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
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 11-24-2025 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-20 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.
Independent Claims 1, 12, and 18 all contain the phrase “a low temperature reducer” and “a high temperature reformer”. It is unclear what temperature is required for the reducer and reformer. The Specification does not provide guidance for what temperatures are considered “low” only stating “the oxidized metal 202 can be lower temperature, in fact oxidized metal 202 can be provided at any temperature desired” [0141]. Regrading “high” temperatures the Specification states “vapor 208 continues through a 700°C or hotter gasification zone of high temperature reformer zone” [0097]. Therefore it is understood that temperatures of 700 °C or hotter can be considered “high” temperature however it remains unclear if 700 °C is the lower bound, i.e. if a temperature of 600 °C would be considered “high” or “low”. For the purpose of this Office Action any temperature ≥700 °C is considered a high temperature and any temperature <700 °C is considered low temperature.
Additionally Claim 1, 12, and 18 requires “processing in a low temperature reducer” and “the high temperature reformer processing the vapor output”. It is unclear if the phrases “low temperature reformer” and “high temperature reformer” are merely describing features of the reformer (i.e. is capable of high temperature reforming without melting/degrading) or if they actually limit the temperature at which processing take place. In other words it is not clear if, for example, performing the processing of the vapor output at a “low” temperature in a reformer capable of high temperature reforming can be considered the high temperature reformer processing the vapor output or not.
Claims 2-11, 13-17, and 19-20 depend upon Claims 1, 12, and 18 (respectively) and fail to cure the indefiniteness issue raised above by further clarifying the temperature and are therefore similarly rejected.
Potentially Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-20 would potentially be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action. The closest prior art to Claims 1-20 is given by CN112744785A Zhu et al.
Claim 1 requires “A method for producing synthesis gas comprising: obtaining oxidized metal, the oxidized metal having been oxidized in an uncoupled oxidation process outside the method for producing synthesis gas”. Zhu et al. discloses “2) The fuel and the partially reduced solid obtained in step 1) react to generate syngas, which is then separated into reduced solid and syngas by a gas-solid separator.” [n0014] and “5) The air reacts with the solid obtained in step 4) to oxidize and regenerate the solid. After passing through the gas-solid separator, the solid enters step 1) for the next cycle.” [n0017]. As syngas is produced in step 2 and the metal is oxidized in step 5 it is understood that the oxidation process is not coupled to syngas production. Furthermore, air is used as the oxidant and the generation of air does not require that syngas is produced, and therefore is not coupled to the generation of syngas.
Claim 1 further requires “providing the oxidized metal to a low temperature reducer”. 112b issues notwithstanding (see above) it is understood that Claim 1 requires providing the oxidized metal to a reducer operated at <700 °C. It is understood that step 2 of Zhu et al. is performed in a reducer because the metal is reduced in step 2 (see above). Zhu et al. further discloses “A further improvement of the present invention is that, in step 2), the molar ratio of fuel to solid is (0.25-1.25):1, and the reaction temperature is 200-1500℃.” [n0028], which overlaps with the range claimed.
Claim 1 further requires “providing fuel to the low temperature reducer; processing, in the low temperature reducer, the fuel in the presence of the oxidized metal to produce solids and vapor as output components of the low temperature reducer; providing the solids and vapor output components of the low temperature reducer to a solid/gas separator, the solid/gas separator separating the solids output component of the low temperature reducer from the vapor output component of the low temperature reducer”. Zhu et al. discloses “2) The fuel and the partially reduced solid obtained in step 1) react to generate syngas, which is then separated into reduced solid and syngas by a gas-solid separator.” [n0014]. It is understood that by “partially reduced” Zhu et al. teaches that the solid in step 2 is a combination of reduced metal oxide and still oxidized metal oxide.
Claim 1 further requires “and providing the vapor output component of the low temperature reducer from the solid/gas separator to a high temperature reformer, the high temperature reformer processing the vapor output component of the low temperature reducer to generate synthesis gas”. Zhu et al. does not disclose further processing of the synthesis gas obtained in a high temperature reformer. Furthermore it would not be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have introduced another reactor into the method of Zhu et al. because synthesis gas was already being produced as a product and a second reactor would only increase operational costs and maintenance.
Claims 2-11 depend upon Claim 1 and are potentially allowable for similar reasons.
Claim 12 similarly requires “providing the vapor output component of the low temperature reducer from the solid/gas separator to a high temperature reformer” not taught by Zhu et al. (see above).
Claims 13-17 depend upon Claim 12 and are potentially allowed for similar reasons.
Claim 18 similarly requires “providing the vapor output component of the low temperature reducer from the solid/gas separator to a high temperature reformer” not taught by Zhu et al. (see above).
Claims 19-20 depend upon Claim 18 and are potentially allowed for similar reasons.
Conclusion
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JOSHUA MAXWELL SPEER
Examiner
Art Unit 1736
/J.M.S./Examiner, Art Unit 1736
/ANTHONY J ZIMMER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1736
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