DETAILED ACTION
Citation to the Specification will be in the following format: (S. # : ¶/L) where # denotes the page number and ¶/L denotes the paragraph number or line number. Citation to patent literature will be in the form (Inventor # : LL) where # is the column number and LL is the line number. Citation to the pre-grant publication literature will be in the following format (Inventor # : ¶) where # denotes the page number and ¶ denotes the paragraph number.
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 .
Status of Application; Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 6/16/2026 has been entered.
Claim(s) 1-12 and 14-23 is/are pending.
Claim(s) 1 and 21 is/are currently amended.
Claim(s) 23 is/are new.
Claim(s) 13 is/are acknowledged as cancelled.
The action is NON-FINAL.
Response to Arguments
Claim Rejections – 35 U.S.C. §103
I. With respect to the rejection of Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ko, et al., Preparation of synthetic graphite from waste PET plastic, Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry 2020; 83: 449-458 (hereinafter “Ko at __”) in view of: (i) Cunning, et al., Structure-directing effect of single crystal graphene film on polymer carbonization and graphitization, Mater. Horiz. 2019; 6: 796-801 (with Supporting Information, hereinafter “Cunning at ___”), the Remarks rely on the amendments deleting doped graphene. (Remarks of 6/16/2026 at 6). This is persuasive. The rejection is WITHDRAWN.
II. With respect to the rejection of Claim(s) 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ko, et al., Preparation of synthetic graphite from waste PET plastic, Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry 2020; 83: 449-458 (hereinafter “Ko at __”) in view of: (i) Cunning, et al., Structure-directing effect of single crystal graphene film on polymer carbonization and graphitization, Mater. Horiz. 2019; 6: 796-801 (with Supporting Information, hereinafter “Cunning at ___”), and further in view of: (ii) Agnoli, et al., Doping graphene with boron: a review of synthesis methods, physiochemical characterization, and emerging applications, J. Mater. Chem. A 2016; 4: 5002-5025 (hereinafter “Agnoli at __”), the rejection is WITHDRAWN in view of the discussion accompanying “Rejection I” above.
III. With respect to the rejection of Claim(s) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ko, et al., Preparation of synthetic graphite from waste PET plastic, Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry 2020; 83: 449-458 (hereinafter “Ko at __”) in view of: (i) Cunning, et al., Structure-directing effect of single crystal graphene film on polymer carbonization and graphitization, Mater. Horiz. 2019; 6: 796-801 (with Supporting Information, hereinafter “Cunning at ___”), and further in view of: (ii) US 2019/0077668 to Zhamu, et al., the rejection is WITHDRAWN in view of the discussion accompanying “Rejection I” above.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
I. Claim(s) 3 – or as stated below – is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 3 recites “the doped graphene.” “Doped graphene” in Claim 1, from which Claim 3 depends, has been canceled by amendment. As such, “the doped graphene” in Claim 3 now lacks antecedent basis.
Allowable Subject Matter
I. Claims 1-2, 4-12 and 14-23 are allowed.
Ko has been discussed throughout prosecution. Ko does not teach or reasonably suggest adding graphene to the plastic to be graphitized.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL C. MCCRACKEN whose telephone number is (571) 272-6537. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (9-6).
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/DANIEL C. MCCRACKEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1736
Prosecution Insights