C
SECTION C — CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
 C

Note(s)

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

The following notes are meant to assist in the use of this part of the classification scheme; they must not be read as modifying in any way the elaborations.

  1. 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.
    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 of it; 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. In subclasses C12M-C12Q or C12S, and within each of these subclasses, in the absence of an indication to the contrary, an invention is classified in the last appropriate place. [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 subclass, 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]
  4. In this class, it is desirable to add the indexing codes of subclass C12R. The indexing codes should be linked[3]
 C12C
BREWING OF BEER (cleaning of raw materials A23N; pitching or depitching machines, cellar tools C12L; propagating yeasts C12N 1/14; non-beverage ethanolic fermentation C12P 7/06)

 C12F
DISTILLATION OR RECTIFICATION OF FERMENTED SOLUTIONS; RECOVERY OF BY-PRODUCTS; DENATURING OF, OR DENATURED, ALCOHOL

 C12G
WINE; OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; PREPARATION THEREOF (beer C12C)

 C12H
PASTEURISATION; STERILISATION; PRESERVATION; PURIFICATION; CLARIFICATION; AGEING

 C12J
VINEGAR; ITS PREPARATION

 C12L
PITCHING OR DEPITCHING MACHINES; CELLAR TOOLS (cleaning of casks B08B 9/00)

 C12M
APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY (installations for fermenting manure A01C 3/02; preservation of living parts of humans or animals A01N 1/02; physical or chemical apparatus in general B01; malting or mashing apparatus C12C 1/00; brewing apparatus C12C 13/00; fermentation apparatus for wine C12G; apparatus for preparing vinegar C12J 1/10)  [3]
 C12M

Note(s)

Attention is drawn to Notes (1) to (3) following the title of class C12[4]


 C12N
MICRO-ORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF (biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing micro-organisms, viruses, microbial fungi, enzymes, fermentates, or substances produced by, or extracted from, micro-organisms or animal material A01N 63/00; food compositions A21, A23; medicinal preparations A61K; chemical aspects of, or use of materials for, bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles A61L; fertilisers C05); PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICRO-ORGANISMS (preservation of living parts of humans or animals A01N 1/02); MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q)  [3]
 C12N

Note(s)

Attention is drawn to Notes (1) to (3) following the title of class C12[3,4]


 C12P
FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE (fermentation processes to form a food composition A21, A23; compounds per se, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07; brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; processes for producing enzymes per se C12N 9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N 15/00)  [3]
 C12P

Note(s)

  1. This subclass covers both major and minor chemical modifications. [3]
  2. Group C12P 1/00 covers processes for producing organic compounds not sufficiently identified to be classified in groups C12P 3/00-C12P 37/00. Compounds identified only by their empirical formulae are not considered to be sufficiently identified. [3]
  3. Attention is drawn to Notes (1) to (3) following the title of class C12[4]
  4. If a particular reaction is considered of interest, it is also classified in the relevant chemical compound class, e.g. C07, C08[3]
  5. In this subclass:
    • metal or ammonium salts of a compound are classified as that compound.
    • compositions are classified in the relevant compound groups. [3]

 C12Q
MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES OR MICRO-ORGANISMS (immunoassay G01N 33/53); COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES  [3]
 C12Q

Note(s)

  1. This subclass does not cover inventions dealing with the observation of the progress or of the result of processes specified in this subclass by any of the methods specified in groups G01N 3/00-G01N 29/00, which are covered by subclass G01N[3]
  2. In this subclass, the following expression is used with the meaning indicated:
    • "involving", when used in relation to a substance, includes the testing for the substance as well as employing the substance as a determinant or reactant in a test for a different substance. [3]
  3. Attention is drawn to Notes (1) to (3) following the title of class C12[4]
  4. In this subclass, test media are classified in the appropriate group for the relevant test process. [3]

 C12R
INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES C12C TO C12Q OR C12S, RELATING TO MICRO-ORGANISMS  [3]
 C12R

Note(s)

  1. This subclass constitutes an indexing scheme associated with the other subclasses of class C12, relating to micro-organisms used in the processes classified in subclasses C12C-C12Q or C12S. The indexing codes should be linked[3]
  2. The bacteria terminology is based on "Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology", Eighth Edition, 1975. [3]

 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:

               A21,      B08B,    C09B,    C14C,    C23G,    D06M,    F24F,

               A23,      C01,      C09H,    C21B,    D01C,    D06P,    F24J,

               A61L,    C05F,    C10G,    C22B,    D01F,    D21C,    F26B,

               A62D,    C08,      C13,      C23F,    D06L,    D21H,    H01M.

    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 inventions are classified in this subclass, even though they are classified elsewhere.  [5]

  2. In this subclass, in the absence of an indication to the contrary, an invention is classified in the last appropriate place. [5]
  3. Attention is drawn to Notes (1) to (3) following the title of class C12[5]
  4. The classification symbols of this subclass are not listed first when printed on the patent documents. [5]