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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 3 objected to because of the following informalities:
“In order to provide proper Markush group language, it is suggested to amend “or” to “and” in claim 3, line 3, claim 5, line 2, claim 6, line 6 and claim 6, line 8
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-5 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lashmore et al (US20130039838).
Lashmore teaches a method for production of nanostructures.
Lashmore, paragraph 31 of the PGPUB, teaches the nanotubes can be provided with a diameter in a range of from less than 1 nm to about 10 nm.
Lashmore, paragraph 7 of the PGPUB, teaches spun carbon nanotubes over about 10 meters in length.
Lashmore, paragraph 41 of the PGPUB, teaches an injector 14, in an embodiment, may be designed to receive from a reservoir 15 a fluid mixture of components necessary for the growth of nanostructures within tube 12.
Lashmore, paragraph 42 of the PGPUB, teaches the fluid mixture can include (a) a catalyst precursor from which a catalyst particle can be generated for subsequent growth of the nanostructure thereon, (b) a conditioner compound for controlling size distribution of catalyst particles generated from the catalyst precursor, and thus the diameter of the nanostructure, and (c) a carbon source for depositing carbon atoms onto the catalyst particle in order to grow the nanostructures.
Lashmore, paragraph 50 of the PGPUB, teaches an injector 14 may also include a heating zone A situated downstream from the nebulizing tube 16 to provide a temperature range sufficient to permit the formation of catalyst particles from the catalyst precursors. The heating zone A includes a first heater 18 situated downstream of the distal end 161 of nebulizing tube 16. Heater 18 may be provided to maintain a temperature range at, for instance, Tp1 necessary to decompose the catalyst precursor into its constituent atoms, and which atoms may thereafter cluster into catalyst particles on which nanostructures may subsequently be grown.
Lashmore, paragraph 71 of the PGPUB, teaches the decomposition temperature of the catalyst precursor can be dependent on the carrier gas (e.g., H2 or He), and may depend on the presence of other species.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains to choose a decomposition temperature, such as 400oC, to obtain a specific diameter of the nanostructure and therefore form carbon nanotube seeds.
Decomposing, at a temperature of Tp1, the catalyst precursor into its constituent atoms, and which atoms may thereafter cluster into catalyst particles as taught by Lashmore reads decomposing the catalyst precursor into catalyst particles as claimed in claim 1, step (i).
The decomposing step as taught by Lashmore reads on producing a conditioned mixture comprising a plurality of carbon nanotube seeds as claimed in claim 1, step (i).
Lashmore, paragraph 51 of the PGPUB, teaches heating zone A may further include a second heater 19 positioned downstream of first heater 18, and within furnace 11. Heater 19 may be provided to maintain a temperature range at, for example, Tp2 necessary to decompose the conditioner compound into its constituent atoms. These atoms, in the presence of the clusters of catalyst particles, can interact with the clusters to control the size distribution of the catalyst particles, and hence the diameter of the nanostructures being generated. Heater 19, in an embodiment, may be designed to maintain a temperature range at Tp2 from about 700oC to about 950oC and to maintain such a range at a location slightly downstream of the heater 19.
Lashmore, paragraph 74 of the PGPUB, teaches the specific size distribution of the clusters of catalyst particles can also be determined by residence time in the injector 14, and the ID of the injector 14.
Lashmore, paragraph 77 of the PGPUB, teaches in addition, upon entry into the main portion of the reactor tube 12, where the temperature range within the reactor tube 12 may be maintained at a level sufficient to decompose the carbon source into its constituent carbon atoms, the presence of the carbon atoms can activate nanostructure growth. In an embodiment, the temperature range may be from about 1000oC to about 1250C. In general, growth occurs when the carbon atoms attach themselves substantially sequentially upon the catalyst particles to form a nanostructure, such as a carbon nanotube.
The reactor having a temperature range from about 1000oC to about 1250oC reads on claim 1, step (ii).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains to choose a residence time to obtain a the specific size distribution of the clusters of catalyst particles such as a substantial amount of carbon nanotubes have a diameter in a range of 3-15 nm and a length greater than 1 mm as claimed in claim 1, step (ii).
Regarding claim 2, Lashmore, paragraph 45 of the PGPUB, teaches a carbon source can be ethanol, methyl formate, propanol, acetic acid, hexane, methanol, or blends of methanol with ethanol. Other liquid carbon source may also be used, including C2H2, CH3, and CH4.
Regarding claim 3, Lashmore, paragraph 43 of the PGPUB, teaches examples of a catalyst precursor from which catalyst particles may be generated includes Ferrocene, materials such as iron, iron alloy, nickel or cobalt, their oxides, or their alloys (or compounds with other metals or ceramics). Alternatively, the catalyst particles may be made from metal oxides, such as Fe3O4, Fe2O4, or FeO, or similar oxides of cobalt or nickel, or a combination thereof.
Regarding claim 4, Lashmore, paragraph 56 of the PGPUB, teaches the carrier gas may be H2, He or any other inert gases.
Lashmore, paragraph 44 of the PGPUB, teaches a conditioner compound for use in connection with the fluid mixture of the present invention include Thiophene, H2S, other sulfur containing compounds, or a combination thereof.
Lashmore, paragraph 45 of the PGPUB, teaches a carbon source can be ethanol, methyl formate, propanol, acetic acid, hexane, methanol, or blends of methanol with ethanol.
A blend of methanol and ethanol as taught by Lashmore reads on a mixture comprising an accelerator and carbon source.
Regarding claim 5, Lashmore, paragraph 45 of the PGPUB, teaches a carbon source can be ethanol, methyl formate, propanol, acetic acid, hexane, methanol, or blends of methanol with ethanol.
Regarding claim 11, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains to choose a residence time to ensure decomposing the catalyst precursor into its constituent atoms.
Regarding claim 12, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains to choose a residence time to ensure growth occurring when the carbon atoms attach themselves substantially sequentially upon the catalyst particles to form a nanostructure.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Although the reference teaches a reaction, this reference does not teach adding a supplemental mixture comprising at least a second carbon source and a second catalyst precursor as claimed in claim 6.
There is no motivation in this reference to modify the method to obtain the method as claimed in claim 6.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US20200239316 teaches a method for producing carbon nanostructures.
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/STEFANIE J COHEN/Examiner, Art Unit 1732 2/10/26