Patent Information in Concrete Corrosion Research

Abstract

In addition to recent literature published in journals included in
Science Citation Index and other bibliographic database, there is a very important
source of information in patent databases. As it has been established,
a patent application should be made before any publication. A strategic study
of the development of inventions in a given field of research can be made
through patent information. In this paper the authors used an Automated System
for Patent Surveillance (SiVigPat®) to study the development of international
patents concerning concrete corrosion and protection. An increase of
patent application has been observed since 1989 in the field of concrete reinforced
corrosion and protection. Databases processed were from the United
States, Canada, Japan and other countries. Patents related to concrete corrosion
and protections were divided into three main classifications: monitoring,
electrochemical protection and admixtures. The highest number of patent application
is related to chemical admixtures. When all the different types of
admixtures and methods for electrochemical protection, as also monitoring
methods are studied, a complete state of the art in the field is obtained. A tendency
to increase patents concerning electrochemical protection and monitoring
methods is observed since 1984.