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Run your analysis now →https://www.patsnap.com/resources/blog/rd-blog/fischer-tropsch-synthesis-carbon-capture-patent-landscape/ · Patsnap · data cut-off 2026-07-31 · downloaded from the live page
Patent Landscape · Chemical & Process EngineeringFischer-Tropsch Synthesis Carbon Capture Patents
- Filing activity has flattened, not grown. Filings rose from 29 in 2017 to a peak of 59 in 2024, but the 2022 midpoint of 38 shows growth was already levelling off well before the most recent, still-partial year.
- Non-metallic and inorganic chemistry dominates the claim space. C01B has 312 associated records, more than double the next largest subclass (H01M at 220), signalling that CO2 conversion chemistry — not fuel cell hardware — is where most claims sit.
- Influence is concentrated in three co-filing individuals. The strongest co-assignee pairs — Berlowitz, Barckholtz and Hershkowitz — all recorded zero filings in the latest year, suggesting a mature core group whose most-cited work predates current activity.
596
Published Records
50%
Top-5 Share of All Records
+146%
Filing Growth 2021→2024
US
Leading Jurisdiction
Filing growth compares 2021 (24 records) with 2024 (59) — a three-year span. 2024 is the most recent year we treat as complete: publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 onwards are still filling in and any growth rate that ends there would understate the field. Top-5 share is the combined record count of the five largest assignees divided by all 596 records in scope (CR5), not by the ranked leaders only.
Published byPatsnap Research··7 min readSourced from Patsnap Eureka
Overview
What this landscape covers
This dataset tracks 596 patent families at the intersection of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and carbon capture or CO2 utilization, spanning publications from 2015 through mid-2026. It captures systems that integrate synthesis gas production, molten carbonate fuel cells, and CO2-to-liquid pathways with the classic Fischer-Tropsch process — a combination that lets operators either reduce net emissions from gas-to-liquids plants or use captured CO2 as a feedstock rather than a waste stream.
Filing counts here are drawn directly from the underlying family and publication data; because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, the most recent year is undercounted and should not be read as a slowdown on its own.
Filing trend, 2017-2026
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Assignee ranking and totals. Derived from a Patsnap search on Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Carbon Capture covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
Data
Filing trends and technology composition
The filing trend and IPC breakdown together show a field that grew steadily through the late 2010s, peaked in 2024, and concentrates its claims in a small number of chemistry-heavy subclasses rather than spreading evenly across the integration stack.
A decade of uneven growth, then a plateau
Annual filings climbed from 29 in 2017 toward a peak of 59 in 2024. The 2022 figure of 38 sits almost exactly at the midpoint of that range, which is consistent with flat-to-declining underlying growth once the partial, undercounted final year is set aside.
Claims cluster in CO2 chemistry, not hardware
C01B (non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds) leads with 312 associated records, ahead of H01M fuel cells at 220, B01J catalysis at 152, and C10G hydrocarbon refining at 147. Purification (C10K, 107) and separation (B01D, 52) trail well behind, indicating that gas cleanup and CO2 separation hardware are comparatively lightly claimed relative to core conversion chemistry.
Shares are the percentage of the 596 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Carbon Capture covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.
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The most-cited prior art in this space
Representative filing
Integration of Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells in Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis
EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
Systems and methods for integrating molten carbonate fuel cells with a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process, including providing synthesis gas for hydrocarbon production and processing vent or secondary product streams generated during synthesis.Filed by ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, published 2014-09-18.
Most-cited records
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US20170341942A1 | Methods and systems for large scale carbon dioxide utilization from lake KIVU via a co2 industrial utilizatio… | 206 |
| 2 | US20100297749A1 | Methods and systems for biofuel production | 200 |
| 3 | US20090191593A1 | Methods and organisms for utilizing synthesis gas or other gaseous carbon sources and methanol | 102 |
| 4 | US20170271701A1 | Integrated operation of molten carbonate fuel cells | 90 |
| 5 | US20140260310A1 | Integrated Power Generation Using Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells | 66 |
| 6 | US20140260311A1 | Integration of Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells with Fermentation Processes | 61 |
| 7 | US20100190874A1 | Catalytic hyrogenation of carbon dioxide into syngas mixture | 43 |
| 8 | US8323950B2 | Methods and organisms for utilizing synthesis gas or other gaseous carbon sources and methanol | 41 |
| 9 | US20150093665A1 | Cathode combustion for enhanced fuel cell syngas production | 37 |
| 10 | US20190071374A1 | Method for preparing aromatic hydrocarbon with carbon dioxide hydrogenation | 36 |
Citation counts reflect influence within the searched corpus and skew toward older filings; they are not a measure of current commercial relevance.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Citation counts and representative records. Derived from a Patsnap search on Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Carbon Capture covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
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What the numbers mean for a filing decision
Three patterns stand out once family counts, citation weight, and receiving offices are read together: a chemistry-heavy claim base, a citation record dominated by a handful of early filings, and a filing footprint concentrated in a small set of jurisdictions.
Technology mix
312 vs 220
C01B vs H01M records
CO2 chemistry outweighs fuel cell hardware
C01B's 312 records against H01M's 220 shows that most patent activity targets the chemical conversion and utilization of CO2 itself, rather than the fuel cell or power-integration hardware that carries it. Filers entering on the hardware side face a comparatively less crowded field.
IPC composition
Citation concentration
206 citations
top-cited record
Influence sits with a small set of early filings
The most-cited record in the corpus, on large-scale CO2 utilization tied to power production, carries 206 citations — well ahead of the next tier. That concentration means foundational claims were staked early, and later filers have largely built around rather than over them.
Most-cited records
Jurisdiction footprint
243 US filings
vs 76 PCT, 72 EPO
Filing strategy is US-centred with modest international spread
United States receiving-office filings (243) far outweigh PCT (76) and EPO (72) activity, with Canada, India and Australia trailing further. Applicants protecting positions outside the US should note the comparatively lighter coverage in EPO and Indian filings.
Receiving offices
Eureka AI Agent
Looking for what nobody has claimed yet?
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to fischer-tropsch synthesis carbon capture, with the prior art for and against each one.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Co-assignee relationships and derived observations. Derived from a Patsnap search on Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Carbon Capture covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
Players
Who is filing, and where the activity has stalled
The strongest co-filing relationships in this dataset belong to a small group of named inventors tied to early molten-carbonate fuel cell integration work; all show zero filings in the latest tracked year, pointing to a core body of art that is no longer being actively extended by its originators.
Core co-filing group
50 shared filings
Berlowitz + Barckholtz
The strongest co-assignee pair has gone quiet
Berlowitz and Barckholtz share 50 co-filed records, the strongest pairing in the dataset, with Berlowitz and Hershkowitz (39) and Barckholtz and Hershkowitz (37) close behind. All three individuals show zero filings in the most recent year.
Co-assignee pairs
Corporate assignee momentum
-100% YoY
ExxonMobil-linked filings
Momentum has dropped sharply for early leaders
ExxonMobil Research and Engineering and FuelCell Energy both show -100% year-on-year change, with zero filings in the latest year. This is consistent with a first wave of integration patents that has largely run its course rather than an active, expanding program.
Recent-year momentum
Research organisations
0 latest-year filings
Research Triangle Institute
Institutional filers show the same pause
Research Triangle Institute, alongside the named individual inventors, also shows no filings in the latest year. The pattern across both corporate and institutional assignees suggests the pause is field-wide rather than specific to one organisation's strategy.
Recent-year momentum
Recent-year filing momentum by assignee
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company | 0 | -100% |
| BERLOWITZ PAUL J | 0 | — |
| BARCKHOLTZ TIMOTHY ANDREW | 0 | — |
| HERSHKOWITZ FR H | 0 | — |
| FuelCell Energy, Inc. | 0 | -100% |
| Research Triangle Institute | 0 | — |
| Nextchem S.p.A. | 0 | -100% |
| LEE ANITA S | 0 | — |
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Assignee-level momentum. Derived from a Patsnap search on Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Carbon Capture covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
What's Next
Where to take this analysis
The filing plateau and concentrated citation base raise questions that a landscape summary alone cannot answer — particularly around freedom to operate and where thinner-claimed branches remain genuinely open.
Map freedom to operate around the core claim cluster
With C01B and H01M carrying the bulk of filings, a targeted claim chart against the most-cited records clarifies what is actually blocked before committing to a chemistry route.
Explore in Eureka →Track whether the plateau is a pause or a peak
The gap between 2024's peak of 59 and the flat 2022 midpoint of 38 is worth revisiting as more recent filings publish and the undercount corrects.
Explore in Eureka →Assess the under-claimed separation and purification branches
B01D and C10K trail the dominant subclasses by a wide margin; a closer read of those families can show whether that gap reflects real technical difficulty or simply less filing pressure.
Explore in Eureka →Source: Patsnap Eureka. Forward-looking reading of the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Carbon Capture covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
FAQ
Common questions about this landscape
The most-cited records in this dataset are tied to large-scale CO2 utilization and molten carbonate fuel cell integration, with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company holding a representative and frequently referenced filing on integrating fuel cells into Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The strongest co-filing relationships belong to a small group of named inventors, Berlowitz, Barckholtz and Hershkowitz, whose combined work anchors much of the fuel-cell-integration side of the field. However, all of these filers show zero activity in the most recent tracked year, so current leadership may be shifting toward newer entrants not yet visible in citation counts.
Filings rose from 29 in 2017 to a peak of 59 in 2024, which looks like growth on its face, but the 2022 midpoint of 38 sits almost exactly between those two points, indicating the growth rate was already flattening well before the peak. Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, the most recent years in any trend chart are undercounted, so the apparent drop after 2024 should not be read as a definite decline yet. Taken together, the pattern reads as a plateau rather than sustained expansion.
Non-metallic and inorganic chemistry (IPC class C01B) leads with 312 associated records, more than the next largest category, fuel cells (H01M) at 220. Catalysis-related filings (B01J, 152) and hydrocarbon refining (C10G, 147) follow, while gas purification (C10K, 107) and separation processes (B01D, 52) trail well behind. This distribution shows that most claim activity targets the core CO2 conversion chemistry rather than the separation or purification hardware that supports it.
The United States receives by far the most filings in this dataset at 243, followed by WIPO's PCT route at 76 and the European Patent Office at 72. Canada, India and Australia follow with smaller but still notable counts of 54, 31 and 20 respectively. This distribution points to a strongly US-centred filing strategy, with international protection concentrated in a handful of major jurisdictions rather than spread broadly.
US20140272641A1, assigned to ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, covers integration of molten carbonate fuel cells with a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process, including using the fuel cells to help provide synthesis gas and processing vent or secondary product streams from the synthesis step. It is a representative filing in the fuel-cell-integration branch of this landscape rather than a single blocking patent covering the whole field. Anyone designing a competing integration should check its specific claim scope against their own process configuration, particularly around how synthesis gas is generated and how secondary streams are handled, since those are the areas the abstract emphasises.
Answers are grounded in the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Carbon Capture covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
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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.