Company patents
Carbon, Inc.
Carbon, Inc.'s patent strategy shows a surprising and significant decline across its core areas, with Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) and Plastics Shaping & Molding, which together represent over 90% and 83% of its portfolio respectively, experiencing sharp year-over-year drops of 35.1% and 45.9% in 2025, and further declines of 58.3% and 60.0% so far in 2026. This indicates a substantial shift away from its historically dominant manufacturing-focused patenting, despite some minor emerging activity in Polymer Additives and Photolithography, both showing 100% YoY growth in 2026 from very small bases.
Patent Trend by Technology Area
Yearly patent publications since 2023
Product themes
Product-level themes inferred from filings since 2023, with category chips showing where each theme appears. Select a theme to filter the patents below.
131 US filings (since 2023) · 12 categories · 13 themes
Techniques for building three-dimensional metal objects layer-by-layer using metal powders, including powder bed fusion, binder jetting, and directed energy deposition. This theme encompasses process mechanics, equipment design, and operational control for AM systems.
Light-initiated polymerization processes used to create structures, coatings, or components, particularly for electronic devices, displays, or additive manufacturing, often involving photoinitiators and specific monomer/oligomer compositions.
Integration of additive manufacturing with subtractive manufacturing (e.g., machining, cutting) or other traditional processes within a single system or workflow to create parts with improved features, surface finish, or material properties, or to enable new manufacturing paradigms.
Novel formulations and mechanisms for initiating or controlling the polymerization and cross-linking of adhesives, including dual-curing systems, radical polymerization, and partial curing for tailored material properties.
Techniques for combining multiple materials or layers, often with specialized surface treatments, coatings, or assembly methods, to create functional or aesthetically enhanced plastic articles, including consumer goods and encapsulated electronics.
Systems and methods for real-time sensing, modeling, and closed-loop control of additive manufacturing parameters to ensure part quality, consistency, and process efficiency. This includes thermal management, atmospheric regulation, and precise material deposition.
Development and application of polymer compositions designed for reprocessability, recyclability, or incorporating sustainable additives, often featuring reversible bonds or bio-based components.
Computational methods and design principles for generating optimized geometries, internal structures (e.g., lattices, minimal surfaces), or functional features that are specifically enabled or enhanced by the capabilities of additive manufacturing.
Methods for synthesizing polyurethanes and polyureas, including non-isocyanate routes, using various monomers, catalysts, and curing agents, often for foams, coatings, or adhesives.
Polymer compositions tailored for medical and biological applications, including implantable devices, drug delivery systems, and diagnostic tools, emphasizing properties like biocompatibility, hydrolysis resistance, optical clarity, and specific mechanical characteristics.
Novel methods and reactor designs for polymer synthesis, focusing on improving efficiency, achieving continuous production, or controlling specific polymer architectures and product morphologies like particle size or sheet formation.
Methods for creating fine polymer particles, powders, or microspheres with controlled size, morphology, and distribution, used as raw materials or for specific applications.
Development of novel chemical compositions for photoresists, including polymers, sensitizers, and crosslinking agents, to achieve improved lithographic performance such as resolution, sensitivity, line edge roughness, and etch resistance.
Patents
Showing 1-10 of 310