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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 10/13/2025 has been entered.
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.
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, 4-7, 9, 12, 13, 16, and 18, 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20160028115 A1, KIM et al. in view of US 20150107093 A1, LUO et al.
Regarding claims 1-2, and 5. KIM discloses a non-aqueous electrolyte solution (abstract-applies to claims 14, 15, 23-24) [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, an acetic 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 solvent contains a carbonate solvent, wherein the carbonate solvent is a chain carbonate solvent, 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.
LUO [title] An Aqueous Cathode Slurry where
LUO [0051] discloses an acid component in the form of carbonic acid where, a pKa of 3.5 to 5.5 which is in the instantly claimed range of 0 to 6.5.
LUO [0051] further discloses “It is recognized that these organic acids generally contain less impurities compared to stronger acids, such as hydrogen chloride (HCl), sulfuric acid (H.sub.2SO.sub.4), nitric acid (HNO.sub.3). Further, the by-products from certain of these organic acids may not disturb the electrochemistry of the electrochemical cells (e.g., the battery cell 10). Therefore, positive electrode performance is less likely to be affected due to undesirable impurities associated with the stronger inorganic acids.”
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 carbonic acid group disclosed by LUO for the electrolyte disclosed by KIM in order to reduce the impurities 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 claims 2, and 5 (a carbonate solvent).
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 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.)
Claims 8 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20160028115 A1, KIM et al. in view of US 20150107093 A1, LUO et al. as applied to claims 1 and 5 above and further in view of US 5631100 A, YOSHINO et al.
Regarding claims 8 and 17. Modified KIM teaches the composition of claims 1 and 5 respectively.
However, modified KIM does not disclose that water is contained at a concentration of 0.1 ppm or more and 1000 ppm or less relative to the electrolyte.
YOSHINO [col 2 lines 6-12] disclose that “it has unexpectedly been found that when the water content of an organic electrolytic solution is suppressed to 450 ppm or less, the above-mentioned non-aqueous type secondary battery can exhibit not only excellent performance characteristics but also high safety. The present invention has been completed, based on this novel finding.”
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 especially below 450 ppm in order to increase performance and safety.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20100174113 A1, SANCHEZ et al. met the claimed limitations of the instant application across several different embodiments of electrolytic solutions so was disregarded for the sake of clarity and brevity in favor of the reference used above.
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/L.L./Examiner, Art Unit 1727
/Maria Laios/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1727