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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s)1, 2-6, 8-10, 13,19-21, 23-29, 31, 36, 38, 39 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over USP 9309488B2 see col. 2 lines 20-30, col. 3 lines 1-25, col. 8 and Examples 1-5.
Claim 1 is directed to a method of depolymerizing a siloxane polymer, the method comprising: immersing the siloxane polymer in a solvent; incorporating a source of fluoride into the solvent; allowing a reaction between the fluoride and the siloxane polymer to cause rearrangement of the siloxane polymer into a cyclic monomer; and quenching the reaction to prevent repolymerization of the cyclic monomer.
USP 9309488B2 discloses a process for depolymerizing siloxane materials using tetraallyl ammonium fluoride in a solvent system may include inorganic salts. The reference also discloses that silicone polymers are dissolved and depolymerized under these conditions. In the presence of fluoride, linear siloxane polymers are known to equilibrate to cyclic siloxane monomers. . See col. 4-5 and Examples 1-5. See col. 2 lines 20-30, col. 3 lines 1-25, col. 8 and Examples 1-5.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form cyclic siloxane monomers in view of the teachings of USP 9309488B2 because such cyclic species are established equilibration products of linear siloxanes in the presence of fluoride. Further, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to quench the reaction to prevent continued equilibration or repolymerization because removal of active fluoride species is required to stop further reaction and quenching of reactive siloxane intermediates was well known in siloxane processes.
Claim 2 is directed to the method of claim 1, wherein the source of fluoride comprises an ionic liquid.
Note USP 9309488B2 discloses tetraalkylammonium fluorides, including tetramethyl, tetraethyl and tetrabutylammonium fluoride which are commonly supplied as ionic liquids. See col. 3 lines 1-10 and col. 8
With regard to claim 3, note USP 9309488B2 discloses tetraalkylammonium fluorides, including tetramethyl, tetraethyl and tetrabutylammonium fluoride. See col. 2 line 26; col. 3 lines 1-10 and col. 8.
With regard to claim 4, note USP 9309488B2 col. 4 lines 60-65 and col. 5 lines 1-10.
With regard to claim 5, note USP 9309488B2 see col. 2 line 26.
With regard to claim 6, note USP 9309488B2 see col. 2 line 26, col. 3 lines 22-25.
With regard to claim 8, note USP 9309488B2 see col. 2 line 26, col. 3 lines 22-25.
With regard to claim 9, note USP 9309488B2 col. 4 lines 26-29. Moreover, it is well known in organosilicon processes that aqueous workup removes inorganic salts and deactivates ionic species.
With regard to claim 10, note USP 9309488B2 col. 4 lines 26-29. Moreover, it is well known in organosilicon processes that aqueous workup removes inorganic salts and deactivates ionic species.
With regard to claim 13, note USP 9309488B2 discloses treatment at room temperature and discloses usable temperatures between 20C and 150C. see Examples 1-5; col. 4 lines 55-60; and col. 5 lines 15-25.
With regard to claim 19, note USP 9309488B2 discloses treatment at room temperature and discloses usable temperatures between 20C and 150C. see Examples 1-5; col. 4 lines 55-60; and col. 5 lines 15-25.
With regard to claim 20, note USP 9309488B2 mixing the fluoride, inorganic salt and solvent to form the dissolver composition. See col. 4.
With regard to claim 21, note USP 9309488B2 mixing the fluoride, inorganic salt and solvent to form the dissolver composition. See col. 4.
With regard to claim 23, note USP 9309488B2 broadly discloses the removal and depolymerization of polysiloxane materials. See cols. 1-2.
With regard to claim 24, note USP 9309488B2 cols. 1-2. note USP 9309488B2 broadly discloses the removal and depolymerization of polysiloxane materials. See cols. 1-2.
With regard to claim 25, note USP 9309488B2 note USP 9309488B2 broadly discloses the removal and depolymerization of polysiloxane materials. See cols. 1-4.
With regard to claim 26, note USP 9309488B2 note USP 9309488B2 broadly discloses the removal and depolymerization of polysiloxane materials. See cols. 1-4.
With regard to claim 27, note USP 9309488B2 note USP 9309488B2 broadly discloses the removal and depolymerization of polysiloxane materials. See cols. 1-4.
With regard to claim 28, note USP 9309488B2 note USP 9309488B2 broadly discloses the removal and depolymerization of polysiloxane materials. See cols. 1-4.
With regard to claim 29, note USP 9309488B2 note USP 9309488B2 broadly discloses the removal and depolymerization of polysiloxane materials. See cols. 1-5 and Examples.
With regard to claim 31, note USP 9309488B2 cyclic siloxanes such as D4 and D5 are well known intermediates used to prepare linear polysiloxanes via a ring-opening polymerization. It would have been to repolymerize the cyclic monomer because the reaction is reversible and widely used for silicone processing.
With regard to claim 36, note USP 9309488B2 discloses specific concentration of tetraalkylammonium fluoride in solvent compositions. See Examples 1-5.
With regard to claim 38, note USP 9309488B2 discloses the removal of silicone residues from substates by dissolving and depolymerizing silicone materials. See cols. 1-2 and cols. 4-5.
With regard to claim 39, note USP 9309488B2 discloses the removal of silicone residues from substates by dissolving and depolymerizing silicone materials. See cols. 1-2 and col. 4-5.
In conclusion, in view of the above, there appears to be no significant difference between the reference(s) and that which is claimed by applicant(s). Any differences not specifically mentioned appear to be conventional. Consequently, the claimed invention cannot be deemed as unobvious and accordingly is unpatentable.
Information Disclosure Statement
Note that any future and/or present information disclosure statements must comply with 37 CFR § 1.98(b), which requires a list of the publications to include: the author (if any), title, relevant pages of the publication, date and place of publication to be submitted for consideration by the Office.
Improper Claim Dependency
Prior to allowance, any dependent claims should be rechecked for proper dependency if independent claims are cancelled.
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TERRESSA M BOYKIN whose telephone number is (571)272-1069. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7-5:30.
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/Terressa Boykin/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1765