Reverse Osmosis Desalination Heavy Metal Removal Patent Landscape
The reverse osmosis desalination and heavy metal removal field spans 2,035 patent families with Kurita Water Industries holding the leading position, though the top five filers account for only 17% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output—indicating a moderately fragmented competitive field. Annual filing volume has plateaued near its 2023 peak and the field has entered a maturity stage, while a 4% multi-year growth rate confirms sustained institutional commitment.
Kurita leads a moderately fragmented field with no dominant monopoly
Kurita Water Industries holds the top position with 101 patent families, ahead of Toray Industries (74), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (73), Organo Corporation (64), and IDE Water Technologies (59). The top five filers collectively represent 17% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, confirming that no single player commands an overwhelming share.
The tier gap between the leader and the second-ranked filer is modest—roughly 27 patent families—suggesting the top positions remain contestable. A broad mid-tier of industrial and academic applicants keeps competitive pressure distributed across industrial, academic, and engineering-services organizations.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kurita Water Industries Ltd. | 101 | |
| 2 | Toray Industries Inc. | 74 | |
| 3 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 73 | |
| 4 | Organo Corporation | 64 | |
| 5 | IDE Water Technologies Ltd. | 59 | |
| 6 | BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd. | 57 | |
| 7 | Kobelco Eco-Solutions Co. Ltd. | 57 | |
| 8 | The Regents of the University of California | 54 | |
| 9 | Gradiant Corporation | 50 | |
| 10 | Evoqua Water Technologies Pte Ltd. | 48 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | General Electric Company | 47 | |
| 12 | Water Standard Co. LLC | 46 | |
| 13 | Nitto Denko Corporation | 44 | |
| 14 | VEOLIA WATER SOLUTIONS & TECHNOLOGIES SUPPORT SAS | 43 | |
| 15 | Evoqua Water Technologies LLC | 38 | |
| 16 | Saltworks Technologies Inc. | 38 | |
| 17 | EXXONMOBIL TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING CO | 37 | |
| 18 | NanoH2O Inc. | 36 | |
| 19 | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering Ltd. | 34 | |
| 20 | Honeywell International Inc. | 34 |
The simultaneous presence of Japanese industrial specialists (Kurita, Toray, Organo), US research universities (MIT, UC system), and Israeli water-technology firms (IDE Water Technologies) implies that technological authority is shared between manufacturing-oriented IP strategies and research-driven licensing portfolios.
Filing counts for 2024 and 2025 are subject to publication lag and should be read as provisional underestimates; the apparent easing in those years does not necessarily reflect a true deceleration. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Activity plateaued near a 2023 peak; water treatment and filtration dominate the technology mix
The annual filing trend and IPC technology composition together reveal a field that has reached operational maturity while remaining technologically anchored in two large, well-established branches.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings rose from 206 in 2017 to a peak of 250 in 2023, with intermediate variation in 2020 (195) and a modest rebound in 2021–2023. The 2024 (225) and 2025 (168) figures reflect publication lag and should not be interpreted as a structural decline. The overall multi-year trajectory supports the field’s classification as plateau-stage maturity.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
C02F (water and wastewater treatment) and B01D (separation processes including filtration) together account for the overwhelming majority of IPC coverage, confirming that membrane-based separation and effluent conditioning form the technological core. Adjacent branches such as B01J (chemical and physical processes), C01B (inorganic compounds), and C07C (acyclic and carbocyclic compounds) are present at substantially lower shares, pointing to secondary innovation in reagent chemistry and catalyst design.
↗ 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.
Plating waste water treatment and metals recovery …
A process for removing heavy metal ions or cyanide ions from a waste water stream originating in a metal plating plant or a mine comprising the steps of pretreatment in which the waste water stream is first pretreated by removing particulates, fats and oils; filtration by means of a first sand filterto remove suspended particulates down to 50 microns, a… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
Open this patent in Eureka →| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water-mist blower cooling system and its new appli… | 363 |
| 2 | Peritoneal dialysis system using reverse osmosis p… | 348 |
| 3 | High water recovery membrane purification process | 341 |
| 4 | Water treatment process for membranes | 324 |
| 5 | Counter top reverse osmosis water purification sys… | 265 |
| 6 | Method and system for producing sterile aqueous so… | 261 |
| 7 | Continuous process for the reclamation of waste dr… | 257 |
| 8 | Dry high flux semipermeable membranes | 256 |
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
Four structural dimensions—maturity stage, concentration level, collaboration patterns, and geographic filing distribution—each carry distinct implications for teams deciding where to allocate R&D and IP resources.
Field is at plateau maturity; incremental differentiation is the primary opportunity
Annual filings plateaued near their 2023 peak, and the lifecycle evidence characterizes the stage as maturity. Foundational membrane separation and water treatment IP is well-populated, meaning new entrants are unlikely to secure broad platform claims. R&D value is more likely to accrue from targeted improvement patents in niche sub-processes—pretreatment chemistry, fouling control, or selective heavy metal rejection—rather than broad architectural claims.
Maturity · plateauModerate fragmentation leaves mid-tier positions open to disciplined challengers
The top five filers hold 17% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output. The gap between first (101 patent families) and fifth (59 patent families) is narrow relative to heavily consolidated fields, and a broad mid-tier of 15+ active applicants sustains competitive diversity. A focused portfolio of 30–50 strategically placed families could plausibly achieve top-ten ranking.
Concentration · moderateIndustry–academia co-filing bridges technology readiness gaps
General Electric and BL Technology co-filed on 8 families—the most active pairing—while MIT and Singapore University of Technology and Design collaborated on 7 families, and Kurita co-filed with multiple partners including Fractal on 4 families and Organo with NEC on 3. This pattern of cross-sector pairing suggests that commercial scalability and advanced membrane science are being developed jointly rather than within single organizations, and that academic partnerships are a viable route to early-stage differentiation.
Collaboration · industry–academiaUS dominates filing volume; Middle East and Asia are strategic secondary markets
The United States is the lead filing office by a wide margin. Europe via the EPO, China, and WIPO PCT filings form a secondary tier, followed by India and Australia—both water-stressed markets with active regulatory demand for desalination. Israel’s strong presence reflects the country’s deep industrial base in water technology. Teams seeking global freedom-to-operate should prioritize US, EPO, and PCT coverage as a baseline, with India and Australia as high-value secondary jurisdictions.
Geography · US-ledGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| General Electric Company | BL Technology Inc. | 8 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Singapore University of Technology and Design | 7 |
| Kurita Water Industries Ltd. | Fractal | 4 |
| Organo Corporation | NEC Corporation | 3 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | KUWAIT UNIV | 2 |
| Kurita Water Industries Ltd. | Sasakura Engineering Co. Ltd. | 1 |
| Kurita Water Industries Ltd. | Dowa Industry Co. Ltd. | 1 |
| Kurita Water Industries Ltd. | Toyota Motor Corporation | 1 |
| Toray Industries Inc. | Tadahiro Ohmi | 1 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Kurita and Toray lead on volume; MIT anchors academic influence
Japan and Israel, US-based engineering conglomerates, and research universities with licensing-oriented portfolios. Technology emphasis is consistent across the top tier: C02F water treatment and B01D separation processes are the primary IPC anchors for all ranked applicants.
Kurita Water Industries
Kurita leads with 101 patent families and shows a ‘new entrant’ momentum signal in the most recent period, indicating a material ramp-up in recent filing activity from a previously lower base. Its technology emphasis is concentrated in C02F 1 (water treatment, 82 records), B01D 61 (membrane separation, 78 records), and B01D 65 (membrane maintenance, 41 records), reflecting an integrated membrane operations strategy. Co-filing with Fractal on 4 families and with Toyota and Dowa on single families further extends its ecosystem reach.
patent families: 101Toray Industries
Toray holds 74 patent families, with its portfolio anchored in B01D 61 (separation processes, 64 records) and C02F 1 (water treatment, 33 records)—a membrane-material-first emphasis that reflects Toray’s position as a major RO membrane manufacturer. Its recent trend shows a 46% decline versus the prior three-year period, suggesting a possible strategic consolidation or portfolio pruning phase. Despite the recent softening, its depth in membrane separation IP retains substantial defensive value.
patent families: 74| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Kurita Water Industries Ltd. | 31 | ▲ new entrant |
| Toray Industries Inc. | 7 | ▼ -46% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 11 | ▼ -31% |
| Organo Corporation | 3 | ▼ -79% |
| IDE Water Technologies Ltd. | 8 | ▼ -81% |
| The Regents of the University of California | 2 | ▼ -87% |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. | 6 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served adjacent branches in catalysis, inorganic chemistry, and polymer processing
Five IPC branches appear at substantially lower share than the dominant C02F and B01D classes. Each represents a zone of relative sparsity adjacent to the core technology; their technical relevance to heavy metal removal varies and should be assessed against entry feasibility before treating them as investment targets.
B01J · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis
B01J is the largest of the adjacent branches, yet it remains at a small fraction of the dominant classes. Catalytic pre-treatment and reactive media for heavy metal precipitation before RO membrane contact is a plausible technical entry path—reactive media can reduce fouling and improve rejection selectivity for trace metals such as arsenic, lead, and chromium. Teams with backgrounds in heterogeneous catalysis or reactive adsorbents may find this sub-space less crowded than core membrane IP.
Search this in Eureka →C08J · Polymer processing & solutions
C08J appears at low share despite its direct relevance to RO membrane fabrication—polymer processing underpins thin-film composite membrane casting and surface modification for selective ion rejection. The relative sparsity may reflect that membrane polymer IP is captured within broader B01D filings rather than classified under C08J directly. Applicants developing novel polymer formulations for heavy metal-selective membranes—for example, incorporating chelating functional groups—could file with more specificity under C08J and differentiate from existing B01D-anchored portfolios.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ across technology routes
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | C02F 1 · Water & wastewater treatment | B01D 61 · Separation processes (filtration etc.) | C02F 9 · Water & wastewater treatment | C02F 103 · Water & wastewater treatment | B01D 65 · Separation processes (filtration etc.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kurita Water Industries Ltd. | Strong · 82 | Strong · 78 | Emerging · 14 | Absent | Moderate · 41 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Strong · 57 | Strong · 60 | Moderate · 16 | Moderate · 22 | Absent |
| Organo Corporation | Strong · 62 | Strong · 52 | Moderate · 16 | Absent | Moderate · 16 |
| IDE Water Technologies Ltd. | Strong · 55 | Strong · 39 | Absent | Strong · 46 | Absent |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. | Strong · 50 | Strong · 46 | Strong · 36 | Absent | Absent |
| Water Standard Co. LLC | Strong · 44 | Strong · 45 | Strong · 37 | Absent | Absent |
| BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd. | Strong · 43 | Strong · 52 | Absent | Moderate · 21 | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
Kurita Water Industries leads with 101 patent families, followed by Toray Industries (74), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (73), Organo Corporation (64), and IDE Water Technologies (59).
The landscape covers 2,035 patent families in scope across global jurisdictions.
The field is classified as maturity, with annual filings having plateaued near their 2023 peak. The multi-year growth rate stands at 4%, indicating continued but slower expansion rather than rapid growth.
The United States is the lead jurisdiction, followed by Europe via the EPO, China, and WIPO PCT. India and Australia are significant secondary markets given their water-stress profiles. Israel’s strong presence reflects its established water-technology industry.
The most active co-filing pairs are General Electric with BL Technology (8 co-filed families), MIT with Singapore University of Technology and Design (7 families), and Kurita with Fractal (4 families). These pairings span industry–industry and industry–academia models, suggesting that commercial scale-up and frontier membrane science are frequently developed collaboratively.
B01J (chemical and physical processes and catalysis), C01B (non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds), C07C (acyclic and carbocyclic compounds), A61M (devices for body fluids), and C08J (polymer processing and solutions) each appear at shares well below the dominant C02F and B01D classes and represent zones of relative sparsity adjacent to the core technology.
Ready to map your own patent landscape?
Join 18,000+ innovators using PatSnap Eureka to map any technology landscape: search 2B+ patents and papers, surface key assignees, and generate a report like this in minutes.
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.