Zeolite Catalyst Patents: Top Companies & Filing Trends 2026
- 124 of 143 families sit in B01J catalytic-process claims, while lubricant and general-organic branches carry only single-digit counts — the clearest sign of where claim space is still open.
- Filings peaked at 16 in 2021 and eased to 4 by the 2022 midpoint, pointing to continuing but slowing growth rather than a field still accelerating.
- The most-cited records date to the 1980s–1990s cracking-catalyst era, so influence in citation counts favours legacy filings, not the newer reactor-integration approach seen in 2024 filings.
Filing growth compares 2021 (16 records) with 2024 (3) — 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 143 records in scope (CR5), not by the ranked leaders only.
What this landscape covers
Zeolite catalyst process intensification covers patents that combine zeolite or molecular-sieve catalysis with claims on cascade reactions, yield improvement, or reactor integration — filings that treat the catalyst and the reactor as one engineering problem rather than two. The corpus spans 143 patent families published between 2015 and mid-2026, concentrated heavily in catalytic-process claims (B01J) with substantial overlap into acyclic-compound chemistry (C07C) and hydrocarbon refining (C10G).
Filing activity built steadily through the late 2010s, peaked in 2021, and has since eased — a pattern consistent with a field where the core zeolite chemistry is well established and the remaining differentiation is shifting toward physical format and process integration, as the featured 2024 monolith filing illustrates.
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Filing trend and technology composition
143 patent families published between 2015 and mid-2026 map a field built on a mature cracking-catalyst core with a newer reactor-integration layer on top.
Filing activity, 2017–2026
Filings rose from 2 in 2017 to a peak of 16 in 2021, then eased to 4 by the 2022 midpoint; 2026 is a partial year, so its count of 5 will rise once late filings publish. The pattern reads as continued but slowing growth rather than a plateau.
Where the claims sit
B01J (chemical and physical catalytic processes) dominates at 124 of 143 records, with C07C acyclic-compound chemistry and C10G hydrocarbon refining each at 56 — both overlapping heavily with B01J rather than standing apart. Smaller branches in heterocyclic chemistry, general organic methods and lubricants each carry single-digit counts, marking them as thin, specialised claim territory rather than core ground.
Shares are the percentage of the 143 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Zeolite Catalyst Process Intensification with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about zeolite catalyst process intensification and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaKey patents to know
WO2024223813A1 — Fe-doped beta zeolite catalyst monoliths
A method for producing a three-dimensional porous Fe-doped beta zeolite catalyst monolith of stacked catalyst fibers, comprising preparing a suspension paste of Fe-doped beta zeolite particles with a binder (up to 50 wt%), a plasticizer and pore-forming material (each up to 10 wt%), and a peptization agent (up to 5 wt%), all relative to the zeolite particle content.Filed by BASF SE, published 2024-10-31 — illustrates the shift from composition claims toward structured-reactor format claims.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US4368114A | Octane and total yield improvement in catalytic cracking | 192 |
| 2 | US4828679A | Octane improvement with large size ZSM-5 catalytic cracking | 103 |
| 3 | US4309279A | Octane and total yield improvement in catalytic cracking | 96 |
| 4 | US5643440A | Production of high viscosity index lubricants | 95 |
| 5 | US5179054A | Layered cracking catalyst and method of manufacture and use thereof | 78 |
| 6 | EP0492807A2 | Method for production of phenol/acetone from cumene hydroperoxide | 75 |
| 7 | US4522705A | Octane enhancement and total liquid product yield improvements in catalytic cracking using in-situ crystalliz… | 61 |
| 8 | US5965475A | Processes an catalyst for upgrading waxy, paraffinic feeds | 57 |
| 9 | US4885421A | Multistage reactor system for production of fuels | 37 |
| 10 | US20150175499A1 | Conversion of Methanol to Olefins and Para-Xylene | 24 |
Citation counts are highest among the oldest filings, a function of time inside the corpus rather than current technical relevance — read them as a map of influence, not of what's newest.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
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Browse MCP servers →What the filing pattern signals
Three structural features stand out once family counts, IPC composition and citation activity are viewed together.
Catalytic-process claims dominate the corpus
Almost all records touch B01J's chemical and physical catalytic processes, with C07C and C10G overlapping heavily rather than forming distinct clusters. That density means new filings anchored purely on zeolite composition face crowded prior art; differentiation increasingly comes from reactor format or process integration instead.
Growth is continuing but slowing
The filing trend rose sharply into 2021 then eased. Combined with the 18-month publication lag, the most recent years understate real activity, but the shape of the curve still points to a maturing rather than an accelerating field.
Citation leadership sits with 1980s–1990s filings
The most-cited records are decades-old cracking-catalyst yield and octane patents. That reflects how long they have had to accumulate citations inside this corpus, not that they represent the current technical frontier — newer reactor-integration filings simply haven't had time to catch up.
Collaboration is limited and concentrated
Only ten co-assignee pairs appear across the corpus, and the strongest link — an industry–university pairing — outweighs the rest. Most filers are working alone, which leaves joint industry-academic filing as a comparatively rare but proven route to added claim depth.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to zeolite catalyst process intensification, with the prior art for and against each one.
| Assignee | Co-assignee | Shared families |
|---|---|---|
| Chevron U.S.A. Inc. | The Regents of the University of California | 6 |
| BASF Corporation | BASF CORP | 2 |
| Total Petrochemicals Research Feluy | VERMEIREN WALTER | 1 |
| Total Petrochemicals Research Feluy | NESTERENKO NIKOLAI | 1 |
| ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc. | WIERSUM ANDREW | 1 |
| ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc. | WEBER | 1 |
| ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc. | SMITS MARIANNE | 1 |
| ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc. | PUTTEMANS MARC | 1 |
The Chevron U.S.A.–University of California Regents pairing is the strongest co-assignee link in the dataset at 6 shared records, well ahead of any other pair.
Assignee landscape and where the field is heading
The ranking is led by established refining and specialty-chemical firms, with a long tail of single- or few-filing entrants below them. Recent-year momentum is muted across nearly all named assignees, leaving the next filing window comparatively open.
Concentration at the top, long tail below
A handful of major refining and chemical firms account for a disproportionate share of families, while most other assignees appear only once or twice. This is typical of a refining-adjacent field where entry costs and prior art both run high.
Industry–academic filing stands out
The Chevron U.S.A.–University of California Regents pairing is the clearest collaboration signal in the dataset, well ahead of the next-strongest pairs at one or two shared records each.
Recent-year activity is thin across the board
Most tracked assignees register zero filings in the latest year, with only one showing a single filing. That suggests the established leaders have not yet moved decisively into the current filing window, leaving room for a new entrant to set the pace.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| BASF Corporation | 1 | — |
| Mobil Oil Corporation | 0 | — |
| Indian Oil Corporation | 0 | — |
| ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company | 0 | — |
| Chevron U.S.A. Inc. | 0 | — |
| Total Petrochemicals Research Feluy | 0 | — |
| JGC Corporation | 0 | — |
| ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc. | 0 | — |
Where to take this research next
The dataset points to three directions worth deeper investigation before committing to a filing or design-around strategy.
Test claim scope against the cracking-catalyst core
Because B01J catalytic-process claims cover 124 of 143 families, any new filing centred on zeolite composition alone should be checked against this dense prior art before drafting.
Search B01J prior art in EurekaTrack the reactor-integration shift
The move from composition claims toward structured monolith and reactor-format claims, illustrated by the 2024 BASF filing, is the most active recent direction and worth monitoring for follow-on filings.
Monitor recent filings in EurekaEvaluate the under-claimed branches
Lubricant-property and general-organic-synthesis applications of zeolite process intensification carry only single-digit record counts against a much larger core, making them worth a freedom-to-operate check before others move in.
Run a white-space check in EurekaFrequently asked questions
Filing activity concentrates among a small group of major refining and specialty-chemical firms, with legacy cracking-catalyst assignees holding the highest-citation records and a mix of newer entrants filing more recent, narrower claims. The ranking itself is dominated at the top with a long tail of single- or few-filing entrants below it, which is typical for a mature refining-adjacent field. No single assignee shows sustained high-volume filing in the most recent year, suggesting the leadership position is currently open to whoever files next.
Process intensification here means combining reaction steps, catalyst shaping and reactor design into a single unit — for example a structured monolith that replaces a packed bed — rather than treating the zeolite composition and the reactor as separate problems. It shows up in patent filings because once the underlying zeolite chemistry (framework type, dopants) becomes well-established, the remaining differentiable IP tends to move toward how that chemistry is deployed physically. The 2024 monolith filing in this dataset is a representative example of that shift.
Filings peaked at 16 in 2021 and eased toward the 2022 midpoint of 4, then continued at a lower but positive level through the most recent years. Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, the 2025 and 2026 figures in any such dataset are understated and will revise upward as pending applications publish. Read the recent-year dip as a data artifact first, and a genuine slowdown only if it persists after the lag corrects.
The thinnest IPC branches — general organic-chemistry methods and the lubricant-property pairing — each carry only a handful of records against a core of well over a hundred in the dominant catalytic-process class. That imbalance points to lubricant upgrading and general organic synthesis as under-claimed applications for reactor-integrated zeolite catalysis. A first filer combining a specific zeolite/dopant pairing with a measurable lubricant or synthesis outcome, claimed as an integrated process rather than a composition alone, would be entering largely open ground.
It blocks monolith production that matches its specific combination of Fe-doped beta zeolite, suspension-paste processing, and the stated weight-percentage ceilings on binder, plasticizer, pore-former and peptization agent. It does not block monoliths built from a different zeolite framework, a different dopant, or additive loadings outside those ceilings, which remain the practical routes for a competing filing. As a 2024 PCT-route application, its national-phase scope is also still being settled jurisdiction by jurisdiction.
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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.