Vinyl Ester Resins Patents: Top Companies & Filing Trends 2026
- 28.8% concentration at the top. The five leading assignees together hold 755 of the 2,619 records in scope — a clear cluster of incumbents rather than a fragmented field.
- Filing has cooled since 2017. Annual filings peaked at 85 in 2017 and have declined since, with the 2022 midpoint at 33 — a flat-to-declining trend, not a growth market.
- Japan dominates the filing offices. 826 records were filed in Japan, well ahead of the United States (315) and Europe (292), pointing to where enforcement and freedom-to-operate checks matter most.
What the vinyl ester resin patent record shows
Vinyl ester resin chemistry sits at the intersection of addition polymer and polymer composition claiming, with corrosion-resistant and chemical-resistant formulations pulling in coatings, laminate and shaping classes as well. The 2,619 records in scope span filings built around chemical resistance, heat distortion temperature, toughness modification and cure behaviour — the practical properties that decide whether a resin is specified into an FRP tank, a duct lining, or a structural laminate.
Filing activity is not evenly spread. A small group of established resin and specialty-chemical producers accounts for a disproportionate share of records, while the annual filing count has fallen from its 2017 peak. Because publication typically lags filing by around eighteen months, the most recent year in the trend understates real activity, but the multi-year decline predates that lag.
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Filing trends and technology composition
The filing trend and the IPC breakdown together describe a mature chemistry with concentrated ownership: activity has cooled from its 2017 high, and the classification spread shows where the claiming has been densest.
A declining filing curve since the 2017 peak
Annual filings ran at 85 in 2017 and had fallen to 33 by the 2022 midpoint, with 2026 still partial. This is a flat-to-declining trajectory rather than an emerging one, consistent with a chemistry whose core claim space was staked out earlier in the period.
Addition polymers and polymer compositions dominate the classification spread
C08F (addition polymers) and C08L (polymer compositions) each cover more than a third of the 2,619 records — 37.6% and 36.8% respectively — with additive use (C08K, 21.9%) and condensation polymers (C08G, 18.8%) trailing behind. Coatings (C09D, 13.9%) and laminates (B32B, 15.6%) show the chemistry's downstream application footprint, but at meaningfully lower density than the polymer-formulation classes.
Shares are the percentage of the 2,619 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Vinyl Ester Resins with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about vinyl ester resins and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaThe most-cited records in this dataset
Unsaturated polyester resin or vinyl ester resin compositions (US8722770B2)
The filing covers an unsaturated polyester resin or vinyl ester resin composition combined with a copper compound and an acetoacetamide compound of a specified formula, where the substituent groups on the acetoacetamide can vary across a defined range of alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl and arylalkyl structures, optionally bearing heteroatoms.Filed by Nouryon Chemicals International (previously Akzo Nobel).
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US6248467B1 | Composite bipolar plate for electrochemical cells | 201 |
| 2 | US6354963B1 | Golf club head | 161 |
| 3 | WO2010108939A1 | Vinyl ester resin composition | 157 |
| 4 | DE4131457A1 | Patrone oder Kartusche für die chemische Befestigungstechnik | 149 |
| 5 | US5091436A | Reinforced foam composites comprising hydroxy-containing vinyl ester resin | 130 |
| 6 | US3892819A | Impact resistant vinyl ester resin and process for making same | 120 |
| 7 | US6034155A | Polymer concrete compositions, structures made therefrom and methods of manufacture | 118 |
| 8 | US6287992B1 | Polymer composite and a method for its preparation | 94 |
| 9 | WO2005097893A1 | Amphiphilic block copolymer-toughened thermoset resins | 88 |
| 10 | WO2008003492A1 | Unsaturated polyester resin or vinyl ester resin compositions | 71 |
Citation counts reflect influence within the searched corpus and skew toward older filings; they are not a measure of current commercial relevance.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
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Browse MCP servers →What the numbers mean for strategy
Three patterns matter most for anyone deciding whether to file, license, or design around in this space.
Ownership is concentrated but not closed
The top five assignees combined hold 755 records, 28.8% of the 2,619 in scope, with the leader alone at 180. That leaves a long tail across the remaining 95 of the 100 ranked companies, meaning white space exists even in a field with clear incumbents.
Activity has cooled since the 2017 peak
Filings dropped from 85 in 2017 to 33 by the 2022 midpoint, and recent-year momentum for several leading assignees shows 0 filings in the latest year. This points to a chemistry where the core claim space was staked out earlier, not one seeing fresh formulation activity.
Japan is the primary filing office
Japan accounts for 826 records, well ahead of the United States (315), Europe (292), China (230), WIPO (158) and South Korea (90). Freedom-to-operate and enforcement risk in this chemistry concentrates most heavily around Japanese filings.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to vinyl ester resins, with the prior art for and against each one.
| Assignee | Co-assignee | Shared families |
|---|---|---|
| Showa Highpolymer Co., Ltd. | Resonac Holdings Corporation | 44 |
| DSM IP Assets B.V. | JANSEN JOHAN FRANZ GRADUS ANTONIUS | 34 |
| BASF SE | Riken Technos Corporation | 28 |
| Dow Global Technologies LLC | University of Minnesota | 22 |
| JANSEN JOHAN FRANZ GRADUS ANTONIUS | KRAEGER RONALD IVO | 15 |
| Dow Global Technologies LLC | Regents of the University of Minnesota | 13 |
| BASF SE | TASAKA MICHIHISA | 13 |
| BASF SE | KANNO HIROYASU | 13 |
Only 10 co-assignee pairs appear in the dataset, and the strongest pairing links a resin producer with its holding-company affiliate — a sign that most development in this field happens inside single organisations rather than through cross-company collaboration.
Who holds the leading positions
The ranked leaders are drawn from established resin, coatings and specialty-chemical producers. The gap between the leader (180 records) and fifth place (136) is narrow relative to the drop to tenth place (37), which is where the long tail begins.
A single leader well ahead of tenth place
The top assignee holds 180 records against 37 at tenth place, a gap that signals a durable filing programme rather than a one-off cluster of applications.
Five firms hold more than a quarter of the field
The top five assignees combined account for 755 records, 28.8% of the 2,619 in scope — a meaningful concentration for a chemistry with 100 ranked companies overall.
Leading filers show little recent activity
Several of the largest historical filers, including DIC, show 0 filings in the latest year with a -100% year-on-year change for at least one. Recent activity has not kept pace with the historical filing base.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| DSM IP Assets B.V. | 0 | — |
| DIC Corporation | 0 | -100% |
| Showa Highpolymer Co., Ltd. | 0 | — |
| The Dow Chemical Company | 0 | — |
| Resonac Holdings Corporation | 0 | — |
| Akzo Nobel Chemicals International B.V. | 0 | — |
| Dow Global Technologies LLC | 0 | — |
| Resonac Corporation | 0 | -100% |
Where to take this analysis
The dataset points to specific next steps depending on whether the goal is freedom-to-operate, licensing, or new filing strategy.
Check Japanese filings first
With 826 of the receiving-office records filed in Japan, any freedom-to-operate review should start there rather than with US or EPO filings alone.
Explore assignee filings in EurekaTest the under-claimed branches
Toughness modification, cure control and duct-lining formulations sit below the density of the core polymer-composition classes, suggesting room for narrowly drafted claims.
Run a white space search in EurekaWatch for renewed activity
Recent-year filings from leading assignees have dropped to zero even allowing for publication lag, so a fresh filing from an established player would be a meaningful signal.
Set up monitoring in EurekaCommon questions about vinyl ester resin patents
Patent ownership in this field is concentrated among a small group of established resin and specialty-chemical producers. The leading assignee holds 180 of the 2,619 records in scope, and the top five combined account for 755 records, 28.8% of all records. Beyond the top ten, filing counts drop off quickly into a long tail across the remaining ranked companies, so a single company rarely controls a whole application area outright.
Filing activity has declined since a 2017 peak of 85 annual filings, falling to a midpoint of 33 by 2022. Several of the historically largest filers show zero filings in the most recent year. Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, the very latest year always looks lower than it will eventually be, but the multi-year trend was already flat-to-declining before that lag effect.
Addition polymer claims (IPC class C08F) and polymer composition claims (C08L) are the two largest categories, each covering more than a third of the 2,619 records in scope. Additive use (C08K) and condensation polymer chemistry (C08G) follow at lower density. Downstream application classes like coatings and laminates appear less frequently, indicating that most of the claiming activity sits at the formulation level rather than the finished-product level.
The technology composition data shows meaningfully lower density in areas such as duct-lining formulations, cure-rate control for FRP tank fabrication, and toughness-modification additive packages compared with the core polymer-composition classes. These branches are not unclaimed, but they sit below the density of C08F and C08L, which is where a narrower, more specific claim is more likely to clear prior art. Any filing strategy there should still start with a freedom-to-operate check against the leading assignees' existing portfolios.
US8722770B2, assigned to Nouryon Chemicals International, claims an unsaturated polyester or vinyl ester resin composition combined with a copper compound and a specific acetoacetamide compound, with defined substituent ranges. It affects formulators working on cure-inhibitor or stabiliser systems that use copper-acetoacetamide combinations within the claimed structural range. Anyone designing a similar cure-control additive package should review the substituent scope of this claim closely before assuming their formulation falls outside it.
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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.