Last updated: July 23, 2026

Application No. 18/331,974

Synthesis of porous carbon-based materials from expanded polystyrene

Final Rejection

Filed

Jun 09, 2023

Examiner

HENDRICKSON, STUART L

Art Unit

1736

Tech Center

1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering

Assignee

Eco Carbon LLC

OA Round

2 (Final)

Interview Optional

— +8.3% interview lift. Interview lift (+8.3%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 994 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

HENDRICKSON, STUART L View full profile →

Grants 72% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

719 granted / 994 resolved

+7.3% vs TC avg

Moderate +8% lift

Without

With

+8.3%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 1m

Avg Prosecution

30 currently pending

Career history

1021

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.2%

-39.8% vs TC avg

§103

78.6%

+38.6% vs TC avg

§102

0.7%

-39.3% vs TC avg

§112

9.2%

-30.8% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 994 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Jun 09, 2023

Application Filed

Nov 17, 2025

Non-Final Rejection mailed

Dec 01, 2025

Response Filed

Dec 18, 2025

Response after Non-Final Action

Dec 23, 2025

Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

17/739,191

Patent 12679735

BIO-OIL LIGHT FRACTION-BASED BREAD-SHAPED POROUS ACTIVATED CARBON, METHOD FOR PREPARING THE SAME AND USE THEREOF

4y 2m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/318,418

Patent 12679732

Two-dimensional polymeric fullerene and preparation method thereof

3y 2m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

17/544,361

Patent 12673878

METHOD FOR PRODUCING CALCIUM CARBONATE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, AND METHOD FOR GROWING CALCIUM CARBONATE CRYSTALS

4y 7m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

17/733,860

Patent 12668516

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING ULTRAMICROPOROUS CARBON FOR THE SELECTIVE REMOVAL OF NITRATE WITH CAPACITIVE DEIONIZATION

4y 2m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/581,888

Patent 12668702

HIGH TEMPERATURE HEAT INTEGRATION METHOD OF MAKING CARBON BLACK

2y 4m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

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Prosecution Projections

3-4

Expected OA Rounds

72%

Grant Probability

81%

With Interview (+8.3%)

3y 1m (~0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Moderate

PTA Risk

Based on 994 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.