Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026
Application No. 18/021,765

SUPPORTED CATALYST FOR PRODUCING CARBON NANOTUBES

Final Rejection §112
Filed
Feb 16, 2023
Priority
Dec 11, 2020 — RE 10-2020-0173605 +1 more
Examiner
ZHANG, KELING NMN
Art Unit
1732
Tech Center
1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering
Assignee
LG Chem Ltd.
OA Round
3 (Final)
67%
Grant Probability
Favorable
4-5
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
84%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 67% — above average
67%
Career Allowance Rate
151 granted / 226 resolved
+1.8% vs TC avg
Strong +18% interview lift
Without
With
+17.6%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 3m
Avg Prosecution
47 currently pending
Career history
273
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.5%
-39.5% vs TC avg
§103
52.8%
+12.8% vs TC avg
§102
15.3%
-24.7% vs TC avg
§112
26.2%
-13.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 226 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
DETAILED ACTION Claim(s) 1-7 were rejected in Office Action mailed on 06/05/2026. Applicant filed a response, provided certified English translation of foreign priority application on 09/03/2026. Claim(s) 1-7 are pending, and claim(s) 9-10 are withdrawn. Claim(s) 1-7 are rejected. 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 . Examiner’s Note Upon further reviewing the present claims, filed 04/02/2026 and the submitted translation of foreign priority documents, a new set of 35 U.S.C. 112(a) rejections is necessary as set forth below. Therefore, a second Final Rejection is set forth below. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a): (a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention. The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112: The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Claim 1 is amended to recite “wherein the carrier is an aluminum-based carrier containing 40 wt% or more of AlO(OH)”. However, the specification, as well as the certification English translation of foreign priority only provides support “a carrier containing 30 wt% or more of AlO(OH) and 70 wt% or less of Al(OH)3” (emphasis added) (specification, [0050]; certified English translation of foreign priority document, [0042]). Therefore, there is no support in the specification, or in the certified English translation of foreign priority for the broad recitation of “wherein the carrier is an aluminum-based carrier containing 40 wt% or more of AlO(OH)” (emphasis added). Regarding dependent claims 2-7, these claims do not remedy the deficiencies of parent claim 1 noted above, and are rejected for the same rationale. Response to Arguments In response to submitted certified translation of foreign priority document, to perfect the priority date of 12/11/2020, it is noted that the reference Park et al., KR20210036725A is no longer prior art. Therefore the 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) rejection over Park is withdrawn. 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. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KELING ZHANG whose telephone number is (571)272-8043. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday: 9:00am-5:00pm EST. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ching-Yiu Fung can be reached at 571-270-5713. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /KELING ZHANG/ Primary Examiner Art Unit 1732
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Feb 16, 2023
Application Filed
Jan 13, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112
Apr 02, 2026
Response Filed
Jun 05, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §112
Sep 03, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Sep 14, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §112 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

4-5
Expected OA Rounds
67%
Grant Probability
84%
With Interview (+17.6%)
3y 3m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 226 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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