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 .
Terminal Disclaimer
The terminal disclaimer filed on 02/18/2026 disclaiming the terminal portion of any patent granted on this application which would extend beyond the expiration date of App. No. 18/130,876 has been reviewed and is accepted. The terminal disclaimer has been recorded.
Response to Amendment
The previous rejection of Claims 1-3, 5, 6, 12-16, and 18, provisionally on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-20 of copending Application No. 18/130,876 (App. No. 18/130,876) is/are withdrawn in light of the Applicant’s filed terminal disclaimer.
The previous rejection of Claim(s) 1-8, 10-14, 17-20, under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 104193962 A to Yu et al. (hereinafter Yu) is/are withdrawn in light of the Applicant’s amendments.
The previous rejection of Claim(s) 1-3, 5-9, 11-14, 17-20, under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 104861670 A to Hu et al. (hereinafter Hu) is/are withdrawn in light of the Applicant’s amendments.
The previous rejection of Claim(s) 1-5, 13, 14, 16, 17, under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2014/0194554 A1 to Hefner. (hereinafter Hefner) is/are withdrawn in light of the Applicant’s amendments.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8, 9, 11, 12, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 104529707 A to Cao et al. (hereinafter Cao).
Regarding claims 1-6, 8, 9, 11, 12, Cao teaches a method of synthesizing turpentine alcohol using carbon-based solid acids wherein the carbon-based solid acid is a lignin gel (See abstract). Specifically, in Example 1 and 3, 100 parts of alkali lignin (i.e. kraft lignin) is mixed/stirred with sodium hydroxide, water, and 150 parts of epichlorohydrin to form a gel, (page 2-3), which is a mass ratio of 1:1.5 biomass to epihalohydrin. The gel is then soaked in 1mol/L (i.e. 1M) hydrochloric acid aqueous solution, washed, and vacuum dried for 24 hrs to form a carbonize dry gel, (See step 1, page 3), which meets the claimed acid solution step of claim 6. The above meets the claimed epihalohydrin and biomass, the vacuum drying step meets the separating/removing the epihalohydrin and the carbonize dry gel meet the hydroxyl-containing substrate. Cao teaches the in hydrochloric acid aqueous solution
Claim(s) 1-3, 5, 6, 11, 12, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 106589405 A to Shi et al. (hereinafter Shi)
Regarding claims 1-3, 5, 6, 11, 12, Shi teaches a lignin metal chelating agent and preparation method thereof (See abstract). Shi teaches the preparation method comprises mixing 100 parts of lignin with a NaCl solution and NaOH solution to a suitable pH, where 20-50 parts of epichlorohydrin is added and mixed continuously while hydrochloric acid is added to adjust the pH to about 6.5, and then the product is washed, filtered and dried to obtain a crosslinked lignin. (Example 1, page 2), which meets the claimed removing/separating step, and the crosslinked lignin meets the hydroxy-containing substrate.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al., “Influence of organic alkali on the preparation of lignin-based anionic adsorbents and their performance in the removal of nitrate,” Advanced Materials Research vol. 690-693, pp. 1049-1052, (2013). (hereinafter Wang).
Regarding claims 1-3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, Wang teaches a modified lignin obtained by mixing 3g of alkali lignin (i.e. Kraft lignin), in 40ml N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) in a 250ml three-necked round bottom flask. (page 1050). Next, 30ml (i.e. 35.5 g) epichlorohydrin was added and the mixture was stirred with adding a pyridine catalyst and triethylamine to obtain quaternary ammonium salt, which is then washed under vacuum filtration until the eluent reached neutrality in sequence with NaOH solution (0.1M), HCl solution (0.1M), ethanol solution (Vethanol:Vdistilled water=1:1), and finally with NaCl solution, which meets the acid solution. The above modified alkali lignin forms a lignin-based anionic adsorbent which is then dried at 50℃ in a vacuum drier. The above filtration and drying meets the claimed removing/separating step, and the modified lignin meets the hydroxy-containing substrate.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-7, 9, 11, 12, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 106497149 A to Jiang. (hereinafter Jiang)
Regarding claims 1-3, 5-7, 9, 11, 12, Jiang teaches a carbon black obtained from lignin by the method comprising mixing 100g of alkaline lignin with water and NaOH to a pH of 12 to form a purified lignin solution, which is then mixed with sulfuric acid to adjust the purified lignin solution to a pH of 6.5, and hydrogen peroxide is added to form an oxidized lignin solution (See example 1, page 3). Then NaOH is added to adjust the pH of the oxidized lignin solution to 12 and 25 g of epichlorohydrin and formaldehyde is added and reacted to form a lignin colloidal solution where sulfuric acid is added to adjust the lignin colloidal solution pH to 2.7, and the lignin colloidal solution is then washed and filtered to obtain a modified lignin (step 5 of example 1, page 3), which meets the claimed removing/separating step, and the modified lignin meets the hydroxy-containing substrate. Jiang further teaches that in step 1, hydrochloric acid may be added instead of the sodium hydroxide to adjust the pH to 9-13 (page 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-21 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claims 13-20:
The closest prior art of Cao, Shi, Wang, and/or Jiang above, does not teach further converting the hydroxyl-containing substrate to an epoxy resin composition of claim 13.
Regarding claim 21:
The first closest prior art is CN 104193962 A to Yu et al. (hereinafter Yu). Yu teaches a method of preparing a lignin-based polyphenol glycidyl ether epoxy resin (See abstract), by mixing 100 g of cresol, 100 g of sodium lignosulfonate and 6 g of hydrochloric acid (pH of 1-2) and reacting for 25 minutes, the adding a NaOH solution to adjust the pH to 3, adding 80 g of formaldehyde and 2.0 g of oxalic acid (pH<2.5), and reacting for 2 hrs, adding NaOH solution to adjust the pH to neutral, then adding 600 g epichlorohydrin, and further reacting for 45 minutes. (para 34). The above sodium lignosulfonate meets the polyphenol substrate source and the 100 g correlates to a mass ratio of 1:6 of substrate source to epihalohydrin and 0.08:1 mass ratio of acid to substrate source. The above is subjected to reduced pressure distillation, water washing and dehydration to obtained a lignin-based polyphenol type glycidyl ether epoxy resin (para 34).
Yu does not teach adding another liquid epoxy resin with the second epoxy composition before removing the unreacted epihalohydrin.
The second closest prior art is CN 104861670 A to Hu et al. (hereinafter Hu). Hu teaches mixing cellulose acetate, alkali lignin, octadecyldiethanol amine in a NaOH solution, adding epichlorohydrin and adjusting the pH to 3-6 with a 38% hydrochloric acid solution (i.e. 12.4 M molarity), then filtering under reduced pressure and drying to obtain an epoxidized lignin, which is then further reacted with bisphenol A diglycidyl ether. (See page 3).
Hu does not teach adding another liquid epoxy resin with the second epoxy composition before removing the unreacted epihalohydrin.
The last closest prior art is CN 113717400 A to Xiao et al. (hereinafter Xiao). Xiao teaches a lignin dispersion is mixed with a hydrochloric acid solution with 5.0-7.0M molarity to a pH value of 2 to form a purified lignin precipitate, which is then mixed with NaOH and 20 times of epichlorohydrin reacted and a 0.1 M HCl solution is added to the solution to a pH of about 3.5, and is then centrifuged, washed and dried to form the epoxidized lignin (See example 1), which is then reacted with bisphenol A diglycidyl ether and polyetheramine.
Xiao does not teach adding another liquid epoxy resin with the second epoxy composition before removing the unreacted epihalohydrin.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-12 have 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.
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 HA S NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7395. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, Flex schedule 7:30am-4:00pm.
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/HA S NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1766
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