Polyolefin Pyrolysis Patents: Who Leads, Where the Gaps Are 2026
What this landscape covers
This dataset tracks patent filings at the intersection of polyolefin pyrolysis and chemical recycling feedstock recovery — the conversion of mixed or pure plastic waste into pyrolysis oil, olefins, or other refinery-ready streams. The scope pulls records that combine pyrolysis or feedstock-recovery language with recycling terms, so it captures both dedicated recycling reactors and refinery-side upgrading claims aimed at recycled feed.
Coverage runs from 2015-01-01 through the 2026-07-31 cut-off, with 31 published records and 24 assignees appearing in the ranking. Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, the 2025 and 2026 figures in any trend view are undercounts of actual filing activity — treat the most recent one or two years as a floor, not a ceiling.
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Filing trend and technology composition
Two views of the same 31-record set: how filings moved year over year, and which IPC subclasses the claims actually sit in.
Filing trend, 2017–2026
Filings were flat at zero in 2017, built steadily through the early 2020s, and reached a peak of 11 in 2024 — the most active single year on record. 2026 shows only 4 filings so far, but that count is partial: the cut-off date means recent applications are still working through publication.
IPC subclass composition
C10G (hydrocarbon oils & refining) is the largest class at 61.3% of the 31 records, ahead of C08J (polymer processing, 38.7%) and C10B (destructive distillation, 32.3%). Smaller but notable clusters sit in C08K additives and H05H plasma/particle processes, each at 19.4%, and B01J catalysis and C10L fuels each at 12.9%. Because a single record can carry several IPC codes, these shares add up to well over 100% of the 31-record total — that is expected and is the same denominator used in the chart.
Shares are the percentage of the 31 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
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WO2024218310A2 — Advanced chemical recycling of mixed and pure waste plastics within a molten metal reactor
The application describes a reactor system for recycling single or mixed plastic feedstock, including polyolefins, using a charging device and a series of pyrolysis chambers, each holding a pyrolysis liquid. Vapour removal lines, liquid product drains and vapour/solid extractors sit on each chamber, and the liquid wax phase generated in one chamber becomes the feedstock for the next — a staged, continuous process rather than a single-pass pyrolysis step.Filed by Riedewald, Frank — published 2024-10-24.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US20230039224A1 | Pyrolysis oil from recycled polymer having increased olefins and decreased chlorides and metals | 11 |
| 2 | US20250230365A1 | Contaminant Removal During Integrated Plastic Recycle | 2 |
| 3 | IN201921034478A | Synthesis of energy fuel from plastic waste and its efficiency. | 2 |
| 4 | WO2023141368A1 | Contaminant removal during integrated plastic recycle | 1 |
| 5 | WO2022177949A1 | Upcycling of plastic waste to recombinant silk proteins via pseudomonas bacteria | 1 |
Citation counts inside a searched corpus favour older filings that have had more time to accumulate citations — read this as a signal of influence within the dataset, not a ranking of current technical importance.
Publication numbers are shown where the record carries one (5 of 5 rows); clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
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Read alongside the ranking and the IPC chart, three patterns stand out for anyone deciding where to file next.
Hydrocarbon oils & refining outweighs polymer-specific classes
C10G claims cover more than three in five records, well ahead of polymer processing (C08J) and destructive distillation (C10B). That tells you the contested ground is oil upgrading and contaminant removal, not resin formulation — a claim written purely around polymer chemistry is competing in a smaller, less crowded pool.
Most prior art is recent, not settled
Filing activity was effectively zero in 2017 and only reached double digits by 2024. A short filing history means examiners have fewer years of prior art to search against, and it means today's filers are shaping the baseline rather than working around an entrenched one.
A shallow lead, not a moat
The top-ranked assignee holds 6 records and the count drops to 4 by fifth place across 24 ranked assignees — a gradual taper rather than a cliff. That shape usually means the strongest claims are still being written, not already locked up.
Most filings are solo efforts
Only four co-assignee pairings appear in the whole dataset, and the strongest is a single domestic pairing at 6 shared records. Joint filing is not yet a common strategy here, which leaves partnership-based filing as a comparatively open route.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to chemical recycling & feedstock recovery — polyolefin pyrolysis to feedstock patent landscape, with the prior art for and against each one.
Where to take this analysis
The dataset points to a field with a shallow leadership gradient and several thin IPC clusters — both are starting points for a deeper freedom-to-operate or whitespace check.
Check freedom to operate against the leader's cluster
The leader and its closest co-assignee share 6 records concentrated around refining-side upgrading claims. Before filing in that space, map the exact claim scope of that pairing rather than assuming the shallow overall ranking means an open field.
Run a claim-scope check in EurekaWatch the quiet incumbents for a re-entry
Assignees with zero recent-year filings, including one at -100% YoY, still hold earlier positions that could be reactivated or licensed. Track their prosecution status rather than assuming the position is abandoned.
Set up assignee monitoring in EurekaDraft into the thinner IPC clusters
C08K, H05H, B01J and C10L each cover well under a third of the 31 records. A claim drafted specifically into one of these branches faces less prior art than one aimed squarely at C10G.
Explore whitespace mapping in EurekaCommon questions about this landscape
This landscape covers patent filings that combine pyrolysis or feedstock-recovery terminology with chemical or polymer recycling language, drawn from a search across 31 published records dated 2015 to mid-2026. It includes both dedicated plastic-to-oil pyrolysis reactors and refinery-side processes for upgrading pyrolysis oil derived from recycled polyolefins. Records touching plasma-assisted decomposition, catalytic upgrading, and contaminant removal from pyrolysis-derived feed are also in scope where they reference recycling.
The ranking covers 24 assignees, with the top position holding 6 records and the field tapering to 4 records by fifth place and down to 1 by tenth. That is a shallow gradient rather than a dominant leader, and the mix includes integrated refiners, a licensing specialist, and several individually named inventors filing alone. No single company's share can be stated as a percentage of the field from this data, since the ranking and the record total are counted in different units.
Filings rose from zero in 2017 to a peak of 11 in 2024, the most active year in the dataset. The 2026 count of 4 looks lower, but that year is only partially published as of the 2026-07-31 cut-off, and publication typically lags actual filing by around 18 months. A reliable growth rate cannot be stated from fewer than four complete years of post-lag data, but the trajectory through 2024 shows clear acceleration rather than a mature, flattening field.
Hydrocarbon oils and refining (C10G) is the most crowded class, appearing in 61.3% of the 31 records, followed by polymer processing (C08J) at 38.7% and destructive distillation (C10B) at 32.3%. Smaller clusters — additives (C08K) and plasma/particle processes (H05H) at 19.4% each, catalysis (B01J) and fuels (C10L) at 12.9% each — carry far less filing density and represent comparatively open ground for a specific, well-drafted claim. Because records can carry multiple IPC codes, these figures are not mutually exclusive shares of the same 100%.
The most-cited record, US20230039224A1, covers pyrolysis oil from recycled polymer engineered to have increased olefins and decreased chlorides and metals, and it carries 11 citations in this dataset — well ahead of any other record. That citation lead reflects both technical relevance and the fact that older filings have had more time to be cited, so it should be read as a signal of influence within this corpus rather than a statement that it is the most important filing being made today. Anyone assessing freedom to operate around contaminant-reduced pyrolysis oil should review this filing's claims directly rather than relying on the citation count alone.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. Patsnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company’s registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.