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]
 C12F
DISTILLATION OR RECTIFICATION OF FERMENTED SOLUTIONS; RECOVERY OF BY-PRODUCTS; DENATURING OF, OR DENATURED, ALCOHOL
 C12F 1/00
Distillation or rectification of fermented solutions (preparation of alcoholic beverages by distillation C12G 3/12)
 C12F 1/02
·  by continuous methods
 C12F 1/04
·  Rectification of spirit
 C12F 1/06
·  ·  by continuous methods
 C12F 1/08
·  ·  ·  Combined distillation and rectification
 C12F 3/00
Recovery of by-products
 C12F 3/02
·  of carbon dioxide
 C12F 3/04
·  ·  Recovery of volatile fermentation products from carbon dioxide
 C12F 3/06
·  from beer or wine (C12F 3/02 takes precedence; removal of yeast C12G 1/08)
 C12F 3/08
·  ·  Recovery of alcohol from press residues or other waste material (from carbon dioxide C12F 3/04)
 C12F 3/10
·  from distillery slops
 C12F 5/00
Preparation of denatured alcohol