In 2012, the number of CIE patents applied and authorized again hit a new high record. By the end of Dec 31, 2012, there had been 99 new patents applied, including 1 PCT(international) invention patents and 69 national invention patents, and the patents application quality improves steadily. There are 104 newly authorized patents, including 6 foreign invention patents (the highest number in the year) and 53 national invention patents, maintaining one of the big authorized patent owners in Changsha.

In terms of patent application, the number of patent applications undertaken by CIE in 2012 accounts for 56.6% of the total applications of the company. These patents are around the national project 863—“Industrial kilns and furnaces flue gas discharge control technology Key technology and demonstration of industrial furnace/boiler flue gas catalytic denitrification in lowtemperature （2012AA062506）” and the scientific research project of MCC engineering center ”the research on energy saving technology and equipment of sintering system based on selfadaptive frequency conversion control”. The patent applications of the national engineering technology research center for sintering and pelletizing equipment system established and relying on CIE account for 33.3% of the total patents applications of the company, showing remarkable “ two booming” characteristics of patent applications of scientific research projects and development center.