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
 C12
BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
 C12

Note(s)

  1. Between subclasses C12M-C12Q, and within each of these subclasses, in the absence of an indication to the contrary, classification is made in the last appropriate place. For example, a fermentation or enzyme-using process involving condition-responsive control is classified in subclass C12Q[3]
  2. In this class, viruses, undifferentiated human, animal or plant cells, protozoa, tissues and unicellular algae are considered as micro-organisms. [3,5]
  3. In this class, unless specifically provided for, undifferentiated human, animal or plant cells, protozoa, tissues and unicellular algae are classified together with micro-organisms. Sub-cellular parts, unless specifically provided for, are classified with the whole cell. [5]
 C12S
PROCESSES USING ENZYMES OR MICRO-ORGANISMS TO LIBERATE, SEPARATE OR PURIFY A PRE-EXISTING COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION (biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage C02F 3/00, of sludge C02F 11/02; processes using enzymes or micro-organisms to separate optical isomers from a racemic mixture C12P 41/00); PROCESSES USING ENZYMES OR MICRO-ORGANISMS TO TREAT TEXTILES OR TO CLEAN SOLID SURFACES OF MATERIALS  [5]
 C12S

Note(s)

  1. This subclass covers processes already provided for in:
    This subclass is intended to provide a basis for a complete search to be made with respect to the subject matter defined by the subclass title and, therefore, all relevant information is classified in this subclass, even if classified elsewhere.
  2. Attention is drawn to Notes (2) and (3) following the title of class C12.   [5]
  3. In this subclass, in the absence of an indication to the contrary, classification is made in the last appropriate place.   [2009.01]
  4. The classification symbols of this subclass are not listed first when printed on patent documents.   [5]
P:50 C12S 1/00
Treatment of petroleum oils, shale oils or sand oils  [5]
P:40 C12S 3/00
Treatment of animal or plant materials or micro-organisms  [5]
P:30 C12S 5/00
Treatment of emulsions, gases or foams  [5]
P:20 C12S 7/00
Treatment of hides, e.g. depilating, bating  [5]
P:10 C12S 9/00
Cleaning solid surfaces of materials  [5]
P:0 C12S 11/00
Treatment of textiles, e.g. cleaning  [5]
 C12S 13/00
( transferred to C12S 99/00 )
P:100 C12S 99/00
Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass  [2010.01]