Heterogeneous Catalysis Purification Patent Landscape
The heterogeneous catalysis purification space is led by IFP Energies Nouvelles, whose patent record count is nearly twice that of the next-ranked filer, signalling a concentrated first-tier position. The field is in a declining phase, with annual volume having eased back from its 2017 peak, though a broad international applicant base across petrochemical, specialty chemical, and energy companies sustains ongoing activity.
IFP Energies Nouvelles leads a moderately concentrated field with a clear tier gap
IFP Energies Nouvelles holds the top position with 228 patent records, placing it comfortably ahead of UOP LLC at 125 and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research at 122. The top five filers collectively account for 22% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, indicating moderate concentration at the summit with a long competitive tail below.
A meaningful tier gap separates the top three applicants from the fourth and fifth ranked — Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV and Eastman Chemical Company, each at 111 patent records — and the gap widens further below rank five, where counts fall to 87 and below. This structure suggests established incumbents hold durable positional advantages that would require sustained investment to challenge.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IFP Energies Nouvelles | 228 | |
| 2 | UOP LLC | 125 | |
| 3 | COUNCIL OF SCI & IND RES | 122 | |
| 4 | Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV | 111 | |
| 5 | Eastman Chemical Company | 111 | |
| 6 | Dow Global Technologies LLC | 87 | |
| 7 | Evonik Operations GmbH | 75 | |
| 8 | Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd. | 75 | |
| 9 | Catalytic Distillation Technologies | 61 | |
| 10 | EXXONMOBIL TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING CO | 52 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 51 | |
| 12 | Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies Ltd. | 49 | |
| 13 | CHINA PETROLEUM & CHEMICAL CORP | 47 | |
| 14 | Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation | 46 | |
| 15 | THOMAS SWAN & CO LTD | 46 | |
| 16 | Sasol Technology (Pty) Ltd. | 44 | |
| 17 | Mobil Oil Corporation | 41 | |
| 18 | Chiyoda Corporation | 40 | |
| 19 | Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. | 40 | |
| 20 | LG Chem Ltd. | 39 |
The leaders’ positions reflect deep integration of heterogeneous catalysis into core refining, petrochemical, and specialty chemical workflows. IFP Energies Nouvelles’ emphasis on B01J catalysis processes and C07C acyclic compound transformations, combined with UOP LLC’s focus on hydrocarbon conversion, indicates that the dominant players are primarily oriented toward large-scale industrial synthesis and refining rather than niche purification sub-segments.
Patent records from approximately 2024 onward are subject to publication lag and are likely under-counted; apparent recent-year declines should not be interpreted as a further acceleration of the declining trend. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Annual volume has declined from a 2017 peak; acyclic compounds and catalysis processes dominate the technology mix
Two charts frame the temporal and technological structure of the field: annual filing volume from 2017 onward, and the distribution of IPC classes across the corpus. Together they reveal a maturing technology base whose core chemistry is well-established, with smaller adjacent branches representing comparatively under-populated areas.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings peaked in 2017 at 233 patent records and have declined steadily since, reaching 116 in 2024. The 2025 and 2026 counts are materially under-counted due to publication lag and should not be read as a steeper continuation of the decline. The overall multi-year window shows a 14% contraction, consistent with the field’s declining lifecycle stage.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
C07C (acyclic and carbocyclic compounds) and B01J (chemical and physical processes and catalysis) together account for the large majority of IPC-classified records, reflecting the field’s grounding in organic synthesis and heterogeneous catalyst design. Lower-volume branches — including C10G hydrocarbon refining, C07D heterocyclic compounds, C01B inorganic compounds, and B01D separation processes — are present but materially sparser, pointing to areas where patent density is lower relative to the dominant classes.
↗ 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.
Heterogeneous catalyst, method of producing the he…
Disclosed are a heterogeneous catalyst, a production method thereof, and a method for producing a lignin-derived high-substituted aromatic monomer from a woody biomass material using the heterogeneous catalyst. The heterogeneous catalyst includes a carrier; and a Ni—Al nano-particle supported on the carrier. (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metallocenes containing aryl-substituted indenyl d… | 408 |
| 2 | Process for dehydrating glycerol to acrolein | 300 |
| 3 | Chemical conversion process | 236 |
| 4 | Metallocenes containing aryl-substituted indenyl d… | 228 |
| 5 | Process for the preparation of lubricating oil wit… | 225 |
| 6 | Process for the vapor phase hydrogenation of carbo… | 208 |
| 7 | Chemical conversion process | 195 |
| 8 | Process for the preparation of 1,3-propanediol | 192 |
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 combination of a declining filing trend, concentrated incumbents, and a geographically broad filing footprint shapes the strategic context for new and existing participants. The four dimensions below summarise the key implications.
Field is in decline from its 2017 peak
The lifecycle stage is classified as Decline, with annual filings easing back from the 2017 peak of 233 patent records. This pattern is consistent with core reaction chemistries having been extensively claimed, reducing the frontier of novel filings. New entrants should expect dense prior-art landscapes in the dominant C07C and B01J classes, making freedom-to-operate analysis essential before committing R&D resources.
Lifecycle: DeclineFirst-tier incumbents hold durable positional advantages
The top five filers hold 22% of the hundred largest filers’ combined patent record total, with IFP Energies Nouvelles at nearly double the count of the second-ranked player. The tier structure — a cluster of three at the top, then a secondary cluster of two, then a long tail — means that displacing incumbents in core acyclic compound catalysis would require both significant investment and a differentiated technical angle. Adjacencies in lower-density branches such as heterocyclic compounds or separation processes present relatively lower incumbent density.
High first-tier concentrationCross-institutional co-filing is active around Dow and IFP
The most active co-filing pair is Dow Global Technologies with the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, with 22 joint records, reflecting a sustained industry-academia partnership. IFP Energies Nouvelles co-files with Eni S.p.A. on 19 records and with Eni Technologies on a further 3, indicating a European refining alliance. Dow also co-files with Rohm and Haas on 16 records. UOP LLC’s collaboration with China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation on 7 records signals a cross-regional technology transfer pathway. Smaller but notable co-filings include Council of Scientific and Industrial Research with CNRS on 2 records.
Industry-academia and cross-regionalUS and EPO filings dominate; Asia shows meaningful secondary presence
The United States leads jurisdictional filing with 1,531 patent records, followed by the EPO at 965 and China at 655. WIPO PCT filings at 469 and Japan at 329 indicate that leading applicants pursue broad international coverage. India and Canada each exceed 320 records, pointing to active protection in emerging and established refining markets. South Korea, while ranked lower at 69 records, is home to LG Chem, a top-20 applicant, suggesting selective rather than comprehensive Asian coverage by some players.
US-led, globally distributedGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dow Global Technologies LLC | The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois | 22 |
| IFP Energies Nouvelles | Eni S.p.A. | 19 |
| Dow Global Technologies LLC | Rohm and Haas Company | 16 |
| UOP LLC | China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) | 7 |
| IFP Energies Nouvelles | Eni Technologies S.p.A. | 3 |
| Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV | Shell Oil Company | 3 |
| Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV | SHELL USA INC | 3 |
| Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd. | The Procter & Gamble Company | 3 |
| BASF SE | BASF (China) Company Ltd. | 2 |
| Council of Scientific and Industrial Research | CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
IFP Energies Nouvelles leads on volume; Dow Global Technologies shows the strongest recent momentum
The top two players by recent activity diverge in profile: IFP Energies Nouvelles holds the largest cumulative position while Dow Global Technologies registers the highest recent patent record count among the momentum-tracked applicants. Both concentrate heavily on B01J catalysis process classes alongside C07C organic compound transformations.
IFP Energies Nouvelles
IFP Energies Nouvelles ranks first with 228 patent records, nearly double the second-ranked applicant. Its technology emphasis spans C07C 67 (acyclic compound transformations), B01J 23 (catalysis processes), and C11C 3 (fatty acid conversion), reflecting a broad industrial chemistry mandate that extends from refining into bio-based feedstocks. Momentum data classifies it as a new entrant in the recent window with 5 recent records, suggesting its large cumulative position was built in earlier filing cycles.
228 patent recordsDow Global Technologies LLC
Dow Global Technologies LLC ranks sixth overall with 87 patent records and leads the momentum-tracked set with 28 recent records, classified as a new entrant in the recent filing window. Its technical focus centres on B01J 23 and B01J 21 catalysis processes and C07C 41 ether synthesis, consistent with specialty chemical and performance materials applications. The 22-record co-filing partnership with the University of Illinois signals an active pipeline of academically sourced innovations.
87 patent records| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| IFP Energies Nouvelles | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
| Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV | 8 | ▲ new entrant |
| Dow Global Technologies LLC | 28 | ▲ new entrant |
| Evonik Operations GmbH | 6 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the dominant catalysis core
Several IPC classes appear in the corpus at materially lower densities than the dominant C07C and B01J classes. These represent areas where patent coverage is relatively sparse; their technical adjacency to core heterogeneous catalysis creates plausible, though not guaranteed, entry paths for differentiated R&D.
C02F · Water and wastewater treatment
C02F accounts for only 87 patent records in the corpus — a small fraction relative to the dominant classes — despite heterogeneous catalysis being a well-established mechanism for pollutant degradation and advanced oxidation in water treatment. The sparse coverage relative to the field’s overall size, combined with growing regulatory pressure on industrial effluent quality, gives this branch plausible technical value. An entry path exists via catalytic oxidation or photocatalytic degradation applied to industrial wastewater streams, an area not heavily claimed by the current top-20 applicants.
Search this in Eureka →B01D · Separation processes
B01D separation processes (including filtration and membrane-based separation) appears in 286 patent records, representing roughly 2% share of IPC-classified records — notably low given that separation and purification are functionally linked in most catalytic process trains. The sparse coverage relative to the dominant synthesis-oriented classes suggests that the integration of heterogeneous catalysts with downstream separation unit operations is under-claimed. Reactive separation systems, including catalytic membrane reactors, represent a technically feasible and relatively open area for novel filings.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ across technology routes
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | B01J 23 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis | B01J 35 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis | C07C 67 · Acyclic & carbocyclic compounds | B01J 37 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis | C07B 61 · General organic chemistry methods |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFP Energies Nouvelles | Strong · 61 | Moderate · 31 | Strong · 81 | Moderate · 23 | Moderate · 27 |
| Eastman Chemical Company | Strong · 67 | Absent | Strong · 84 | Moderate · 18 | Strong · 45 |
| Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV | Strong · 57 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 26 | Moderate · 22 |
| Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd. | Strong · 32 | Absent | Strong · 25 | Absent | Strong · 30 |
| Council of Scientific and Industrial Research | Strong · 35 | Absent | Strong · 25 | Strong · 20 | Absent |
| SABIC Global Technologies BV | Strong · 29 | Strong · 23 | Absent | Strong · 24 | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
IFP Energies Nouvelles holds the top position with 228 patent records, nearly twice the count of the second-ranked applicant UOP LLC at 125 patent records.
The corpus covers 1,315 patent families in scope. The United States is the leading filing jurisdiction with 1,531 patent records, followed by the EPO at 965 and China at 655.
The field is in a Decline lifecycle stage. Annual filing volume peaked in 2017 and has eased back since, with a recent-window contraction of 14%. The most recent years (2025–2026) are under-counted due to publication lag and should not be read as an acceleration of the decline.
C07C (acyclic and carbocyclic compounds) and B01J (chemical and physical processes and catalysis) are by far the most represented IPC classes. C10G hydrocarbon refining, C07D heterocyclic compounds, C01B inorganic compounds, and B01D separation processes are present at materially lower densities.
Among momentum-tracked applicants, Dow Global Technologies LLC shows the highest recent filing count at 28 patent records in the recent period, followed by BASF SE, Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV, and Evonik Operations GmbH. All are classified as new entrants in the recent window, indicating their recent activity represents a fresh or resumed filing phase.
Yes. The most active co-filing pair is Dow Global Technologies with the University of Illinois Board of Trustees at 22 joint records. IFP Energies Nouvelles co-files with Eni S.p.A. on 19 records. Dow also co-files with Rohm and Haas on 16 records, and UOP LLC collaborates with China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation on 7 records, illustrating both industry-academia and cross-regional partnerships.
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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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