DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
Examiner acknowledges Applicant’s response filed 12 May 2026 containing amendments to the claims and remarks.
Claims 1, 5-18, 20-23, 25, 27, and 33-36 are pending.
The previous rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(a), 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1), and 35 U.S.C. 103 are withdrawn in view of Applicant’s amendments to the claims.
New objection is made with respect to claim 27, necessitated by Applicant’s amendments to the claims. Likewise, new grounds for rejection of 8, 12, 18, 33, and 34 is entered under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), necessitated by Applicant’s amendments to the claims.
The objection and rejection follow.
Claim Objections
Claim 27 is objected to improper English grammar.
With respect to claim 27, the language “comprising recovering comprises” is improper English. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 8, 12, 18, 33, and 34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
With respect to claims 8, 12, 18, 33, and 34, the following limitations lack proper antecedent basis: “the solid polymeric waste” (claims 8 and 18); “the non-polymeric material” (claim 12); and “the first liquid product” (claims 33 and 34).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 5-7, 9-11, 14-17, 20-23, 25, 27, 35, and 36 are allowed.
Claims 8, 12, 13, 18, 33, and 34 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office Action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: With respect to claims 1, 5-18, 20-23, 25, 27, and 33-36, the cited art does not disclose or otherwise suggest a method for processing polymeric waste material into one or more products comprising, in relevant part, combining a bottoms liquid from the thermal conversion reactor with a condensed overhead liquid obtained via condensation of a vapor stream from the thermal conversion reactor, the combined liquid producing a blended liquid product.
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 Randy Boyer whose telephone number is (571) 272-7113. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday from 10:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. (EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Prem C. Singh, can be reached at (571) 272-6381. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Randy Boyer/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1771