Paper Coating Patents: Top Companies & Filing Trends 2026
- 20.0% concentration. The top 5 of 100 ranked assignees hold 781 of 3,909 records in scope — a real lead group, but no single company controls the field.
- Filing peaked in 2017. 164 records that year against 8 so far in the newest year on file, with 2021-2024 down 45% — though 2025 onward is still filling in under the usual publication lag.
- D21H dominates the classes. Pulp and paper compositions sit in 29.6% of all 3,909 records, roughly double the share carried by coatings and inks (C09D, 17.9%).
Filing growth compares 2021 (95 records) with 2024 (52) — 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 3,909 records in scope (CR5), not by the ranked leaders only.
What the paper coating and converting patent record actually shows
Paper coating and converting sits at the intersection of pulp chemistry, polymer science and web-forming mechanics. The dataset behind this page covers 3,909 published records filed between 2015 and 2026, drawn from a search built around coating layer chemistry, particle morphology, fiber diameter and mechanical strength claims. It captures both the compositions used to coat and finish paper substrates and the converting steps that turn base sheet into a functional laminate or printable web.
Filing activity is spread across a long tail rather than locked up by a handful of firms: the leading assignee holds 257 records, and the ranked leaders extend well past the top ten before the counts thin out. That pattern, combined with heavy overlap between pulp and paper compositions (D21H) and coatings, paints and inks (C09D), points to a field where core chemistry is contested but converting-specific process claims still have room.
Filing trend and technology composition
The two views below cover the same 3,909 records: one tracks when they were filed, the other where they sit across the IPC subclasses that make up paper coating and converting practice.
Filing rose to a 2017 peak, then eased
Annual filings ran at 164 in 2017, the high point of the series. The 2021-2024 window shows a 45% drop, from 95 down to 52 records; the newest years on record (down to 8) should be read as undercounts given the roughly 18-month lag between filing and publication, not as a confirmed slowdown.
Pulp and paper compositions carry the largest single share
D21H (pulp & paper compositions) appears in 29.6% of all records, ahead of C09D coatings/inks (17.9%), C08L polymer compositions (15.3%) and C08F addition polymers (14.6%). Because records can carry more than one class, these shares add up past 100% — they describe overlap between chemistry and process claims, not a partition of the field.
Shares are the percentage of the 3,909 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Paper Coating & Converting Patent Landscape with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about paper coating & converting patent landscape and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaA representative claim and the most-cited prior art
US8334047B2 — Paper coating compositions, coated papers, and methods (OMNOVA Solutions)
Embodiments of the present disclosure include paper coating compositions, coated paper and/or paperboard, and methods of forming coated paper and/or paperboard with the paper coating compositions. The embodiments contain high levels of hollow polymeric pigment relative to other pigments (e.g., inorganic pigments), providing high gloss, good smoothness and improved stiffness while minimizing compaction of the underlying base paper.Filed by OMNOVA Solutions Inc., granted 2012-12-18 — chosen here as representative of the hollow-pigment coating approach rather than as the single most-cited record.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US20100210745A1 | Molecular Healing of Polymeric Materials, Coatings, Plastics, Elastomers, Composites, Laminates, Adhesives, a… | 718 |
| 2 | JP1988041484A | Titanocene, its production and composition containing the same | 611 |
| 3 | US5157084A | Process of making hollow polymer latex particles | 425 |
| 4 | US6506577B1 | Synthesis and crosslinking of catechol containing copolypeptides | 383 |
| 5 | JP1986098353A | Photosensor containing aromatic eter hole transfer layer | 296 |
| 6 | US20110240064A1 | Polymeric Coatings Incorporating Bioactive Enzymes for Cleaning a Surface | 292 |
| 7 | US20120097194A1 | Polymeric Coatings Incorporating Bioactive Enzymes for Catalytic Function | 250 |
| 8 | US20110250626A1 | Visual Assays for Coatings Incorporating Bioactive Enzymes for Catalytic Functions | 206 |
| 9 | US5041464A | Process for preparing polymer emulsion particles having pores | 191 |
| 10 | US5663224A | Process for preparing an aqueous dispersion | 176 |
Citation counts favour older filings that have had more time to accumulate citations inside this searched corpus; treat them as a measure of influence on later filings, not as a ranking of current commercial importance.
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Browse MCP servers →What the concentration and citation data mean for filing strategy
Three patterns in the data matter more than the raw counts: how tight the top of the ranking is, how old the most influential prior art is, and how fast filing has actually moved in the years the data can support.
A lead group, not a monopoly
The top five assignees account for one-fifth of all records, and the leader alone holds 257. That leaves four-fifths of filing activity spread across a long tail of 95 further ranked assignees plus unranked filers, which is the signature of a field still open to new entrants with a distinct chemistry or process angle.
Influential prior art predates the current filing wave
The most-cited record in the corpus concerns enzyme-based healing of polymeric coatings and materials generally, not paper-specific chemistry, and its citation count reflects age and breadth of application rather than current commercial weight. High citation counts here signal foundational polymer science that later paper-coating claims build on.
Activity has cooled from its 2017 peak
Filings dropped from 95 in 2021 to 52 in 2024, following a 2017 peak of 164. Years after 2024 show far lower counts, but that reflects publication lag rather than a real stop in filing; any read on 2025-2026 activity should wait for those records to finish publishing.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to paper coating & converting patent landscape, with the prior art for and against each one.
| Assignee | Co-assignee | Shared families |
|---|---|---|
| Kuraray Co., Ltd. | University of Liège | 14 |
| Ricoh Co., Ltd. | Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. | 9 |
| Ricoh Co., Ltd. | Hokuetsu Corporation | 8 |
| Ricoh Co., Ltd. | Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd. | 6 |
| Omya International AG | Omya Development AG | 5 |
| Ricoh Co., Ltd. | OHSHIMA TOHRU | 5 |
| Ricoh Co., Ltd. | NAGAI KIYOFUMI | 5 |
| BASF SE | BASF Corporation | 4 |
Only 10 co-assignee pairs appear in the dataset, and the strongest pairing recurs at 14 shared records — evidence that most paper coating and converting work here is filed by single entities rather than through formal joint filing arrangements.
Leaders, momentum and where the gate sits
The ranking spans 100 assignees on records, not documents alone, which keeps continuation filings from inflating any one company's position. Momentum in the newest year is a weaker signal than the multi-year trend, since 2025-2026 filings are still publishing.
One clear leader, no runaway gap
The top assignee's 257 records outpace the field, but the gap to fifth place (87) and tenth place (73) narrows quickly, meaning several firms are filing at a comparable clip rather than one company setting the pace alone.
Even active filers are pulling back in the newest year
Several of the more active assignees show year-on-year declines in the latest year of data, with drops as steep as 71%. Given publication lag, this likely overstates any real slowdown, but it is worth watching whether the pattern holds once later filings finish publishing.
Filing is mostly solo
With only 10 co-assignee pairs across the dataset and the strongest at 14 shared records, joint filing is the exception. New entrants should expect to compete on their own chemistry or process claims rather than through licensing consortia already established in this space.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Societe des Produits Nestle SA | 4 | -71% |
| BASF SE | 2 | -33% |
| Omya International AG | 1 | — |
| API Intellectual Property Holdings LLC | 0 | — |
| GranBio Intellectual Property Holdings LLC | 0 | -100% |
| Zeon Corporation | 0 | -100% |
| Huhtamaki Molded Fiber Technology | 0 | -100% |
| Landa | 0 | — |
Where to take this analysis
The figures on this page describe the shape of the field. Turning that into a filing or freedom-to-operate decision means going deeper on specific claims and specific competitors.
Check freedom-to-operate on a specific coating chemistry
Run the composition or process you're evaluating against the dense D21H and C09D claim territory before committing to a filing strategy.
Explore in Eureka →Track the leading assignees' recent filings directly
Momentum figures here are coarse; a live watch on the top-ranked assignees' newest publications gives an earlier read than annual aggregates.
Set up monitoring in Eureka →Map the white space chips to your own R&D roadmap
The under-claimed branches listed above are starting points, not conclusions — validate claim density against your specific formulation or converting step.
Run a white space search in Eureka →Common questions about paper coating and converting patents
The dataset ranks 100 assignees by record count, with the leader holding 257 records and the top five together accounting for 781 records, or 20.0% of the 3,909 records in scope. That leaves the majority of filing activity spread across a long tail of smaller filers, so no single company controls the space outright. Anyone doing competitive tracking should watch both the lead group and the mid-tier filers, since the gap from fifth to tenth place narrows quickly.
Filing peaked in 2017 at 164 records and has since eased, with the most recent complete comparison showing a 45% drop from 95 records in 2021 to 52 in 2024. Years after 2024 show much lower counts, but that reflects the roughly 18-month lag between filing and publication rather than a confirmed stop in activity. A fair read of 2025-2026 filing levels will only be possible once those records finish publishing.
Pulp and paper compositions (IPC class D21H) appear in 29.6% of the 3,909 records, the single largest share, followed by coatings, paints and inks (C09D) at 17.9% and polymer compositions (C08L) at 15.3%. Because a single record can carry multiple IPC classes, these shares overlap rather than sum to 100%, reflecting how coating chemistry and paper substrate claims are frequently filed together. This overlap is itself useful signal: it shows where composition and process claims are being bundled in the same filing.
US8334047B2, assigned to OMNOVA Solutions, covers paper coating compositions using high levels of hollow polymeric pigment relative to other pigments such as inorganic fillers, aimed at improving gloss, smoothness and stiffness while limiting compaction of the base sheet. It is a composition-and-method patent rather than a pure process patent, meaning it constrains both the formulation and how it's applied. Anyone formulating a hollow-pigment-based coating system should review its specific pigment-ratio claims before finalising a formulation.
The technology composition data shows heavy overlap concentrated in D21H and C09D, while more specific sub-areas such as fiber-diameter-controlled web structures, particle-morphology-driven gloss control, and converting-stage mechanical strength additives carry smaller, more distinct footprints. These are not gaps in the sense of being untouched, but they are less crowded than the core pulp-and-coating overlap. A first claim in these areas would need to tie a specific structural parameter, such as fiber diameter or particle morphology, to a measurable mechanical or optical outcome to stand apart from the denser prior art.
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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.