DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
Applicant's amendment filed on July 23, 2025, has been entered. Claims 1, 3, 5, 9-15, and 17-18 remain pending in the application. Claims 10-15 and 17 have been withdrawn from consideration.
Claim Objections
Claim 18 is objected to because of the following informalities:
At the end of claim 18, the amended claim language should recite: “or a ferric ion-complexed polysaccharide polymer.”
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 3, 5, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR 20180003925 A (Kim ‘925 – citing to the attached English translation) in view of US 20060166067 A1 (Kiefer ‘067).
Regarding claim 1, Kim ‘925 teaches an ionically conductive thin film composite (TFC) membrane comprising (a reinforced-composite electrolyte membrane comprising a hydrophilic porous substrate and an ion conductive polymer impregnated in the porous substrate; [0018]):
a microporous support membrane (the reinforced composite electrolyte membrane in Example 1 has a polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) base material having a pore size of 450 nm; [0058] – [0061]); and
a water insoluble hydrophilic ionomeric polymer coating layer on a surface of the microporous support membrane (the hydrophilic porous substrate may have a multi-layer structure in which a hydrophilic polymer is coated on the hydrophobic polymer; [0012])), the water insoluble complexed hydrophilic ionomeric coating layer is ionically conductive (the ionic conductive polymer 20 is impregnated into the porous substrate substituted with the ionic functional group; [0055]),
wherein the microporous support membrane comprises polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, or combinations thereof (the hydrophilic polymer 11 constituting the hydrophilic porous substrate 10 is made of, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyimide, polyamide, polycarbonate, polyacrylonitrile, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinyl chloride; [0014]), and the pore size of the microporous support membrane is in a range of 50 nanometers to 50 micrometers (the reinforced composite electrolyte membrane in Example 1 has a polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) base material having a pore size of 450 nm; [0058] – [0061], which falls within the claimed range),
wherein the water insoluble complexed hydrophilic ionomeric polymer comprises a polyphosphoric acid-complexed polysaccharide polymer (the hydrophilic polymer 12 for modifying the porous substrate formed of the hydrophobic polymer 11 is preferably selected form a hydrocarbon-based polymer group having a hydrophilic functional group 13 including a hydroxyl group, a peptide group, a halogen element and the like and may be selected from, for example, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl chloride, cellulose, polydopamine, and chitosan; [0024]; the ionic functional group 14 substituting the hydrophilic functional group 13 of the hydrophilic modified porous substate 10 may be a negative type, a positive type, or an amphoteric functional group, and more specifically, at least one selected from the group consisting of a sulfonic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, a carboxylic acid group, and an amine group may be selected and coated on the surfaces and pores of the porous substrate; [0025]), a polyphosphoric acid and ferric ion-complexed polysaccharide polymer, or a ferric ion-complexed polysaccharide polymer.
Kim ‘925 does not disclose that the acidic or charged group is polyphosphoric acid.
Kiefer ‘067 discloses that a membrane doped with phosphoric acid or polyphosphoric acid has advantages such as the fact that a fuel cell in which such a polymer membrane is used can be operated at temperatures above 100 °C ([0026]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to select polyphosphoric acid as the acidic or charged group, as suggested by Kiefer ‘067, for the TFC membrane, as taught by Kim ‘925, because the selection of a known material, which is based upon its suitability for the intended use, is within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960).
Regarding claim 3, modified Kim ‘925 teaches the ionically conductive thin film composite (TFC) membrane of claim 1, wherein the polysaccharide polymer in the polyphosphoric acid-complexed polysaccharide polymer, the polyphosphoric acid and ferric ion-complexed polysaccharide polymer, and the ferric ion-complexed polysaccharide polymer comprises chitosan (the hydrophilic polymer 12 for modifying the porous substrate formed of the hydrophobic polymer 11 is preferably selected form a hydrocarbon-based polymer group having a hydrophilic functional group 13 including a hydroxyl group, a peptide group, a halogen element and the like and may be selected from, for example, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl chloride, cellulose, polydopamine, and chitosan; [0024] of Kim ‘925).
The selection of a known material, which is based upon its suitability for the intended use, is within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960) (see MPEP § 2144.07).
Regarding claim 5, modified Kim ‘925 teaches the ionically conductive thin film composite (TFC) membrane of claim 1, wherein the water insoluble complexed hydrophilic ionomeric polymer is a polyphosphoric acid-complexed chitosan polymer, a polyphosphoric acid and ferric ion-complexed chitosan polymer, a ferric ion-complexed alginic acid polymer, or combinations thereof (the hydrophilic polymer 12 for modifying the porous substrate formed of the hydrophobic polymer 11 is preferably selected form a hydrocarbon-based polymer group having a hydrophilic functional group 13 including a hydroxyl group, a peptide group, a halogen element and the like and may be selected from, for example, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl chloride, cellulose, polydopamine, and chitosan; [0024]; the ionic functional group 14 substituting the hydrophilic functional group 13 of the hydrophilic modified porous substate 10 may be a negative type, a positive type, or an amphoteric functional group, and more specifically, at least one selected from the group consisting of a sulfonic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, a carboxylic acid group, and an amine group may be selected and coated on the surfaces and pores of the porous substrate; [0025] of Kim ‘925; a membrane doped with phosphoric acid or polyphosphoric acid has advantages such as the fact that a fuel cell in which such a polymer membrane is used can be operated at temperatures above 100 °C; [0026] of Kiefer ‘067).
Therefore, modified Kim ‘925 renders obvious the water insoluble complexed hydrophilic ionomeric polymers of claim 5 being a polyphosphoric acid-complexed chitosan polymer, because the selection of a known material, which is based upon its suitability for the intended use, is within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960) (see MPEP § 2144.07).
Regarding claim 9, modified Kim ‘925 teaches the ionically conductive thin film composite (TFC) membrane of claim 1, wherein the water insoluble hydrophilic complexed ionomeric polymer is present in the micropores of the microporous support membrane (the ion conductive polymer is impregnated into the pores of the reinforced-composite electrolyte membrane; [0002]; the reinforced composite electrolyte membrane having a pore size of 450 nm; [0058] – [0061] of Kim ‘925).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20140272493 A1 (Evans ‘493) in view of KR 20180003925 A (Kim ‘925 – citing to the attached English translation), and further in view of US 20060166067 A1 (Kiefer ‘067).
Regarding claim 18, Evans ‘493 teaches a redox flow battery system (iron redox flow battery; abstract), comprising: at least one rechargeable cell (at least one redox flow battery cell; [0002]) comprising a positive electrolyte (redox electrolyte stored in redox electrolyte tank 101 on positive reactor 124 side; [0028]; FIG. 1), a negative electrolyte (plating electrolyte stored in plating electrolyte tank 100 on the negative reactor 122 side; [0028]; FIG. 1), and an ionically conductive thin composite (TFC) membrane (membrane barrier such as an ion exchange membrane; [0028]; FIG. 1) positioned between the positive electrolyte and the negative electrolyte (separating the negative and positive reactors and their respective electrolytes is ion exchange membrane barrier 120; [0028]; FIG. 1), the positive electrolyte in contact with a positive electrode (the redox electrolyte, when pumped through the redox side of the redox flow battery, will contact the redox electrode; [0002] & abstract), and the negative electrolyte in contact with a negative electrode (the plating electrolyte, when pumped through the plating side of the redox flow battery, will contact the plating electrode; [0002] & abstract).
Although Evans ‘493 further discloses that the ion exchange membrane may also be a microporous membrane [0028], Evans ‘493 does not disclose that the membrane comprises the microporous support membrane and a hydrophilic ionomeric polymer coating layer on a surface of the microporous support membrane, wherein the hydrophilic ionomeric polymer coating layer is ionically conductive.
Kim ‘925 discloses an ionically conductive thin film composite (TFC) membrane comprising (a reinforced-composite electrolyte membrane comprising a hydrophilic porous substrate and an ion conductive polymer impregnated in the porous substrate; [0018]):
a microporous support membrane (the reinforced composite electrolyte membrane in Example 1 has a polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) base material having a pore size of 450 nm; [0058] – [0061]); and
a water insoluble hydrophilic ionomeric polymer coating layer on a surface of the microporous support membrane (the hydrophilic porous substrate may have a multi-layer structure in which a hydrophilic polymer is coated on the hydrophobic polymer; [0012])), the water insoluble complexed hydrophilic ionomeric coating layer is ionically conductive (the ionic conductive polymer 20 is impregnated into the porous substrate substituted with the ionic functional group; [0055]),
wherein the microporous support membrane comprises polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, or combinations thereof (the hydrophilic polymer 11 constituting the hydrophilic porous substrate 10 is made of, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyimide, polyamide, polycarbonate, polyacrylonitrile, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinyl chloride; [0014]), and the pore size of the microporous support membrane is in a range of 50 nanometers to 50 micrometers (the reinforced composite electrolyte membrane in Example 1 has a polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) base material having a pore size of 450 nm; [0058] – [0061], which falls within the claimed range),
wherein the water insoluble complexed hydrophilic ionomeric polymer comprises a polyphosphoric acid-complexed polysaccharide polymer (the hydrophilic polymer 12 for modifying the porous substrate formed of the hydrophobic polymer 11 is preferably selected form a hydrocarbon-based polymer group having a hydrophilic functional group 13 including a hydroxyl group, a peptide group, a halogen element and the like and may be selected from, for example, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl chloride, cellulose, polydopamine, and chitosan; [0024]; the ionic functional group 14 substituting the hydrophilic functional group 13 of the hydrophilic modified porous substate 10 may be a negative type, a positive type, or an amphoteric functional group, and more specifically, at least one selected from the group consisting of a sulfonic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, a carboxylic acid group, and an amine group may be selected and coated on the surfaces and pores of the porous substrate; [0025]), a polyphosphoric acid and ferric ion-complexed polysaccharide polymer, or a ferric ion-complexed polysaccharide polymer.
Kim ‘925 does not disclose that the acidic or charged group is polyphosphoric acid.
Kiefer ‘067 discloses that a membrane doped with phosphoric acid or polyphosphoric acid has advantages such as the fact that a fuel cell in which such a polymer membrane is used can be operated at temperatures above 100 °C ([0026]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to select polyphosphoric acid as the acidic or charged group, as suggested by Kiefer ‘067, for the TFC membrane of the redox flow battery system, as taught by modified Evans ‘493, because the selection of a known material, which is based upon its suitability for the intended use, is within the ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on July, 23, 2025, have been fully considered. However, applicant’s arguments are not persuasive in view of the rejection of record presented in this Office action in response to applicant’s amendment to the claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20150068978 A1 (Lando ‘978):
Lando ‘978 discloses a process by which certain polymeric (filtration) membranes may be strengthened and/or conditioned towards certain deleterious mechanisms by transiently treating the surface of the membrane with charged species that interact with one or more polymer chains to provide a chemically and/or mechanically more robust structure ([0026]). In particular, Lando ‘978 discloses an intermediate filtering membrane comprising a filtering membrane having a charged or polar surface and a transiently charged compound, wherein the charged compound is complimentary to the membrane’s surface charge or polarity and is a multivalent ion, such as Fe3+, Cu, or Ag, for example, the intermediate filtering membrane further comprising a multivalent ion, an organic compound, a complex, a charged particle, a charged polymer, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing, wherein the charged polymer is chitosan ([0096]). The polymer will have a negative charge density under operating conditions, due, for example, to the presence of carboxylic, sulfonic, phosphoric, boronic, or other acidic or charged groups ([0028]). Polymers that bear negatively-charged groups can be polyacrylic acid, sulfonated polysulfone, or sulfonated polyethylene, the membrane being made from one or a combination of more than one of the foregoing ([0028] & [0096]).
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/TAYLOR HARRISON KRONE/Examiner, Art Unit 1728
/MATTHEW T MARTIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1728