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
 C05
FERTILISERS; MANUFACTURE THEREOF (processes or devices for granulating materials, in general B01J 2/00; soil-conditioning or soil-stabilising materials C09K 17/00)  [4]
 C05

Note(s)

  1. An ingredient in a mixture of fertilisers, or a single fertiliser which contains more than one of the chemical elements on which the subdivision into subclasses is based, is classified only in the first of the appropriate subclasses. Thus, a nitrophosphate or an ammoniated superphosphate is classified in C05B but not in C05C, magnesium phosphate is classified in C05B but not in C05D, and calcium cyanamide in C05C but not in C05D.
  2. Any ingredient in a mixture, which is considered to represent information of interest for search, may also additionally be classified according to Note (1). This can, for example, be the case when it is considered of interest to enable searching of mixtures using a combination of classification symbols. Such non-obligatory classification should be given as "additional information". [8]
 C05B
PHOSPHATIC FERTILISERS
 C05B
Subclass index
SUPERPHOSPHATES 1/00
PRODUCED BY WET TREATMENTS 11/00
PRODUCED BY PYROGENIC PROCESSES 13/00
OTHER INORGANIC FERTILISERS 3/00 - 9/00, 17/00
ORGANIC FERTILISERS 15/00, 17/00
GRANULATION; PELLETISATION 19/00
MIXTURES OF PHOSPHATIC FERTILISERS 21/00

 C05C
NITROGENOUS FERTILISERS
 C05C
Subclass index
BASED ON NITRATES 1/00, 5/00
BASED ON AMMONIUM SALTS, AMMONIA 1/00, 3/00
BASED ON CYANAMIDE 7/00
BASED ON UREA 9/00
OTHER FERTILISERS 11/00
MIXTURES OF NITROGENOUS FERTILISERS 13/00

 C05D
INORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C; FERTILISERS PRODUCING CARBON DIOXIDE

 C05F
ORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C, e.g. FERTILISERS FROM WASTE OR REFUSE
 C05F

Note(s)

  1. 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.  [5]
  2. Processes where the composting step is the characterising feature, or apparatus therefor, are classified in group C05F 17/00.  [5]

 C05G
MIXTURES OF FERTILISERS COVERED INDIVIDUALLY BY DIFFERENT SUBCLASSES OF CLASS C05; MIXTURES OF ONE OR MORE FERTILISERS WITH MATERIALS NOT HAVING A SPECIFIC FERTILISING ACTIVITY, e.g. PESTICIDES, SOIL-CONDITIONERS, WETTING AGENTS (organic fertilisers containing added bacterial cultures, mycelia, or the like C05F 11/08; organic fertilisers containing plant vitamins or hormones C05F 11/10); FERTILISERS CHARACTERISED BY THEIR FORM  [4]
 C05G

Note(s)

  1. This subclass covers mixtures of fertilisers with soil-conditioning or soil-stabilising materials characterised by their fertilising activity.  [6]
  2. This subclass does not cover mixtures of fertilisers with soil-conditioning or soil-stabilising materials characterised by their soil-conditioning or soil-stabilising activity, which are covered by group C09K 17/00.  [6]