C
SECTION C — CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
 C

Note(s)

  1. In section C, the definitions of groups of chemical elements are as follows:

    Alkali metals: Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr

    Alkaline earth metals: Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra

    Lanthanides: elements with atomic numbers 57 to 71 inclusive

    Rare earths: Sc, Y, Lanthanides

    Actinides: elements with atomic numbers 89 to 103 inclusive

    Refractory metals: Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, W

    Halogens: F, Cl, Br, I, At

    Noble gases: He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, Rn

    Platinum group: Os, Ir, Pt, Ru, Rh, Pd

    Noble metals: Ag, Au, Platinum group

    Light metals: alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, Be, Al, Mg

    Heavy metals: metals other than light metals

    Iron group: Fe, Co, Ni

    Non-metals: H, B, C, Si, N, P, O, S, Se, Te, noble gases, halogens

    Metals: elements other than non-metals

    Transition elements: elements with atomic numbers 21 to 30 inclusive, 39 to 48 inclusive, 57 to 80 inclusive, 89 upwards

  2. Section C covers :
    1. pure chemistry, which covers inorganic compounds, organic compounds, macromolecular compounds, and their methods of preparation;
    2. applied chemistry, which covers compositions containing the above compounds, such as: glass, ceramics, fertilisers, plastics compositions, paints, products of the petroleum industry. It also covers certain compositions on account of their having particular properties rendering them suitable for certain purposes, as in the case of explosives, dyestuffs, adhesives, lubricants, and detergents;
    3. certain marginal industries, such as the manufacture of coke and of solid or gaseous fuels, the production and refining of oils, fats and waxes, the fermentation industry (e.g., brewing and wine-making), the sugar industry;
    4. certain operations or treatments, which are either purely mechanical, e.g., the mechanical treatment of leather and skins, or partly mechanical, e.g., the treatment of water or the prevention of corrosion in general;
    5. metallurgy, ferrous or non-ferrous alloys.
  3. In all sections of the IPC, in the absence of an indication to the contrary, the Periodic System of chemical elements referred to is the one with 8 groups as represented in the table below. For example, group C07F 3/00 "Compounds containing elements of the 2nd Group of the Periodic System" refers to the elements of columns IIa and IIb. [2009.01]

    1. In the case of operations, treatments, products or articles having both a chemical and a non-chemical part or aspect, the general rule is that the chemical part or aspect is covered by section C.
    2. In some of these cases, the chemical part or aspect brings with it a non-chemical one, even though purely mechanical, because this latter aspect either is essential to the operation or treatment or constitutes an important element thereof. It has seemed, in fact, more logical not to dissociate the different parts or aspects of a coherent whole. This is the case for applied chemistry and for the industries, operations and treatments mentioned in Notes (1)(c), (d) and (e). For example, furnaces peculiar to the manufacture of glass are covered by class C03 and not by class F27.
    3. There are, however, some exceptions in which the mechanical (or non-chemical) aspect carries with it the chemical aspect, for example:
    4. In still other cases, the pure chemical aspect is covered by section C and the applied chemical aspect by another section, such as A, B or F, e.g., the use of a substance or composition for:
    5. When the chemical and mechanical aspects are so closely interlocked that a neat and simple division is not possible, or when certain mechanical processes follow as a natural or logical continuation of a chemical treatment, section C may cover, in addition to the chemical aspect, a part only of the mechanical aspect, e.g., after-treatment of artificial stone, covered by class C04. In this latter case, a note or a reference is usually given to make the position clear, even if sometimes the division is rather arbitrary.
  
CHEMISTRY
 C08
ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON (manufacture or treatment of artificial threads, fibres, bristles or ribbons D01)
 C08

Note(s)

  1. Biocidal, pest repellant, pest attractant or plant growth regulatory activity of compounds or preparations is further classified in subclass A01P[8]
  2. Processes using enzymes or micro-organisms in order to:
    1. liberate, separate or purify a pre-existing compound or composition, or to
    2. treat textiles or clean solid surfaces of materials
    are further classified in subclass C12S.
 C08J
WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29)  [2]
 C08J

Note(s)

  1. This subclass covers processes, not covered by subclasses C08B-C08H, for treating polymers. [4]
  2. In this subclass, in the absence of an indication to the contrary, classification is made in the last appropriate place. [2]
  3. When classifying in this subclass, additional classification may be made in class C08L relating to the materials used. [8]
P:40 C08J 3/00
Processes of treating or compounding macromolecular substances  [2]
 C08J 3/02
·  Making solutions, dispersions, lattices or gels by other methods than by solution, emulsion or suspension polymerisation techniques  [2]
 C08J 3/12
·  Powdering or granulating  [2]
 C08J 3/18
·  Plasticising macromolecular compounds (plasticisers C08K)  [2]
 C08J 3/20
·  Compounding polymers with additives, e.g. colouring  [2]
 C08J 3/24
·  Crosslinking, e.g. vulcanising, of macromolecules (mechanical aspects B29C 35/00; crosslinking agents C08K)  [2]
 C08J 3/28
·  Treatment by wave energy or particle radiation  [2]
P:30 C08J 5/00
Manufacture of articles or shaped materials containing macromolecular substances (manufacture of semi-permeable membranes B01D 67/00-B01D 71/00)  [2]
 C08J 5/02
·  Direct processing of dispersions, e.g. latex, to articles  [2]
 C08J 5/04
·  Reinforcing macromolecular compounds with loose or coherent fibrous material  [2]
 C08J 5/12
·  Bonding of a preformed macromolecular material to the same or other solid material such as metal, glass, leather, e.g. using adhesives  [2]
 C08J 5/14
·  Manufacture of abrasive or friction articles or materials  [2]
 C08J 5/16
·  Manufacture of articles or materials having reduced friction  [2]
 C08J 5/18
·  Manufacture of films or sheets  [2]
 C08J 5/20
·  Manufacture of shaped structures of ion-exchange resins  [2]
 C08J 5/24
·  Impregnating materials with prepolymers which can be polymerised in situ, e.g. manufacture of prepregs  [2]
P:20 C08J 7/00
Chemical treatment or coating of shaped articles made of macromolecular substances (coating with metallic material C23C; electrolytic deposition of metals C25)  [2]
P:10 C08J 9/00
Working-up of macromolecular substances to porous or cellular articles or materials; After-treatment thereof (mechanical aspects of shaping of plastics or substances in a plastic state for the production of porous or cellular articles B29C)  [2]
P:0 C08J 11/00
Recovery or working-up of waste materials (recovery of plastics B29B 17/00; depolymerisation to the original monomer C07; polymerisation processes involving purification or recycling of waste polymers or their depolymerisation products C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G, C08H; destructive distillation of carbonaceous materials for production of gas, coke, tar or similar matters C10B; production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from rubber or rubber waste C10G 1/00);   [4]
P:50 C08J 99/00
Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass  [8]