MBR Heavy Metal Removal Patent Snapshot 2026
The indexed corpus for membrane bioreactor (MBR) heavy metal removal is extremely small, with activity concentrated in filtration and wastewater treatment technology classes. Samsung C&T Corp and Evoqua Water Technologies LLC account for the entirety of the ranked applicant pool, signalling a highly concentrated and nascent field with limited recent public filing activity.
A highly concentrated field with two ranked applicants
Samsung C&T Corp leads the ranked applicant pool with the highest patent record count, followed by Evoqua Water Technologies LLC as the sole challenger. The top five filers account for 100% of the ranked applicants visible in this query’ combined total, reflecting near-total concentration at the top of the ranking.
The tier gap between the leader and the rest of the pool is pronounced: only two distinct applicants appear in the ranking, leaving no visible mid-tier cohort. This concentration pattern is characteristic of a niche or emerging sub-field where broad-market entrants have not yet established filing programmes.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SAMSUNG C&T CORP | 2 | |
| 2 | Evoqua Water Technologies LLC | 1 |
Samsung C&T Corp’s leadership position, backed by a focus on membrane separation sub-classes, suggests an industrial-scale application orientation, while Evoqua’s presence points to municipal and specialty water treatment relevance. Neither position yet represents deep portfolio entrenchment given the overall corpus size.
Filing data for the most recent 18–24 months is subject to publication lag and likely under-represents actual recent activity; the apparent absence of filings after 2018 should not be interpreted as cessation of R&D investment.
Sparse filing history dominated by two technology classes
The annual trend chart and IPC composition chart together characterise a field with very limited documented public filing activity and a tight technology focus on membrane separation and water treatment processes.
Annual filing trend
A single filing event appears in 2018, with no recorded activity in the surrounding years. Given publication lag, filings from the most recent 18–24 months are likely under-counted and should not be read as confirming an empty pipeline. The overall pattern indicates a niche application space rather than a broadly contested filing race.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
The IPC class distribution is evenly split between B01D (separation processes including filtration) and C02F (water and wastewater treatment), each accounting for an equal share of patent records. This dual-class concentration confirms that MBR heavy metal removal sits squarely at the intersection of membrane engineering and water treatment chemistry, with no significant diversification into adjacent classes visible in this corpus.
↗ 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.
Hollow-fibre membrane filtration device and use th…
Die Erfindung betrifft eine Filtrationsvorrichtung zum Abtrennen von Partikeln aus einer Flüssigkeit mittels Hohlfasermembranen, die zu einem Faserbündel zusammengefasst sind. Die Hohlfasermembranen werden von aussen nach innen von der Flüssigkeit durchströmt, und von den Partikeln gereinigte Flüssigkeit wird an wenigstens einem der Enden der… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
Open this patent in Eureka →| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hollow-fibre membrane filtration device and use th… | 17 |
| 2 | Methods for electronic wastewater treatment at an … | 8 |
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.
Assignee snapshot from the current evidence set
The applicants below are visible in this query result. Because the evidence set is relatively small, read this section as a directional snapshot rather than a full competitive ranking.
Samsung C&T Corp
Samsung C&T Corp leads the ranking with 2 patent records. Their technology emphasis spans B01D 24, B01D 61, and B01D 63 — covering granular and membrane filtration processes. Applicant momentum data is not available for this corpus, so trajectory cannot be characterised from trend evidence alone.
patent records: 2Evoqua Water Technologies LLC
Evoqua Water Technologies LLC holds 1 patent record, with technology focus split between B01D 61 (pressure-driven membrane separation) and C02F 3 (biological water treatment). This cross-class positioning suggests an integrated MBR approach combining membrane and bioprocess elements. Momentum data is not available for this corpus.
patent records: 1Frequently asked questions
The indexed corpus contains 1 patent family in scope. The applicant ranking and jurisdiction data are measured at the patent-record level, which can exceed the family count when a single family is filed across multiple jurisdictions.
Samsung C&T Corp leads the ranking with 2 patent records, followed by Evoqua Water Technologies LLC with 1 patent record. These are the only two applicants in the ranked pool for this corpus.
Europe (EPO) leads with 3 patent records, followed by South Korea and Poland with 2 each. Australia, Austria, Hungary, and WIPO (PCT) each have 1 record. The United States does not appear in the indexed jurisdiction data for this corpus.
B01D (separation processes, including filtration) and C02F (water and wastewater treatment) each account for 11 patent records, making them the sole IPC classes in the indexed corpus. This reflects the intersection of membrane engineering and water chemistry at the core of MBR heavy metal removal technology.
The highest-cited document in the corpus relates to hollow-fibre membrane filtration devices, with 17 citations. The second most-cited covers methods for electronic wastewater treatment, with 8 citations. Full patent numbers are not available in the current evidence set for these documents.
Based on the current corpus, only two applicants hold ranked patent records, and the field’s IPC coverage is narrow. This suggests limited direct competition in the publicly indexed patent space, though the very small corpus size means that additional prior art likely exists outside this specific search scope. Any entry strategy should be validated with a broader freedom-to-operate analysis.
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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.