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. Information Disclosure Statement 2 . The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 1/24/2025, 5/21/2025, 6/12/2025 and 2/19/2026 has/have been received and complies with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97, 1.98 and MPEP § 609. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner, and a copy with initials is attached herewith. Drawings 3 . The drawings were received on 8/10/2023 . These drawings are acceptable. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 4. 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. 5. 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. 6. 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. 7. Claim (s) is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tudman ( US 20170226535 A1 ). Regarding claim 1, Tudman discloses a method of producing activated carbon, comprising providing lignin; producing activated carbon from the lignin; and exposing the activated carbon to a sweeping gas at 850°C, wherein the activated carbon comprises activated carbon produced from lignin or a high-lignin feedstock [Abstract; paragraph 0015-0026, 0034, 0066, 0068, 0147-0156, 0162, 0165, 0188]. 8. Claim (s) 2-7, 10-11, 15, 17-21, 24, 30, 33, 35 and 37 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tudman ( US 20170226535 A1 ) in view of Kume et al ( JP 2015056502 A ). Regarding claim 2 , Tudman discloses a method of producing activated carbon, comprising providing lignin; producing activated carbon from the lignin; and exposing the activated carbon to a sweeping gas at 850°C, wherein the activated carbon comprises activated carbon produced from lignin or a high-lignin feedstock [Abstract; paragraph 0015-0026, 0034, 0066, 0068, 0147-0156, 0162, 0165, 0188]. Kume discloses a method of manufacturing treated activated carbon used as an electrode material of a capacitor, the method comprising an activated carbon precursor preparing step of preparing an activated carbon precursor . The heat treatment is carried out in the presence of a reducing gas (up to 10% by volume) and inert gas at temperatures of from 600 to 1000 °C for about 1 to 15 hours to form the treated activated carbon. The reducing gas removes functional groups comprising oxygen from the activated carbon [paragraph 0011-0012, 0016, 0029-0033]. Regarding claim s 3 -6 , Tudman teaches that lignin can come from wood material and further teaches that the lignin feedstock is the whole or partial plant, or produced by an extraction process through chemical pulping process such as the black liquor from the Kraft process [paragraph 0023, 0024 , 0034, 0040, 0047, 0051 ]. And the high-lignin feedstock comprises at least 65% lignin dry matter content by weight, or wherein the high-lignin feedstock comprises at least 20%-35% recoverable lignin content by weight on a dry basis [paragraph 0046-0047]. Regarding claims 7 and 10-11 , Kume teaches that t he heat treatment is carried out in the presence of a reducing gas (up to 10% by volume) and inert gas at temperatures of from 600 to 1000 °C for about 1 to 15 hours to form the treated activated carbon. The reducing gas removes functional groups comprising oxygen from the activated carbon. Disclosed reducing gas includes hydrogen and ammonia and disclosed inert gas includes nitrogen and argon [ paragraphs 0038-0039 ]. Regarding claim 15 , Tudman teaches that the step of producing activated carbon comprises chemical activation and wherein the second elevated temperature optionally comprises a temperature of between 5 00-900 O C [paragraph 0020, 0153, 0156]. Regarding claims 17-21, 24, 30, 33 , 35 and 37, Kume teaches that the method comprising an activated carbon precursor preparing step of preparing an activated carbon precursor; an activating step of activating the activated carbon precursor prepared in the preparing step to obtain activated carbon; an acid washing step of washing the activated carbon obtained in the activating step with acid; a water washing step of washing the activated carbon washed in the acid washing step with an aqueous medium . The activation of the feedstock is done by carbonation of the feedstock using for example, potassium hydroxide and is carried out at temperatures including 600 to 1000 °C for up to about 20 hours . The produced activated carbon is acid washed, dried and ground before the reducing gas is applied. The treated activated carbon is mixed with a binder and solvent and formed into electrodes used in making capacitors for different applications, for example, for use in vehicles [paragraph 0011-0013, 0029, 0032-0033, 0035-0037, 0059-0060]. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FILLIN "Examiner name" \* MERGEFORMAT MUHAMMAD S SIDDIQUEE whose telephone number is FILLIN "Phone number" \* MERGEFORMAT (571)270-3719 . The examiner can normally be reached FILLIN "Work Schedule?" \* MERGEFORMAT Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm . 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. 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If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /MUHAMMAD S SIDDIQUEE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723