Electrochemical Pollutant Removal Patent Landscape 2026
The electrochemical pollutant removal field is in a Growth stage, expanding on a multi-year basis with a recent-window increase of 19%, though annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak. University of Georgia Research Foundation leads a moderately concentrated field where academic institutions and specialist industrial firms each hold significant ground, and China accounts for the largest share of filing activity.
Academic institutions lead a moderately concentrated field
University of Georgia Research Foundation and Janssen Pharma each hold the top position in the applicant ranking, followed by California Institute of Technology, Reilly Industries, Clarkson University, and ECOX Global. Together, the five largest filers account for 25% of the combined total among the hundred largest filers.
The top tier is shared between academic institutions and specialized industrial players, with no single entity commanding a dominant majority. A clear gap separates the leading pair from the mid-tier, where multiple applicants cluster between five and seven patent records each.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc | 13 | |
| 2 | Janssen Pharma NV | 13 | |
| 3 | California Institute of Technology | 9 | |
| 4 | Reilly Industries Inc | 7 | |
| 5 | Clarkson University | 7 | |
| 6 | ECOX Global Pte Ltd | 7 | |
| 7 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 6 | |
| 8 | Element Six Technologies Ltd | 5 | |
| 9 | Evoqua Water Technologies LLC | 5 | |
| 10 | E-OX Corp Inc | 5 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Nanjing University OF SCI & TECH | 4 | |
| 12 | Suzhou Gaia Biopharmaceutical Co Ltd | 4 | |
| 13 | ERCO Worldwide LP | 4 | |
| 14 | Zhejiang University of Technology | 3 | |
| 15 | Dow Global Technologies LLC | 3 | |
| 16 | Superior Plus Income Fund | 3 | |
| 17 | Sterling Pulp Chemicals | 3 | |
| 18 | DSM NV | 3 | |
| 19 | Dalian University of Technology | 3 | |
| 20 | COUNCIL OF SCI & IND RES | 3 |
The positions of university-based leaders — University of Georgia Research Foundation, Caltech, MIT, and Clarkson University — signal that foundational electrochemical process research remains a primary source of IP generation, leaving room for industrial players to build applied portfolios on top of academic groundwork.
Filing counts for 2024–2026 are understated due to standard patent publication lag of 18–24 months; the field’s apparent recent activity is likely higher than current counts reflect. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Multi-year growth with a 2023 peak and a dominant water-treatment core
The annual filing trend reveals an uneven but upward multi-year trajectory, while the technology composition chart shows a field anchored in water and wastewater treatment with meaningful secondary activity in electrolytic compound production.
Annual filing trend
Filings climbed to a multi-year high in 2023 before easing in 2024–2026; the most recent years are further suppressed by publication lag and should not be read as a decline. The 19% recent-window growth confirms the field is still expanding on a multi-year basis.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
C02F (water and wastewater treatment) and C25B (electrolytic production of compounds) together dominate the technology mix, reflecting the field’s core focus on oxidation and disinfection processes. Secondary branches — including C07D heterocyclic compounds, H01M electrochemical cells, and B01J catalysis — each hold a smaller but non-trivial share, pointing to diversification into specialty chemistry and energy-adjacent applications.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Membrane-Mediated Electro-Oxidation-Reduction Deep…
A membrane-mediated electro-oxidation-reduction deep water treatment device and an operation method thereof, is related to the technical fields of electrochemistry, membrane separation and water treatment. The present invention provides a membrane-mediated electro-oxidation-reduction deep water treatment device of which the anode conductive membrane and the… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrolytic process for producing chlorine dioxide | 63 |
| 2 | 一种高效电催化高级氧化技术电极材料 | 60 |
| 3 | Methods and systems for electrochemical oxidation … | 56 |
| 4 | Brine purification | 53 |
| 5 | Methods and systems for electrochemical oxidation … | 35 |
| 6 | 一种含氯苯类化合物的废水的电氧化处理工艺 | 30 |
| 7 | 一种螺旋卷绕式电化学水处理反应器 | 29 |
| 8 | System and method for electrochemical oxidation of… | 27 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
The field’s Growth stage, moderate concentration, and university-heavy leadership create both accessible white space and clear IP risks that R&D teams should map before committing to a program.
Growth stage with eased annual pace
The lifecycle evidence classifies this field as Growth: the recent three-year filing window sits well above the prior three-year window, confirming multi-year expansion. Annual volume peaked in 2023 and has since eased, though publication lag means 2024–2026 figures are understated. Entrants still have time to build a defensible position before the field consolidates.
Growth stageModerate concentration with a clear tier gap
The top five filers hold 25% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total — a moderate level that indicates no single player has locked up the space. A visible gap separates the leading pair from the mid-tier cluster, meaning a focused program of five to ten well-placed filings could realistically reach the top quartile. Industrial applicants remain underrepresented relative to universities, which is an exploitable asymmetry.
Moderate concentrationOne documented cross-institution partnership
The only recorded co-filing collaboration pairs California Institute of Technology with Clarkson University, with nine joint patent records. This academic alliance concentrates around water-treatment membrane and separation processes. No industrial-academic co-filing clusters are evident in the evidence, suggesting that partnership pathways with leading university groups remain largely open to industrial entrants.
Academic co-filingChina leads filings; US and PCT provide broad coverage
China accounts for the largest jurisdiction count, followed by the United States, WIPO PCT, and the European Patent Office. India, Australia, and Canada each show meaningful secondary activity. The breadth of PCT and EPO filings among leading applicants indicates that core process inventions are being pursued for global protection, and any entrant should budget for multi-jurisdiction prosecution in at least China, the US, and Europe.
China-led, global scopeGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| California Institute of Technology | Clarkson University | 9 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
University of Georgia leads; ECOX Global and Element Six emerge as new entrants
The top two ranked applicants — University of Georgia Research Foundation and Janssen Pharma — hold equal record counts but pursue distinct technology routes. A cohort of new entrants, including ECOX Global and Element Six Technologies, is building positions rapidly from a small prior base.
University of Georgia Research Foundation
University of Georgia Research Foundation holds 13 patent records and entered its recent filing phase as a new entrant, indicating that its current portfolio was built within the recent window. Its technology emphasis spans C02F water and wastewater treatment, H01M electrochemical cells, and C25B electrolytic compound production — a broad coverage that bridges core pollutant oxidation with energy-storage-adjacent electrode chemistry.
patent records: 13ECOX Global Pte Ltd
ECOX Global holds 7 patent records and is classified as a new entrant with 6 recent patent records, signaling rapid portfolio formation from a small or no prior base. Its technology focus centers on C25B electrolytic production, C01B non-metallic inorganic compounds, and C22B metal extraction and refining — a combination that positions it at the intersection of advanced oxidant generation and resource-recovery applications rather than pure wastewater treatment.
patent records: 7| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| ECOX Global Pte Ltd | 6 | ▲ new entrant |
| Element Six Technologies Ltd | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| E-OX Corp Inc | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the core water-treatment domain
Several IPC branches show low filing counts relative to the dominant C02F and C25B core, suggesting areas where the technical intersection with electrochemical pollutant removal is plausible but coverage remains thin. These are observations of relative sparsity; technical and commercial validation is required before treating them as actionable opportunities.
H01M · Batteries, cells & fuel cells
With 18 patent records, H01M sits well below the dominant C02F and C25B branches despite the direct relevance of electrode materials and cell architectures to electrochemical oxidation reactors. University of Georgia Research Foundation is the most active filer here, suggesting academic groundwork exists. Teams developing next-generation boron-doped diamond or dimensionally stable anode configurations for pollutant degradation could differentiate by explicitly targeting cell-level claims in this branch.
Search this in Eureka →B01D · Separation processes (filtration etc.)
B01D carries 10 patent records, concentrated mainly in the Caltech–Clarkson University collaboration around membrane-based separations. The low independent filing count despite obvious process relevance — electrochemical oxidation is frequently coupled with membrane filtration for PFAS and micropollutant removal — indicates sparse standalone coverage. Applicants combining electrochemical treatment with advanced membrane materials could file into largely uncrowded claim territory.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders diverge across technology routes
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | C02F 1 · Water & wastewater treatment | C02F 101 · Water & wastewater treatment | C25B 11 · Electrolytic production of compounds | C25B 3 · Electrolytic production of compounds | C25B 1 · Electrolytic production of compounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc | Strong · 13 | Absent | Moderate · 4 | Moderate · 6 | Absent |
| Janssen Pharma NV | Strong · 9 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Strong · 12 |
| Clarkson University | Strong · 9 | Moderate · 2 | Moderate · 2 | Absent | Absent |
| California Institute of Technology | Strong · 9 | Moderate · 2 | Moderate · 2 | Absent | Absent |
| ECOX Global Pte Ltd | Absent | Strong · 5 | Strong · 7 | Absent | Absent |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Absent | Absent | Strong · 5 | Strong · 6 | Absent |
| Evoqua Water Technologies LLC | Strong · 5 | Absent | Strong · 4 | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 115 patent families in scope. Filing activity spans multiple jurisdictions, with China, the United States, WIPO PCT, and the European Patent Office accounting for the largest shares of patent records.
University of Georgia Research Foundation and Janssen Pharma each lead with 13 patent records, followed by California Institute of Technology with 9, and Reilly Industries, Clarkson University, and ECOX Global each with 7. Academic institutions represent a disproportionate share of the top tier.
The lifecycle evidence classifies the field as Growth. The recent three-year filing window shows 19% growth over the prior three-year window. Annual volume peaked in 2023 and has eased since, but 2024–2026 figures are understated by publication lag, so no real decline should be inferred from recent lower counts.
C02F (water and wastewater treatment) and C25B (electrolytic production of compounds) are the dominant branches by patent-record count. C07D heterocyclic compounds, H01M electrochemical cells, and B01J catalysis each occupy secondary positions, reflecting diversification into specialty chemistry and energy-adjacent applications.
One documented co-filing collaboration exists in the evidence: California Institute of Technology and Clarkson University have co-filed 9 joint patent records, focused on water-treatment membrane and separation processes. No other co-filing clusters are recorded in the current evidence.
The H01M (batteries, cells, and fuel cells) and B01D (separation processes) branches show notably lower filing counts relative to their technical relevance to electrochemical pollutant removal. B01J (catalysis) and C01B (non-metallic inorganic compounds) are similarly sparse. These represent adjacent areas where independent filing coverage is thin, though commercial and technical validation remains necessary before treating them as confirmed opportunities.
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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.
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