Laser Powder Bed Fusion Feedstock Development Patent Landscape
The LPBF feedstock field is in sustained growth, with a 34% rise in the recent filing window and China-originated filings as the dominant jurisdictional force. RTX Corp holds the largest single portfolio but the top tier is shared between Western industrial players and a dense cluster of Chinese research universities.
RTX Corp leads a field split between aerospace industrials and Chinese academia
RTX Corp ranks first with 43 patent families, followed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University at 28, and South. China University of Technology and Central South University each at 26. The top five filers’ combined share of the hundred largest filers stands at 22%, indicating a moderately concentrated but far from monopolized competitive space.
A two-tier structure is visible: one Western industrial leader (RTX Corp) and one European energy specialist (Ansaldo Energia IP UK Ltd at 16 families) sit alongside a dense cluster of Chinese universities occupying ranks two through ten. No single organization has established a dominant blocking position.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RTX Corp | 43 | |
| 2 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University | 28 | |
| 3 | South China University of Technology | 26 | |
| 4 | Central South University | 26 | |
| 5 | Ansaldo Energia IP UK Ltd | 16 | |
| 6 | Northwestern Polytechnical University | 16 | |
| 7 | Jilin University | 15 | |
| 8 | North University of China | 14 | |
| 9 | Xi’an Jiao Tong University | 12 | |
| 10 | NANJING UNIV OF AERONAUTICS & ASTRONAUTICS | 12 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | General Electric Company | 12 | |
| 12 | Jinan University | 11 | |
| 13 | UNIV OF SCI & TECH BEIJING | 10 | |
| 14 | Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC | 10 | |
| 15 | HUAZHONG UNIV OF SCI & TECH | 10 | |
| 16 | United Technologies Corporation | 10 | |
| 17 | Shanghai Hanbang United 3D Technology Co. Ltd. | 9 | |
| 18 | LLC Institute (Russia) | 9 | |
| 19 | Guangdong Institute of New Materials | 9 | |
| 20 | LLC United (Russia) | 8 |
RTX Corp’s lead, built on powder metallurgy and additive manufacturing process claims, reflects a systematic aerospace-industrial strategy rather than opportunistic filing. The university cluster signals that much of the upstream materials science remains in academic hands, creating licensing and partnership pathways for industrial entrants.
Filings from 2025 and 2026 are materially under-counted due to publication lag and should not be treated as indicators of slowing activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Sustained annual growth with powder metallurgy and alloy chemistry as the technology core
The filing trend and technology composition charts together show an expanding field anchored in established IPC classes, with a 34% growth in the recent window confirming that investment in feedstock IP is accelerating rather than consolidating.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings climbed from 19 in 2017 to a recorded high of 150 in 2024, with the field still in its growth stage according to lifecycle analysis. The 2025 and 2026 figures (127 and 13 respectively) are substantially understated by publication lag and must not be read as a downturn.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B22F (Powder metallurgy) and B33Y (Additive manufacturing) dominate the branch mix, reflecting the core process-and-material pairing of LPBF feedstock work. C22C (Alloys) is the third-largest branch, confirming alloy composition as a central R&D axis. Lower-frequency branches such as C23C (Coating & surface deposition) and A61L (Sterilising & disinfecting) reveal adjacent application areas with much sparser coverage.
↗ 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.
Graphite-based steel alloy and method for producin…
The present invention relates to a process for producing a steel alloy part, which includes providing a steel alloy powder mixture containing SiC, forming the part from the powder mixture using an additive manufacturing technique, and subjecting the formed part to a thermal treatment for a duration of 1 to 150 minutes at a temperature ranging from 600°C to… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Control of solidification in laser powder bed fusi… | 181 |
| 2 | 一种采用选区激光熔化技术制备钛合金工艺品的方法 | 80 |
| 3 | Method for additively manufacturing an article mad… | 69 |
| 4 | Method for additively manufacturing an article mad… | 68 |
| 5 | 一种选区激光熔化成形用Inconel718镍基合金粉末及其制备方法 | 51 |
| 6 | Silver-based alloy powder for manufacturing of 3-d… | 50 |
| 7 | 一种增材制造高强铝合金粉及其制备方法和应用 | 49 |
| 8 | Selective laser melting system | 49 |
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 structural evidence means for R&D investment decisions
The combination of sustained growth, moderate concentration, active university-industry collaboration, and. China’s jurisdictional dominance shapes both the risk profile and the entry points available to new investors in this field.
Growth stage: annual volume still rising
The lifecycle analysis places LPBF feedstock development firmly in the Growth stage, with annual filings still rising and a 34% increase in the recent window. The 2024 recorded peak of 150 filings and the positive multi-year trajectory indicate that the field has not yet entered the consolidation phase where incremental innovation dominates. Early-mover advantages in novel alloy systems and powder production methods remain available.
Growth stageModerate concentration leaves room for challengers
The top five filers account for 22% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, and no applicant holds a dominant blocking position across the full feedstock space. RTX Corp’s 43-family lead is meaningful in aerospace-grade superalloys, but the university-heavy mid-tier means that commercialization rights to academically developed feedstocks remain contestable. Focused entrants targeting specific alloy classes or particle morphology methods can find defensible niches.
Moderate concentrationSouth China University of Technology is the most active co-filer
South China University of Technology appears in the most co-filing relationships, partnering with Guangdong Huayi Sanitary Ware Industrial Co. Ltd. (4 joint families), Guangzhou Leijia Additive Technology Co. Ltd. (2), Ningbo Zhongke Xianglong Lightweight Technology Co. Ltd. (2), Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (2), and Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2). Shanghai Jiao Tong University co-files with Anhui Xiangbang Composite Material Co. Ltd. (3 joint families), while North University of China co-files with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China Aviation Manufacturing Technology Institute (3). These pairings cluster around materials production, aerospace, and emerging biomedical applications.
University-industry pairsChina accounts for the majority of jurisdictional coverage
China is the lead filing jurisdiction by a wide margin, followed by the United States and Europe (EPO). Russia and India show smaller but non-trivial presences. The geographic concentration in China reflects both the density of Chinese university applicants and the domestic commercialization push in additive manufacturing. Western players seeking freedom-to-operate in Chinese manufacturing markets should treat this jurisdictional skew as a risk factor requiring targeted freedom-to-operate analysis.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| South China University of Technology | Guangdong Huayi Sanitary Ware Industrial Co. Ltd. | 4 |
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University | Anhui Xiangbang Composite Material Co. Ltd. | 3 |
| North University of China | Aviation Industry Corporation of China Aviation Manufacturing Technology Institute | 3 |
| Central South University | Hunan Dingli Technology Co. Ltd. | 2 |
| South China University of Technology | Guangzhou Leijia Additive Technology Co. Ltd. | 2 |
| South China University of Technology | Ningbo Zhongke Xianglong Lightweight Technology Co. Ltd. | 2 |
| South China University of Technology | Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center | 2 |
| South China University of Technology | Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 2 |
| Northwestern Polytechnical University | Northwestern Polytechnical University Shenzhen Research Institute | 2 |
| Central South University | AECC South Industry Co. Ltd. | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
RTX Corp leads on process-and-machine claims; Chinese universities anchor materials chemistry
The leader board separates a Western aerospace industrial with a broad process portfolio from a cluster of Chinese research universities whose recent momentum trends vary. RTX Corp entered the ranking as a new entrant in the recent period while several established Chinese filers show declining recent activity.
RTX Corp
RTX Corp holds 43 patent families and is flagged as a new entrant in the recent three-year window with 39 recent families, signaling a rapid, concentrated filing campaign rather than a long-term incremental buildup. Its technology focus sits squarely in B22F 10 (powder metallurgy process), B33Y 10 (additive manufacturing method), and B33Y 30 (additive manufacturing apparatus), reflecting an integrated feedstock-to-process strategy consistent with its aerospace turbine component manufacturing needs.
families: 43Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University holds 28 patent families and focuses on B33Y 10 (additive manufacturing method), B22F 10 (powder process), and B33Y 70 (additive manufacturing materials). Its recent filing trend shows a 41% decline versus the prior three-year period, suggesting a possible shift in research priorities or a transition from filing to commercialization. Its active co-filing relationship with Anhui Xiangbang Composite Material Co. Ltd. (3 joint families) indicates ongoing industrial translation efforts.
families: 28| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| RTX Corp | 39 | ▲ new entrant |
| Central South University | 6 | ▼ -60% |
| South China University of Technology | 9 | ▼ -36% |
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University | 10 | ▼ -41% |
| Northwestern Polytechnical University | 8 | ▲ new entrant |
| Jilin University | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
| North University of China | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| Xi’an Jiao Tong University | 7 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served adjacent branches worth monitoring in LPBF feedstock R&D
Several IPC branches appear at low coverage relative to the dominant B22F/B33Y/C22C core. Two branches stand out as worth watching based on their technical adjacency and realistic entry paths, though they represent observations of relative sparsity rather than validated commercial opportunities.
C23C · Coating & surface deposition
C23C appears in only 35 records within the corpus, representing about 1% of the branch mix. Surface treatment of LPBF feedstock particles — including oxidation barrier coatings, lubricant layers, and flowability-enhancing deposits — is a technically meaningful area that directly affects powder recyclability and part density. The sparse coverage suggests that post-atomization surface engineering of LPBF powders has not yet attracted systematic patent protection, creating a potential entry path for materials and coating specialists willing to bridge the powder production and surface chemistry communities.
Search this in Eureka →B23K · Welding, soldering & brazing
B23K appears in 44 records at roughly 2% of the branch mix, reflecting work at the interface of laser-matter interaction and feedstock behavior. Residual stress management, in-situ alloying via welding-adjacent energy delivery, and hybrid directed-energy deposition approaches that draw on LPBF feedstocks are areas where B23K expertise intersects with feedstock development. The low coverage suggests that the welding and joining community has not yet systematically claimed this intersection, leaving room for applicants with laser processing and metallurgy expertise to establish positions.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ in their technology route emphasis
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | B33Y 10 · Additive manufacturing (3D printing) | B22F 10 · Powder metallurgy | B33Y 70 · Additive manufacturing (3D printing) | B22F 1 · Powder metallurgy | C22C 1 · Alloys |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University | Strong · 26 | Strong · 22 | Strong · 17 | Moderate · 10 | Strong · 15 |
| Central South University | Strong · 27 | Moderate · 13 | Strong · 24 | Moderate · 7 | Moderate · 12 |
| South China University of Technology | Strong · 22 | Strong · 20 | Strong · 15 | Strong · 12 | Moderate · 8 |
| RTX Corp | Strong · 35 | Strong · 38 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Northwestern Polytechnical University | Strong · 13 | Strong · 13 | Strong · 11 | Strong · 7 | Strong · 8 |
| North University of China | Strong · 10 | Strong · 10 | Absent | Strong · 7 | Strong · 6 |
| Xi’an Jiao Tong University | Absent | Strong · 10 | Strong · 9 | Strong · 7 | Strong · 7 |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 843 patent families. The recent filing window has grown 34% and the lifecycle analysis places the field in a Growth stage, with annual filings still rising on a multi-year basis.
RTX Corp holds the largest portfolio with 43 patent families, followed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University at 28 and South China University of Technology and Central South University each at 26. RTX Corp’s recent filing burst (39 families in the recent window) reflects a new-entrant surge rather than a long-established position.
China is the lead filing jurisdiction by a wide margin, followed by the United States and Europe (EPO). This reflects the high density of Chinese university applicants and China’s strategic push in additive manufacturing.
B22F (Powder metallurgy) and B33Y (Additive manufacturing) are the two dominant branches, with C22C (Alloys) as the third-largest. Together these three classes cover the core process-material pairing of LPBF feedstock innovation.
C23C (Coating & surface deposition) and B23K (Welding, soldering & brazing) are among the lower-coverage adjacent branches at roughly 1-2% of the branch mix respectively. Surface engineering of powder particles and laser-matter interaction at the welding-feedstock interface are technically plausible areas with sparse existing coverage.
South China University of Technology is the most active co-filer, with joint families involving Guangdong Huayi Sanitary Ware Industrial Co. Ltd. (4 families), Guangzhou Leijia Additive Technology Co. Ltd. (2), and several other partners. Shanghai Jiao Tong University co-files with Anhui Xiangbang Composite Material Co. Ltd. (3 families), and North University of China co-files with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China Aviation Manufacturing Technology Institute (3 families).
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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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