UV Stabilizers & Polymer Weathering Patents: Top Companies 2026
- Filing has cooled since 2020. the peak year for new families, with 2022's mid-point count roughly a third of that, pointing to a market where core additive chemistry is largely staked out.
- C08K dominates almost completely. 626 of 628 records sit in the additives-for-polymers subclass, meaning nearly every filer is claiming through the same IPC gate regardless of end use.
- Co-filing is rare and concentrated. only 10 co-assignee pairs exist across the whole dataset, with one pairing accounting for 20 joint filings — most applicants file alone.
Filing growth compares 2021 (19 records) with 2024 (13) — 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 628 records in scope (CR5), not by the ranked leaders only.
What this patent landscape covers
This landscape maps 628 patent families filed against UV stabilizer chemistry and polymer weathering performance — hindered amine light stabilizers, benzotriazole and benzophenone UV absorbers, and the antioxidant synergy and migration-control claims that sit around them. The search spans records tagged with accelerated weathering testing, yellowing, migration or outdoor service life, and filtered to C08K5, C09K15 and C08L101 — the additive, functional-material and polymer-composition classes where this chemistry is actually claimed.
Coverage runs from 2015 through the 2026-07-31 cut-off. Because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, the most recent one or two years in any trend line understate real filing activity and should be read as provisional rather than final.
Let an AI agent run this analysis on your own technology
Pick a task. Every answer cites the patents behind it.
Filing trends and technology composition
Two views of the same 628-family dataset: how filing volume has moved year over year, and how those families distribute across the IPC subclasses that structure this field.
A peak in 2020, then a decline
Annual filings rose from 6 in 2017 to a peak of 41 in 2020, then fell back toward 14 by 2022 — a flat-to-declining pattern rather than sustained growth. Read the final one to two years as undercounts given publication lag.
Additive claims dominate the IPC mix
C08K (additives in polymers) covers 626 of 628 records, essentially the whole dataset. C08L (polymer compositions) and C08J (processing/solutions) form the next tier, with B32B laminates, C08F vinyl polymers, C09D coatings, C09K functional materials and C08G condensation polymers appearing as secondary, more specialised overlays.
Shares are the percentage of the 628 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on UV Stabilizers and Polymer Weathering with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about uv stabilizers and polymer weathering and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaThe most-cited prior art in this space
Poly(acrylonitrile-co-methyl acrylate) compositions with a hindered amine light stabilizer
Poly(acrylonitrile-co-methyl acrylate) compositions comprising a hindered amine light stabilizer are described herein. A poly(acrylonitrile-co-methyl acrylate) composition may be in the form of a fiber, thread, yarn, and/or fabric. Also described herein are methods of making and using the poly(acrylonitrile-co-methyl acrylate) compositions and articles comprising poly(acrylonitrile-co-methyl acrylate) compositions as described herein.Filed by Glen Raven, Inc. — illustrates how HALS chemistry is being claimed at the fiber/fabric level rather than only in bulk resin.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US4315848A | 2-[2-Hydroxy-3,5-di-( alpha , alpha -dimethylbenzyl)-phenyl]-2H-benzotriazole and stabilized compositions | 269 |
| 2 | US4278589A | 2-[2-Hydroxy-3,5-di-( alpha , alpha -dimethylbenzyl)phenyl]-2H-benzotriazole and stabilized compositions | 266 |
| 3 | US4839405A | Ultraviolet stabilizer compositions, stabilized organic materials, and methods | 204 |
| 4 | US6353042B1 | UV-light stabilization additive package for solar cell module and laminated glass applications | 143 |
| 5 | US20060111481A1 | Stabilized aliphatic polyester compositions | 127 |
| 6 | WO1999005206A2 | UV light stabilization additive package for solar cell module and laminated glass applications | 99 |
| 7 | US6110566A | Stabilization of fluorescent dyes in vinyl articles using hindered amine light stabilizers | 75 |
| 8 | US20050209379A1 | Stabilized polyolefin compositions | 73 |
| 9 | US5447576A | Composition and method for encapsulating a solar cell which minimizes thermal discoloration | 71 |
| 10 | US5190710A | Method for imparting improved discoloration resistance to articles | 67 |
Citation counts reflect influence within this searched corpus and are skewed toward older filings; a high count signals foundational prior art, not current commercial relevance.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
Put your own technology through the same analysis
Eureka on the web
When you want the answer in the next five minutes.
The agent works the prompt against patents and technical literature, citing every source.
Run your analysis now →MCP server & REST API
When it has to run inside your own pipeline.
Patent search, landscape analysis and assignee resolution as MCP tools. Drop them into any agent framework, or call REST directly.
Browse MCP servers →What the numbers mean for filing strategy
The dataset points to a field where the core chemistry was staked out early and volume has since cooled, while jurisdiction and co-filing patterns reveal where the real competitive pressure sits.
Volume peaked in 2020 and has not recovered
Six filings in 2017 built to 41 in 2020, then fell to 14 by 2022. That trajectory is consistent with a chemistry base — benzotriazole/HALS additive packages — that got claimed early, leaving later filers to work formulation tweaks and application-specific packaging rather than new base molecules.
Filing is concentrated in the US and Europe
The United States (164) and the European Patent Office (129) receive far more filings than WIPO/PCT (58), Canada (44), China (39) or Japan (34). Freedom-to-operate work for this chemistry should prioritise US and EP prosecution history before treating other jurisdictions as secondary.
Co-filing is the exception, not the rule
Only 10 co-assignee pairs appear across 628 families, and one pairing accounts for 20 of those joint filings. Most applicants file solo, which means licensing or M&A diligence should focus on single-owner portfolios rather than expecting joint-venture structures.
Nearly every filing runs through the same additive class
C08K's near-total coverage means differentiation happens inside that class — via specific stabilizer combinations, antioxidant synergy claims, or delivery formats — rather than through claiming an entirely separate IPC gate.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to uv stabilizers and polymer weathering, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who is active, and where momentum has stalled
Recent-year filing counts across named assignees are low across the board, and several established filers show no activity in the latest year — a pattern more consistent with a maturing claim landscape than with new entrants pushing volume.
Two specialty-chemical filers hold the current lead
Clariant International and OMYA International each show 2 filings in the latest year — modest in absolute terms, but the highest recent-year count in the dataset. Their existing co-filing relationship (20 joint families) suggests continued formulation work around mineral-filled or coated polymer systems.
Several historical filers show zero recent activity
Cytec Industries, General Electric, Mitsubishi Chemical Polyester Film, and Ciba Specialty Chemicals Holding all register zero filings in the latest year, with Cytec down -100% year-over-year. This does not mean these portfolios are inactive commercially, but it does mean their claim positions are not being extended.
Legacy specialty-chemical names persist under related entities
Names like Ciba Specialty Chemicals Holding and Ciba Geigy AG, or Clariant International and Clariant Masterbatch, reflect decades of corporate restructuring in the additives industry. Diligence on any single 'assignee' should trace the full family of related entity names before concluding a portfolio is dormant.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Clariant International Ltd. | 2 | — |
| OMYA International AG | 2 | — |
| Cytec Industries | 0 | -100% |
| General Electric Company | 0 | — |
| Mitsubishi Chemical Polyester Film, Ltd. | 0 | — |
| Ciba Specialty Chemicals Holding Inc. | 0 | — |
| Covestro Deutschland AG | 0 | — |
| CIBA HOLDING INC | 0 | — |
Where to take this analysis
The dataset points to specific next steps depending on whether the goal is freedom-to-operate, licensing, or R&D scoping.
Map claim boundaries around the most-cited patents
US4315848A, US4278589A and US4839405A anchor decades of benzotriazole and HALS stabilizer claims. Any new formulation work should be checked against their claim scope before assuming open space.
Explore citation network in EurekaTrack the stalled incumbents' broader portfolios
Zero recent filings from names like Ciba Specialty Chemicals Holding or Cytec Industries does not mean the underlying IP is expired or abandoned. Confirm status and successor entities before treating that space as available.
Run assignee portfolio check in EurekaScope the under-claimed application branches
Fiber-level HALS incorporation and coating-delivered UV stabilizer packages show thinner coverage than bulk resin claims. These are reasonable starting points for new filing strategy.
Draft a claim scope in EurekaCommon questions about UV stabilizer patents
The core class is C08K5, which covers additives used in polymers and captures 626 of the 628 families in this dataset. C08L101 (polymer compositions) and C09K15 (materials for miscellaneous applications, including anti-UV agents) round out the search scope. Secondary classes such as C08J (processing), B32B (laminates), C08F (vinyl polymers), C09D (coatings) and C08G (condensation polymers) appear where UV stabilizer chemistry is applied to a specific product form rather than claimed as a standalone additive.
Filings rose from 6 in 2017 to a peak of 41 in 2020, then fell to roughly 14 by 2022. This pattern is typical of a chemistry base that became well-claimed early — once benzotriazole and hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS) compositions were broadly covered by incumbents, later filers had less new base chemistry to claim. Note that the most recent one to two years in any filing trend are understated because publication typically lags filing by about 18 months.
Recent-year activity is led by Clariant International and OMYA International, each with 2 filings in the latest year and a strong co-filing relationship between them (20 joint families historically). Older, historically significant filers — including Ciba Specialty Chemicals Holding, Cytec Industries, General Electric and Mitsubishi Chemical Polyester Film — show zero filings in the latest year, though their earlier patents still anchor much of the field's most-cited prior art.
US20210189604A1, filed by Glen Raven, Inc., claims poly(acrylonitrile-co-methyl acrylate) compositions incorporating a hindered amine light stabilizer, specifically in fiber, thread, yarn or fabric form. It is significant because it moves HALS stabilizer claims out of bulk resin and into a specific fiber/textile application, a narrower but commercially relevant niche. Anyone developing UV-stabilized acrylic or acrylonitrile-based fibers should review its claim scope directly rather than assuming bulk-polymer HALS patents are the only relevant prior art.
Based on IPC distribution, coverage thins out in condensation polymers (C08G, 50 records), coatings-delivered stabilizer systems (C09D, 75 records) and functional-material applications (C09K, 59 records) compared to the near-total coverage of C08K additive claims. Migration-resistant stabilizer packages for laminates and fiber-level HALS incorporation also show fewer dense clusters of prior art. These are reasonable areas to scope a first claim, though thin coverage in a search corpus is a starting signal, not a guarantee of allowability.
Research UV Stabilizers and Polymer Weathering in depth with Eureka
Go past this page: query the whole uv stabilizers and polymer weathering corpus yourself, in your own scope.
Every answer comes back with patent numbers you can open.
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.