DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Status
This Office action is in response to the amendment and remarks filed on 10/13/2025.
Claims 1 and 5 have been amended.
Claims 3, 10-11, 14-15, 19-20, and 23-24 have been cancelled.
Claims 1-2, 4-9, 12-13, 16-18 and 21-22 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 has been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. The applicant’s arguments where solely aimed at the validity of LUO which is no longer used in the new grounds of rejection that was necessitated by the amendment to the claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-2, 4-9, 12, 13, 16-18 and 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20160028115 A1, KIM et al. in view of US 20150086466 A1, SATO et al.
Regarding claims 1-2, and 5. KIM discloses a non-aqueous electrolyte solution [0011] discloses a composition comprising an electrolyte solution additive for lithium secondary battery, and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution further comprising:
an electrolyte in the form of bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide, LiFSI [0011];
a solvent ethylmethyl carbonate [0040];
an acid component, wherein:
the electrolyte contains a sulfonylimide salt in the form of bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide, LiFSI [0011],
KIM [0040] discloses a concentration of fluoride ions in the form of lithium difluoro bis(oxalato)phosphate (LiDFOP) in an acidic solution is 1 wt%, the molecular weight of lithium difluoro bis(oxalato)phosphate (LiDFOP) is about 252 g/mol which translates to about 3 ppm which is less than 100 ppm of ions relative to the electrolyte in the instant application, and
KIM [0040] discloses a concentration of sulfate ions in the form of ethylene sulfate in an acidic solution is 1 wt%, the molecular weight of ethylene sulfate is about 124 g/mol which translates to about 7 ppm which is less than 100 ppm of ions relative to the electrolyte in the instant application.
KIM does not disclose the acid component contains an acid component having an acid-dissociation constant pKa of 0 or more and 6.5 or less at a concentration of 50 ppm or more and 10,000 ppm, and wherein the acid component is at least one selected from the group consisting of an amidosulfuric acid component, a carbonic acid component, and a phosphoric acid component, the amidosulfuric acid component is at least one selected from the group consisting of amidosulfuric acid and a salt thereof,
the carbonic acid component is at least one selected from the group consisting of a lithium salt of carbonate and a lithium salt of hydrogen carbonate, and
a concentration of fluoride ion is 100 ppm or less relative to the electrolyte, and
a concentration of sulfate ion is 100 ppm or less relative to the electrolyte.
SATO [title] discloses An Alkali Metal Salt Of Fluorosulfonyl Imide, And Production Method Therefor where
SATO [0095] discloses phosphoric acid esters such as trimethyl phosphate, ethyl dimethyl phosphate, diethyl methyl phosphate, and triethyl phosphate
SATO [0094] also discloses “As described above, the alkali metal salt of fluorosulfonyl imide of the present invention has reduced contents of impure ions and water, and therefore, decomposition of the electrolytic solution is less likely to arise. Accordingly, an electrochemical device having the electrolytic solution of the present invention as an ionic conductor can be an electrochemical device having stable properties for a long period.”
The pKa1 of phosphoric acid is 2.15 meeting the limitation of the pKa being 0 to 6.5 in claims 1 and 5 the pKa being a well-known physical property in the art. (see Wikipedia screen shot page 4.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have used the pKa range of an phosphoric acid group disclosed by SATO for the electrolyte disclosed by KIM in order to reduce the impure ion and water associated with the stronger inorganic acids increasing electrode performance.
KIM [0011] discloses the solvent contains a carbonate group ethylmethyl carbonate as also applied to the limitations of claim 2.
Regarding claims 4 and 6. KIM [0040] discloses the ethylmethyl carbonate (EMC), this carbonate solvent is a chain carbonate also applied to the limitations of claims 4, and 6.
Regarding claims 7 and 16. KIM [0011] discloses that the electrolyte contains lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide as also applied to claim 16 of the instant application.
Regarding claims 8 and 17. Modified KIM teaches the composition of claims 1 and 5 respectively.
SATO [0014] discloses that water is contained at a concentration of less than 250 ppm which is within range of the instantly claimed range of 0.1 ppm or more and 1000 ppm or less relative to the electrolyte.
SATO [0008] discloses “having a reduced content of specific impurities and a water content has excellent heat resistance, and thus the present invention has been completed.”
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have kept the concentration of water in the electrolyte below 1000 ppm in order to increase the heat resistance performance and safety.
Regarding claims 9 and 18. KIM [0022] teaches “the LiFSI and LiPF6 may be mixed in a molar ratio of LiFSI to LiPF6 of 10:90 to 50:50”, this satisfies the content of the sulfonylimide salt as 10 mass% or more relative to the entire composition as also applied to claim 18.
Regarding claims 12-13, and 21-22. It is noted that these claims further limit amidosulfuric acid in claim 1 without requiring the selection thereof over a carbonic acid component, and a phosphoric acid component.
(It is noted WO 2019188210 A1, MASAKAZU et al. teaches the claimed amidosulfuric acid as discussed in the prior office action.)
Conclusion
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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/L.L./Examiner, Art Unit 1727
/BARBARA L GILLIAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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