CPC Definition - Subclass C21D
This place covers:
Changing the physical structure of ferrous metals; General devices for heat treatments of ferrous or non-ferrous metals or alloys; making metal malleable by decarburisation, tempering or other treatments
The term "ferrous alloys" refers to alloys based essentially on iron.
- C22F provides for decarburization of non-ferrous metal and non-ferrous alloys to modify the physical structure thereof.
- Subclass C22B covers the decarburization of metalliferous material for purposes of refining.
- C23F 17/00 provides for surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered in C22F.
- When the method is intended for providing a particular use/product then the use/ product is classified as well (see informative references for some of them).
- When the composition of the alloy is disclosed, either in claims or description, this one is classified as well C22C.
This place does not cover:
Surface treatment of metallic material | |
Cementation by diffusion processes | |
Single crystals or homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure; production thereof |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Mechanical metal-working | |
Working metallic powder, powder metallurgical apparatus or processes | |
Layered products | |
Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys | |
Electrolytic production or refining of metals | |
Furnaces | |
Investigating or analysing material by determining their chemical or physical properties | |
Electric heating |
- In C21D the last place rule is followed (classification in the last appropriate place) combined with multiple classifications, for a classification of a 100% disclosed alloy composition.
- When classifying in group C21D 6/00, any aspect of the method for the heat treatment of ferrous alloys which is considered to represent information of interest for search may also be classified in groups C21D 1/02 - C21D 1/84. This can, for example, be the case when it is considered of interest to enable searching of heat treatment methods of ferrous alloys using a combination of classification symbols. Such non-obligatory classification should be given as "additional information".
- When classifying in C21D all essential features disclosed should be classified in EC classification.
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Alloy | A composition of plural elements at least one of which is a free metal. It also includes material containing any combination of fibres, filaments, whiskers and particles, e.g. carbides, diamond, oxides, borides, nitrides, silicides, or other metal compounds, e.g. oxynitrides or sulfides embedded in a metallic matrix |
Cast iron | Ferrous alloy which solidifies with an eutectic, with C 2.1-4%. |
Steel | Ferrous alloy with a carbon content C 0.2-2.1%. |
Air hardening steel | Steel which does not require quenching from a high temperature to harden but which is hardened by cooling in air from above its critical temperature range. |
Sub-critical annealing/Stress relief annealing | Heat treatment for relieving or dissipating stresses in weldaments, heavily machined parts, castings, forgings by heating them, uniformly heated through, and air cooled/slow cooled with subsequent finishing or heat treatment. |
Oil-hardening | Process of hardening a ferrous alloy by heating within or above the transformation range and quenching in oil |
Decarburization | Subjecting the steel to high temperatures and heat treating in a media containing air, oxygen or hydrogen to remove carbon at the surface. |
Recrystallization | After all metal crystals have been dissolved by heating enough to lose its structural strength, the metal temperature then falls, allowing the crystals to re-form |
Spheroidizing | Heating the carbon steel to approximately 700 °C for over 30 hours to form spheroidite, to soften higher carbon steels and allow more formability. |
Aging (or ageing) | A process in which the hardness or strength of a metal alloy having a constituent in supersaturated solid solution is increased over time as the constituent precipitates out as a secondary phase containing the constituent. When occurring at room temperature the process is termed "natural aging", while a process that occurs when subjecting the metal alloy to elevated temperature is termed "artificial aging". Aging for a longer time than that corresponding to maximum strength or hardness at the particular temperature is termed "over-ageing". |
Hardening | The increase in resistance to deformation |
Precipitation hardening | As the quenched alloy ages, a new material precipitates out of the metallic crystal lattice, filling in abutting spaces, and increasing hardness |
Normalizing | A process of heating metallic material above its critical temperature and cooling in air thereby establishing a fine uniform grain size and improving the microstructural uniformity |
Quenching | The rapid cooling of metallic material either from elevated temperature to room temperature or cooling of metal to sub-ambient temperature, at a specific rate, with a given medium. |
Tempering | Heating of a previously quenched or normalized metallic material to an elevated temperature, and then cooling under suitable conditions to obtain the desired mechanical properties. |
Martempering | Heat treatment of steel involving austenitisation of steel followed by quenching in heat extracting medium (e.g. salt), at a rate fast enough to avoid the formation of ferrite, pearlite or bainite to a temperature slightly above the martensite start (Ms) point |
Austempering | Isothermal heat treatment applied to steel and cast iron, involves holding the metallic material at the quenching temperature for an extended period of time in order to produce a lower bainite microstructure for steels and a structure of acicular ferrite and high carbon, stabilized austenite known as ausferrite for cast-irons. |
Case Hardening | Heat treatment or combination of heat treatments of surface hardening involving a change in the composition of the outer layer of an iron-base alloy in which the surface is made harder by inward diffusion of a gas or liquid followed by appropriate thermal treatment. |
This place covers:
Methods and devices for heat treatments: annealing, hardening, quenching of ferrous alloys.
Ferrous alloys are classified in C22C 38/00.
When the heat-treated alloy is intended for a particular use/product then the use/ product is classified as well in the appropriate field/classes.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Rolling of metal | |
Cooling-beds for metal rolling | |
Manufacture of metal sheets/bars/wires/tubes otherwise than by rolling | |
Forging | |
Machine tools; metal-working not otherwise provided for | |
Production of gases | |
Ferrous alloys | |
Coating material with metallic material, cementation (carburizing, nitriding, etc)/Chemical descaling | |
Processes for the electrolytic removal of materials from objects | |
Furnaces | |
Heat exchange apparatus in which the heat-exchange media do not come into direct contact | |
Investigating or analysing material by determining their chemical or physical properties | |
Electric heating |
In these groups, the last place rule is followed combined with multiple classifications.
If the alloy composition is given it needs to be classified in C22C 38/00 in the corresponding sub-group(s).
All the disclosed heat treatments (claims, description, examples, figures/diagrams) are classified.
For example, a case hardened gear steel consisting of, by weight percent, 16.3Co, 7.5Ni, 3.5Cr, 1.75Mo, 0.2W, 0.11C, 0.03Ti, and 0.02V and the balance Fe, will be classified in this group in C21D 1/22 as well as in C22C 38/44, C22C 38/52.
This place covers:
Diffusion processes for extraction of non-metals, furnaces thereof.
- Ferrous alloys are classified in C22C 38/00.
- When the heat-treated alloy is intended for a particular use/product then the use/ product is classified as well in the appropriate field/classes, having also in mind group C21D 9/00.
This place does not cover:
Local protective coatings |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Rolling of metal | |
Manufacture of metal sheets/bars/wires/tubes otherwise than by rolling | |
Forging | |
Production of gases | |
Alloys | |
Coating material with metallic material, cementation (carburizing, nitriding, etc)/Chemical descaling | |
Processes for the electrolytic removal of materials from objects | |
Furnaces |
- In these groups, the last place rule is followed combined with multiple classifications.
- If the alloy composition is given it needs to be classified in C22C 38/00 in the corresponding sub-group(s).
- All the disclosed heat treatments (claims, description, examples, figures/diagrams) are classified.
- For example, a method for production of a surface-decarburized hot-rolled strip with the following composition C: 0.4-1.0%, Si: 0.1-0.5%, Mn: 0.3-1.2%,
- P: <0.02%, S: <0.008%, Al: 0.01-0.05%, Cr: 0.1-0.5%, Ni: 0.1-0.4%, Mo: <50.1%, balance Fe will be classified in C21D 3/04, as well as in C21D 1/74, in C22C 38/02, C22C 38/04, C22C 38/06, C22C 38/40.
- In case of a method for manufacturing oriented silicon steel: (in wt %): C 0.020-0.050%, Si 2.6-3.6%, S 0.015-0.025%, Al 0.008-0.028%, N 0.005-0.020%, Mn 0.15-0.5%, Cu 0.3-1.2%, balance Fe and inevitable impurities , involves smelting steel, refining molten steel, continuously casting steel to obtain slab, hot rolling, cold rolling, annealing and applying annealing separator and insulation coating on slab, the classification in this group is: C21D 3/04, C21D 1/26, as well as C22C 38/001, C22C 38/02, C22C 38/04, C22C 38/06, C22C 38/16.
This place covers:
Heat treatments of cast iron alloys - ferrous alloy which solidifies with an eutectic, with C 2.1% -4%.
- Cast iron is classified in C22C 37/00.
- When the heat-treated cast iron alloy is intended for a particular use/product then the use/ product is classified as well in the relevant class in the appropriate field/classes, having also in mind group C21D 9/00.
- Making cast iron alloys are classified in C22C 33/08 – C22C 33/12.
This place does not cover:
Heat treating of non-ferrous alloys |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Refining of metals | |
Making cast iron alloys | |
Steels |
In these groups, the last place rule is followed combined with multiple classifications.
If the alloy composition is given it needs to be classified in C22C 37/00 in the corresponding sub-group.
All the disclosed heat treatments (claims, description, examples, figures/diagrams) are classified.
This place covers:
Heat treatment of ferrous alloys: iron based alloys and all types of steels (low alloy steels, dual-phase steels, tool steels, spring steels, maraging steels, stainless steels, ferritic, austenitic, martensitic, bainitic, pearlitic etc).
When the alloy is produced by a specifically described method (examples, claims) then the method is classified as well (B22F, C23C, B23K, C25D, C25B, B22D, B21J, B21B, B21C etc).
Ferrous alloys are classified in C22C 38/00.
When the alloy is intended for a particular use/product then the use/ product is classified as well.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Soldering/welding materials | |
Layered products |
- In these groups, the last place rule is followed combined with multiple classifications.
- Since the alloy composition is given it needs to be classified in C22C 38/00 in the corresponding sub-group(s).
- Heat treatment of ferrous alloys/steels containing Ni (and no Cr) are classified in C21D 6/001 and C22C 38/08.
- Heat treatment of ferrous alloys/steels containing Cr (and no Ni) are classified in C21D 6/002 and C22C 38/18-C22C 38/38.
- Heat treatment of ferrous alloys/steels containing Cr and no Ni are classified in C21D 6/004 and C22C 38/40 - C22C 38/58.
- All the disclosed heat treatments (claims, description, examples, figures/diagrams) are classified.
For example a case hardened gear steel having enhanced core fracture toughness includes by weight percent about 16.3Co, 7.5Ni, 3.5Cr, 1.75Mo, 0.2W, 0.11C, 0.03Ti, and 0.02V and the balance Fe, characterized as a predominantly lath martensitic microstructure essentially free of topologically close-packed (TCP) phases and carburized to include fine M2C carbides to provide a case hardness of at least about 62 HRC and a core toughness of at least about 50 ksiVin will be classified in C21D 6/004; C21D 6/007; C21D 6/02; C21D 6/04, and also in C21D 1/22, C21D 1/25 and C22C 38/44, C22C 38/52.
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Hardening by cooling below 0 degrees Celsius | Controlled cooling below 0° C in order to alter the material microstructure, and enhance its strength and wear properties |
This place covers:
Cold working and hot working deformation process of iron and steel.
When the iron/steel alloy is produced by a specifically described method (examples, claims) then the method is classified as well (B22F, C23C, B23K, C25D, C25B, B22D, B21J, B21B, B21C etc).
Ferrous alloys are classified in C22C 37/00, C22C 38/00.
When the iron/steel alloy is intended for a particular use/product then the use/ product is classified as well.
This place does not cover:
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Working or processing of sheet metal or metal tubes, rods, or profiles without essentially removing material; punching | |
Apparatus for mechanical working of metal | |
Ferrous alloys |
- In these groups, the last place rule is followed combined with multiple classifications.
- If the alloy composition is given it needs to be classified in C22C 38/00 in the corresponding sub-group.
- All the disclosed heat treatments (claims, description, examples, figures/diagrams) are classified.
For example a high cleanliness spring steel useful in manufacturing a spring with SiO 2 -based inclusions being extremely controlled and excellent in fatigue properties is obtained by scalping -> patenting -> cold wire drawing working (wire drawing) -> oil tempering -> process equivalent to strain relieving annealing -> shot peening -> strain relieving annealing will be classified in C21D 7/04, C21D 7/06, as well as in C22C.
This place covers:
Modifying the physical properties by deformation combined with, or followed by, heat treatment during manufacturing processes of plates or strips, plates or strips for deep drawing, rods or wires, tubular bodies, articles with special electromagnetic properties
When the alloy is intended for a particular use/product then the use/ product is classified as well.
Ferrous alloys are classified in C22C 37/00, C22C 38/00.
This place does not cover:
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Working or processing of sheet metal or metal tubes, rods, or Profiles without essentially removing material; punching | |
Ferrous alloys |
- In this maingroup, the last place rule is followed combined with multiple classifications.
- If the alloy composition is given it needs to be classified in C22C 38/00 in the corresponding sub-group.
- All the disclosed heat treatments (claims, description, examples, figures/diagrams) are classified.
This place covers:
Modifying the physical properties by deformation combined with, or followed by, heat treatment of ferrous alloys, during manufacturing of plates or strips.
When the alloy is intended for a particular use/product then the use/ product is classified as well.
Ferrous alloys are classified in C22C 37/00, C22C 38/00.
This place does not cover:
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Working or processing of sheet metal or metal tubes, rods, or Profiles without essentially removing material; punching | |
Ferrous alloys |
- In these groups, the last place rule is followed combined with multiple classifications.
- Since the alloy composition is given it needs to be classified in C22C 38/00 in the corresponding sub-group.
- All the disclosed heat treatments (claims, description, examples, figures/diagrams) are classified.
For example a method of producing a surface-decarburised hot-rolled strip consisting of heating the strip from heat-treated steel: C: 0.4-1.0%, Si: 0.1-0.5%, Mn: 0.3-1.2%, P: <0.02%, S: <0.008%, Al: 0.01-0.05%, Cr: 0.1-0.5%,
Ni: 0.1-0.4%, Mo: <50.1%, the remainder being iron and unavoidable impurities, heating it while wound as an open coil within austenitizing temperature limits, keeping it incandescent in a carbon-free atmosphere for at least 90 minutes, in which the atmosphere absorbs carbon from the steel, and cooling at an accelerated rate is classified in: C21D 8/0257, C21D 1/74, C21D 3/04, C22C 38/02; C22C 38/04; C22C 38/06; C22C 38/40.
This place covers:
Modifying the physical properties by deformation combined with, or followed by, heat treatment of ferrous alloys, during manufacturing of plates or strips for deep-drawing.
When the alloy is intended for a particular use/product then the use/ product is classified as well.
Ferrous alloys are classified in C22C 37/00, C22C 38/00.
This place does not cover:
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Working or processing of sheet metal or metal tubes, rods, or Profiles without essentially removing material; punching | |
Ferrous alloys |
- In these groups, the last place rule is followed combined with multiple classifications.
- Since the alloy composition is given it needs to be classified in C22C 38/00 in the corresponding sub-group.
- All the disclosed heat treatments (claims, description, examples, figures/diagrams) are classified.
For example a microalloyed low carbon steel strip C:0.04-0.08, Mn:0.15-2.0, Si:0.06-0.60, P:0.010 max, S:0.010 max, Cr:0.35 max, Ni:0.20 max, Mo: 0.25 max, Cu:0.20 max, Nb:0.012-0.070, V:0.02-0.03, Ti<=0.11, Al:0.025-0.050, N:0.0115 max, rest Fe, , for the production of finished pieces by cold pressing and shearing, obtained by hot rolling at temperature of the pre-strip temperature never lower than 900 DEG C in the steps preceding the final rolling, will be classified in C21D 8/0405; C21D 8/0415, C21D 8/0415, C21D 1/42, C22C 38/02, C22C 38/04; C22C 38/06; C22C 38/12.
This place covers:
Modifying the physical properties by deformation combined with, or followed by, heat treatment of ferrous alloys, during manufacturing of rods or wires.
When the alloy is intended for a particular use/product then the use/ product is classified as well.
Ferrous alloys are classified in C22C 37/00, C22C 38/00.
This place does not cover:
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Working or processing of sheet metal or metal tubes, rods, or Profiles without essentially removing material; punching | |
Ferrous alloys |
- In these groups, the last place rule is followed combined with multiple classifications.
- Since the alloy composition is given it needs to be classified in C22C 38/00 in the corresponding sub-group.
- All the disclosed heat treatments (claims, description, examples, figures/diagrams) are classified.
For example a method of producing a steel wire suitable for reinforcement bar consists of choosing a steel of composition in wt. percent: less than 0.22% C; less than 0.5% Si; less than 1.5% Mn; and 0.01-0.15% V or 0.01-0.15% Nb or 0.01-0.15% V+Nb in which the carbon equivalent is less than 0.45 %, where the steel wire is hot rolled from billet, quenched at the end of the hot rolling stand and finally wound on a bobbin will be classified in C21D 8/08, C21D 1/19, C22C 38/12 .
This place covers:
Modifying the physical properties by deformation combined with, or followed by, heat treatment of ferrous alloys, during manufacturing of tubular bodies.
When the alloy is intended for a particular use/product then the use/ product is classified as well.
Ferrous alloys are classified in C22C 37/00, C22C 38/00.
This place does not cover:
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Working or processing of sheet metal or metal tubes, rods, or Profiles without essentially removing material; punching | |
Ferrous alloys |
- In these groups, the last place rule is followed combined with multiple classifications.
- Since the alloy composition is given it needs to be classified in C22C 38/00 in the corresponding sub-group.
- All the disclosed heat treatments (claims, description, examples, figures/diagrams) are classified.
For example the manufacture of case-hardened steel pipe for machine structural components, involves making pipe from steel composition in mass percent, C: 0.1 - 0.25%, Si: 0.2 - 0.4%, Mn: 0.3 - 0.9%, P: at most 0.02%, S: 0.001 - 0.15%, Cr: 0.5 - 0.9%, Mo: 0.15 - 1%, Al: 0.01 - 0.1%, B: 0.0005 - 0.009%, N: less than 0.006%, and a remainder essentially of Fe, followed by subjecting the resulting steel tube to normalizing by soaking at a temperature of 880 - 980 DEG C followed by cooling at a cooling rate of at most 70 DEG C per minute, carrying out cold working of the normalized steel tube, and then annealing the cold worked steel tube at a temperature of 700 - 820 DEG C will be classified in: C21D 8/105; C21D 8/10; C21D 1/28; C21D 1/32; C21D 6/02; C21D 7/04; C22C 38/00.
This place covers:
Modifying the physical properties by deformation combined with, or followed by, heat treatment of ferrous alloys, during manufacturing of articles with special electromagnetic properties
When the alloy is intended for a particular use/product then the use/ product is classified as well, see H01F 1/00.
Ferrous alloys are classified in C22C 37/00, C22C 38/00.
This place does not cover:
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Working or processing of sheet metal or metal tubes, rods, or Profiles without essentially removing material; punching | |
Ferrous alloys |
- In these groups, the last place rule is followed combined with multiple classifications.
- Since the alloy composition is given it needs to be classified in C22C 38/00 in the corresponding sub-group.
- All the disclosed heat treatments (claims, description, examples, figures/diagrams) are classified.
For example the production of grain oriented magnetic sheet used for core of electrical transformer, involving heating slab made of steel : Si 3 - 3.3 %,
Al 0.012 - 0.028 %, C 0.005 - 0.065 %, Cu 0.01 - 0.1 %, Mn 0.045 - 0.05 %, N 0.0035 - 0.0055%, S 0.015 - 0.023 %, Se 0 - 0.018 %, Sn 0.082 %, Fe balance at a temperature (T1), hot-rolling using rolling mill at a temperature (T2), heating at a temperature (T3)>(T2), cold-rolling, optionally annealing and performing primary recrystallization and secondary recrystallization will be classified in C21D 8/1211, C21D 8/1222, C21D 8/1255, C21D 8/1272, C21D 6/008, C22C 38/001, C22C 38/008, C22C 38/02, C22C 38/04, C22C 38/16.
This place covers:
Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching, tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefore.
F27B provides for furnaces, kilns, ovens or retorts in general; open sintering or like apparatus.
F27D provides for details or accessories of furnaces, ovens or retorts, in so far as they are of kinds occurring in more than one kind of furnace.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Manufacture of metal sheets/bars/wires/tubes otherwise than by rolling | |
Vehicle parts | |
Ferrous alloys | |
Surface treatment of metallic material | |
Cementation by diffusion processes | |
Electrolytic production or refining of metals | |
Single crystals or homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure; production thereof | |
Reconditioning or repairing worn or damaged parts on the spot; Heating or cooling of parts on the spot | |
Steam turbines, turbine rotors Blades, turbine blades | |
Valve guides/valve seat inserts | |
Gas turbine plants | |
Bearings, shafts/crankshafts | F16C, e.g. F16C 13/00, F16C 23/00, F16C 29/00, F16C 33/00 |
Springs | |
Sliding member | |
Furnaces |
- In these groups, the last place rule is followed combined with multiple classifications.
- If the alloy composition is given it needs to be classified in C22C 38/00 in the corresponding sub-group.
- For example a heat treatment method of manufacturing high carbon bearing steel having excellent abrasion resistance and fatigue resistance, a steel wire rod for high carbon bearing steel subjected to the heat treatment, a manufacturing method of the steel wire rod, high carbon bearing steel manufactured by the heat treatment and a soaking method of a steel bloom used for manufacturing the steel wire rod. The heat treatment method of bearings includes the steps of: quenching a bearing-shaped steel part containing, by weight, 0.5% to 1.20% carbon and 1.0% to 2.0% silicon; and partitioning the quenched steel part at a temperature ranging from Ms - 100 degrees C to Ms for at least 10 minutes, where Ms represents a temperature at which formation of martensite will start, will be classified in C21D 9/0075 (rod of limited length), C21D 9/38, C21D 9/40, C21D 1/19, C21D 1/32, C22C 38/02, C22C 38/04, C22C 38/34.
- Similarly, a rod of unlimited length, respectively a large gauge high strength steel rod having a diameter of not less than 9 mm, is produced from high carbon steel containing, by weight percent, from 0.65 to 0.90% carbon and from 0.15 to 1.5% chromium capable of being drawn without subsequent heat treatment will be classified in C21D 9/525, C21D 8/06, C22C 38/18.
- The case hardened gear steel (example group C21D 1/00- C21D 1/84) consisting of, by weight percent, 16.3Co, 7.5Ni, 3.5Cr, 1.75Mo, 0.2W, 0.11C, 0.03Ti, and 0.02V and the balance Fe, classified in C21D 1/22 as well as in C22C 38/44, C22C 38/52, M21 as C21D 1/25, will also be classified in C21D 9/32.
This place covers:
Modifying the physical properties by laser shock processing, ultrasonic treatment and other methods other than heat treatment or deformation.
When the alloy is intended for a particular use/product then the use/ product is classified as well, see H01F 1/00.
Ferrous alloys are classified in C22C 37/00, C22C 38/00.
This place does not cover:
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
- In these groups, the last place rule is followed combined with multiple classifications.
- If the alloy composition is given it needs to be classified in C22C 38/00 in the corresponding sub-group.
- All the disclosed heat treatments (claims, description, examples, figures/diagrams) are classified.
For example a steel tube with excellent steam oxidation resistance and a method for producing the steel tube by shot peening the inner surface of the steel tube will be classified in C21D 10/005 as well as in C21D 7/06, the corresponding C22C 38/00 classes and circulated to B24C 1/00 group.
This place covers:
Control and regulation of heat treatments.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Controlling or regulating in general |
- In these groups, the last place rule is followed combined with multiple classifications.
- All the disclosed heat treatments (claims, description, examples, figures/diagrams) are classified.
Example: a metal processing system for forming and heat treating of metal casing comprises process control temperature station upstream from heat treatment station and having temperature sensing device, with a controlled cooling, classified in C21D 1/84, C21D 9/0068 will be also classified in C21D 11/005.