Geopolymer Mix Design & Precursors Patent Landscape
The geopolymer mix design and precursors field is in an active growth phase, with 3,004 patent families on record and a 55% increase in the most recent window — activity is still rising, with the most recent months understated by publication lag. The field is moderately concentrated: Schlumberger Technology BV leads by family count, but oilfield-services and construction-chemistry players coexist with a broad Chinese academic cohort, signalling that no single actor controls the technology.
Schlumberger leads a fragmented top tier alongside US Gypsum and ENTECH
United States Gypsum Co (72) and ENTECH Corp (64). The top five filers — Schlumberger Technology BV, United States Gypsum Co, ENTECH Corp, Catholic University of America, and Synthos SA — together account for 18% of the combined output of the hundred largest filers, indicating a moderately fragmented competitive structure.
The gap between the first-ranked filer (94 families) and the twentieth-ranked filer (Schlumberger Canada Ltd, 27 families) is meaningful but not insurmountable, and a dense cluster of Chinese universities occupies ranks six through twenty, showing that academic institutions are significant patent generators in this space.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schlumberger Technology BV | 94 | |
| 2 | United States Gypsum Co | 72 | |
| 3 | ENTECH Corp | 64 | |
| 4 | Catholic University of America | 62 | |
| 5 | Synthos SA | 61 | |
| 6 | Wuhan University of Technology | 48 | |
| 7 | Southeast University | 48 | |
| 8 | Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA | 47 | |
| 9 | Wuhan University | 38 | |
| 10 | Sika Technology AG | 34 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY GMBH | 34 | |
| 12 | Heungkuk Industrial Co Ltd | 34 | |
| 13 | Zhejiang University | 33 | |
| 14 | Schlumberger Tech Corp | 32 | |
| 15 | Tongji University | 31 | |
| 16 | Shenzhen University | 30 | |
| 17 | Zhengzhou University | 28 | |
| 18 | Dow Global Technologies LLC | 28 | |
| 19 | Hebei University of Technology | 27 | |
| 20 | Schlumberger Canada Ltd | 27 |
Schlumberger’s multi-entity presence (Schlumberger Technology BV, Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA, Schlumberger Tech Corp, Schlumberger Canada Ltd) suggests a coordinated oilfield-cementing IP strategy, while. United States Gypsum Co and ENTECH Corp represent construction-material incumbents. Chinese universities collectively represent a pipeline of publicly accessible IP that could constrain freedom-to-operate for commercial entrants.
Filings from 2025 onward are understated due to standard patent publication lag of 18–24 months; the apparent softening in the most recent data should not be read as a genuine slowdown. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Sustained filing growth with ceramics and cement chemistry dominating the technology mix
Annual filing volume has grown substantially over the review period, and the technology distribution is heavily anchored in ceramics, cement, and refractories (C04B), with a long tail of adjacent application classes.
Annual filing trend
Filings climbed from 191 families in 2017 to a visible high in 2023 and 2025, consistent with a growth-stage field. The 2026 data point (71 families) reflects only partial-year publication and should not be read as a decline. The 55% growth in the recent window confirms the underlying upward trajectory.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
C04B (Ceramics, cement & refractories) dominates the IPC distribution by a wide margin, reflecting the core binder-chemistry focus of geopolymer research. The next-largest branches — C09K (materials for miscellaneous applications), B28B (shaping clay and cement products), E21B (earth drilling/wells), and E01C (roads and pavements) — each represent a small share, pointing to diversifying end-use applications in oilfield, infrastructure, and shaping processes.
↗ 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.
Copper slag-fly ash geopolymer, a preparation meth…
The present invention discloses a copper slag-fly ash geopolymer, a preparation method thereof, and use thereof, belongs to the technical field of geopolymer. The preparation method of copper-fly ash geopolymer provided by the application comprises the steps of: mixing the copper slag, fly ash and alkali activator solution, obtaining a slurry; proceeding… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | High-strength geopolymer composite cellular concrete | 183 |
| 2 | Geopolymer composition and application in oilfield… | 150 |
| 3 | Geopolymer composition and its production method | 145 |
| 4 | Geopolymer composite for ultra high performance co… | 122 |
| 5 | Geopolymers and methods for their production | 107 |
| 6 | 憎水改性碱激发无机聚合物涂覆修复材料 | 100 |
| 7 | Dimensionally stable geopolymer compositions and m… | 89 |
| 8 | Tailored geopolymer composite binders for cement a… | 87 |
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 patent structure means for R&D investment decisions
The field’s growth stage, moderate concentration, and strong Chinese academic presence each carry distinct implications for where an R&D team or corporate acquirer should focus attention.
Growth stage: annual filings still rising
The lifecycle evidence classifies this field as Growth, with annual filings still rising and recent-period data understated by publication lag. A 55% increase in the recent window confirms that the technology is well past early experimentation but has not yet entered the slowdown characteristic of mature fields. Teams entering now can still establish meaningful IP positions before saturation.
Growth stageModerate fragmentation with a dual-sector top tier
The top five filers hold 18% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output — moderate concentration that leaves substantial room for new entrants. The top tier splits cleanly between oilfield services (Schlumberger entities) and construction chemistry (US Gypsum, ENTECH, Synthos), meaning that each sector sub-space has a different incumbent landscape. Chinese universities in the mid-tier generate published prior art that shapes freedom-to-operate across both sectors.
Fragmented top tierCollaboration is concentrated within the Schlumberger group and one construction-chemistry pair
The most active co-filing relationships are internal to the Schlumberger corporate family: Schlumberger Technology BV co-files most heavily with Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA (47 shared families), Schlumberger Canada Ltd (22), and Schlumberger Tech Corp (19). Outside that group, Construction Research & Technology GmbH and Sika Technology AG share 2 co-filed families, the only notable cross-company collaboration on record. Meaningful open-innovation partnerships between academia and industry are not yet evident in the co-filing data.
Intra-group dominantChina is the primary filing jurisdiction by a large margin
China is the lead filing jurisdiction, followed by India, the United States, Europe (EPO), and WIPO (PCT). Australia, South Korea, and Japan also show meaningful activity. The concentration of filings in China and India reflects both strong domestic research programs and the relevance of geopolymer technology to large infrastructure markets. North American and European filers relying primarily on PCT or EPO routes may face freedom-to-operate exposure in Asian markets.
China-dominantGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Schlumberger Technology BV | Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA | 47 |
| Schlumberger Technology BV | Schlumberger Canada Ltd | 22 |
| Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA | Schlumberger Canada Ltd | 22 |
| Schlumberger Technology BV | Schlumberger Tech Corp | 19 |
| Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA | Schlumberger Tech Corp | 19 |
| Schlumberger Technology BV | Prad Research & Development Ltd | 8 |
| Schlumberger Technology BV | Schlumberger Holdings Ltd | 8 |
| Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA | Prad Research & Development Ltd | 8 |
| Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA | Schlumberger Holdings Ltd | 8 |
| Construction Research & Technology GmbH | Sika Technology AG | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Schlumberger’s oilfield focus contrasts with construction-chemistry incumbents
The two leading applicants occupy distinct technology sub-spaces: Schlumberger Technology BV targets well-cementing and oilfield fluid applications, while. United States Gypsum Co focuses on cementitious binder chemistry for construction.
Schlumberger Technology BV
Schlumberger Technology BV leads with 94 patent families, concentrated in C09K 8 (materials for oilfield applications), C04B 28 (hydraulic binders), and C04B 22 (cement chemistry). Its recent-period momentum is classified as a new entrant surge (56 families in the recent window), indicating a major ramp-up in geopolymer-specific IP. When the broader Schlumberger corporate family is aggregated, the group’s position is substantially larger, suggesting a systematic effort to protect geopolymer cementing formulations for well construction.
families: 94United States Gypsum Co
United States Gypsum Co holds 72 patent families, all concentrated in C04B 28 (hydraulic binders), C04B 12 (non-Portland cements), and C04B 111 (special-purpose cement properties). Its technology emphasis on construction-grade binder formulations positions it squarely in the building-products market rather than oilfield applications. Momentum data for US Gypsum is not separately listed in the recent-trend evidence, so trajectory is evidence pending.
families: 72| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Schlumberger Technology BV | 56 | ▲ new entrant |
| Synthos SA | 6 | ▲ new entrant |
| ENTECH Corp | 2 | ▼ -87% |
| Wuhan University of Technology | 22 | ▲ +120% |
| Southeast University | 24 | ▲ new entrant |
| Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA | 32 | ▲ new entrant |
| Construction Research & Technology GmbH | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| Wuhan University | 18 | ▲ +13% |
Under-served routes in roads, drilling, and shaping applications
Several IPC classes adjacent to the dominant C04B core show relatively low patent-record counts, suggesting that certain end-use application domains remain less fully covered and may offer room for differentiated IP development.
E21B · Earth drilling & well construction
E21B (earth and rock drilling) carries 114 patent records — small relative to the C04B core — despite geopolymer cement being technically relevant to well-plug, abandonment, and cementing operations in high-temperature and corrosive downhole environments. Schlumberger entities are the primary filers here, meaning the sub-space is not unoccupied, but the breadth of coverage is narrow. An entrant with novel precursor formulations for high-pH or high-temperature stability could find differentiated filing space, particularly given the regulatory push toward well integrity in decommissioning.
Search this in Eureka →E01C · Roads, pavements & surface layers
E01C (roads and pavements) shows 95 patent records, modest given the large potential demand for low-carbon geopolymer paving binders as a Portland-cement substitute in infrastructure projects. Current coverage is sparse, and the intersection with industrial by-product precursors (fly ash, slag) — which are already covered under C04B — suggests that formulation-to-pavement-performance linkages are underexplored in patent literature. Teams working on alkali-activated binder systems for road-base stabilisation or geopolymer asphalt modifiers may find meaningful white space here.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ by technology route and application domain
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | C04B 28 · Ceramics, cement & refractories | C04B 12 · Ceramics, cement & refractories | C04B 111 · Ceramics, cement & refractories | C04B 18 · Ceramics, cement & refractories | C04B 7 · Ceramics, cement & refractories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States Gypsum Co | Strong · 69 | Strong · 40 | Moderate · 34 | Absent | Moderate · 14 |
| ENTECH Corp | Strong · 60 | Absent | Moderate · 16 | Strong · 48 | Moderate · 18 |
| Schlumberger Technology BV | Strong · 88 | Moderate · 18 | Moderate · 33 | Absent | Absent |
| Catholic University of America | Strong · 47 | Strong · 24 | Absent | Strong · 38 | Absent |
| Synthos SA | Strong · 68 | Absent | Moderate · 22 | Absent | Absent |
| Southeast University | Strong · 47 | Absent | Moderate · 16 | Moderate · 11 | Moderate · 12 |
| Wuhan University of Technology | Strong · 38 | Moderate · 12 | Absent | Moderate · 12 | Moderate · 15 |
Frequently asked questions
The evidence covers 3,004 patent families in scope for geopolymer mix design and precursors across all jurisdictions in the analysis window.
Schlumberger Technology BV leads with 94 patent families, ahead of United States Gypsum Co (72) and ENTECH Corp (64). When related Schlumberger entities are considered together, the group’s combined position is substantially larger.
China is the dominant filing jurisdiction by a wide margin, followed by India, the United States, Europe (EPO), and WIPO (PCT). Australia, South Korea, and Japan also register meaningful activity.
The field is classified as Growth, with annual filings still rising and a 55% increase recorded in the most recent measurement window. Data from 2025 onward is understated by publication lag, so the apparent flattening in the most recent data points does not indicate a genuine slowdown.
C04B (Ceramics, cement and refractories) dominates the IPC distribution by a substantial margin. Adjacent classes — C09K (materials for miscellaneous applications), B28B (shaping clay and cement products), E21B (earth drilling), and E01C (roads and pavements) — each represent a much smaller share of patent records.
Co-filing activity is concentrated within the Schlumberger corporate family, with the largest co-filing relationship being between Schlumberger Technology BV and Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA (47 shared families). Outside the Schlumberger group, Construction Research & Technology GmbH and Sika Technology AG share 2 co-filed families. Broad cross-sector or academia-industry co-filing partnerships are not prominent in the current evidence.
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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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