coating and surface deposition claims for CMC hot-section parts fall mainly under C23C, which appears on 12.0% of the 4,500 records in this dataset, often alongside C04B ceramics claims (55.2% of records) and B32B layered-product claims (13.3%). This lower share relative to the core ceramics and turbine classes suggests environmental barrier coating durability, including resistance to water vapour recession, is a comparatively less crowded claim area than fibre or matrix processing itself.
Disclaimer. This analysis is based on Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent records and is provided for general information and reference only. Patent data carries inherent limitations — recent filings are under-counted because of publication lag, counts may be on a record or family basis, classification and applicant-name data may contain errors or duplicates, and the underlying search query defines the scope shown — so the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing here is an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Verify independently and review with qualified patent and legal professionals before acting on it.
Method: Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Ceramic Matrix Composites in Hot Sections covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish. Every share divides by all records in scope. Data: Patsnap Eureka. See the full landscape report.