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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group II (claims 15-20) in the reply filed on 11/04/2025 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fuhrmann (“Sulfur Polymer Solidification/Stabilization of elemental mercury waste”, 2001) .
With respect to claim 15, the claim requires “A mercury-including waste product,” Fuhrmann teaches metallic mercury and mixed mercury waste (Fuhrmann 328, 2.1. Processing materials)
claim 15 further requires a “mercury-including waste product comprising: solid structures and pellets and the pellets solid structures comprising of mercuric sulfide within a polymer material.” Fuhrmann teaches generating mercuric sulfide and then solidifying that material in a solid sulfur matrix (Sulfur polymer cement, SPC) and casting the treated waste into pellets (Fuhrmann 329, 3. Test Methods: treated waste) (Fuhrmann 333, 5. Summary and conclusions: mercuric sulfide).
Regarding claim 16, Fuhrmann teaches centrifuging the reacted mixture to obtain a completed reaction, which could be considered as substantially evenly distributed (Fuhrmann 329, 3. Test Methods: Completeness).
Regarding claim 17, Fuhrmann teaches extra SPC (sulfur polymer cement) was added after the mercury had completely reacted with the sulfur to solidify and encapsulate the mercury waste (Fuhrmann 329, 3.1. Processing of mercury waste).
Regarding claim 18, Fuhrmann teaches solidifying mercuric sulfide in a solid sulfur matrix of the sulfur polymer cement (SPC) (Fuhrmann 333, 5. Summary and conclusions: mercuric sulfide).
Regarding claim 19, Fuhrmann teaches sulfur polymer cement (SPC) solidifying the mercury waste poured into metal cans (Fuhrmann 329, 3.1. Processing of mercury waste)
Regarding claim 20, Fuhrmann teaches producing the treated waste into pellets (Fuhrmann 329, 3. Test Methods: treated waste).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STARFARI TESHAWN MCCLAIN whose telephone number is (571)272-0169. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 AM- 5 PM.
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/STARFARI TESHAWN MCCLAIN/ Examiner, Art Unit 1736
/DANIEL C. MCCRACKEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1736