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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-5 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Addiego (WO-2016191150-A1).
With respect to claim 1, the claim requires “a method of regenerating an acid gas adsorption device, comprising the steps of: causing an acid gas to be adsorbed to an acid gas adsorption material by supplying a gas including the acid gas to an acid gas adsorption device including a base material, and an acid gas adsorption layer arranged on a surface of the base material;” Addiego teaches a carbon-dioxide capture article comprising a honeycomb having porous partition walls defining gas-flow channels. The honeycomb comprise a porous substrate capable of retaining a sorbent. The partition walls are formed from a powder and binder, and the CO₂ sorbent may permeate or coat the partition walls and the surfaces of the honeycomb (Addiego, [0010]-[0012]). In Example 3, a silica layer (porous carrier) is formed on a honeycomb base material and a PEI layer is formed thereon. See [0046]-[0048].
Claim 1 further requires “the acid gas adsorption layer including a porous carrier and the acid gas adsorption material, so that the gas is brought into contact with the acid gas adsorption layer; causing the acid gas to be desorbed from the acid gas adsorption material;” Addiego teaches that the sorbent is used in an ongoing cyclical process that repeatedly adsorbs and desorbs CO₂ from the gas stream. Addiego recognizes that, after repeated adsorption cycles, the sorbent may degrade or lose its capacity to adsorb CO₂ (Addiego, [0022]).
Claim 1 further requires “removing the acid gas adsorption layer of the acid gas adsorption device, which has been subjected to the step of causing the acid gas to be adsorbed and the step of causing the acid gas to be desorbed, from the surface of the base material; forming an acid gas adsorption layer including a porous carrier and an acid gas adsorption material on the surface of the base material from which the acid gas adsorption layer has been removed.” Addiego teaches subsequently contacting the honeycomb with a fluid to remove the CO₂ sorbent. Depending on contact time and solubility, the fluid may remove up to 100% of the sorbent from the honeycomb by washing, leaching, extraction, or stripping (Addiego, [0023]–[0024]). Addiego further teaches using the honeycomb in a CO₂-capture process until its PEI sorbent has degraded, calcining the used honeycomb at approximately 400°C to 600°C to completely oxidize and remove the PEI, and subsequently immersing the honeycomb in a methanol/PEI mixture to infuse it with fresh PEI (Addiego, [0049]–[0051], example 3).
Regarding claim 2, Addiego teaches the acid gas as carbon dioxide and teaches adsorption, desorption, removal, and replacement of a CO₂-capture sorbent (Addiego, [0002], [0020], [0022]–[0023], and [0031]–[0034]).
Regarding claim 3, Addiego teaches that the base material is a honeycomb having a plurality of partition walls extending between the inlet and outlet ends. The partition walls define a plurality of gas-flow channels, corresponding to the claimed cells (Addiego, [0010]).
With respect to claim 4, the method of regenerating an acid gas adsorption device of claim 1 has been discussed above.
Claim 4 further requires “wherein a material for forming the base material includes at least one kind selected from the group consisting of: cordierite; alumina; mullite; silicon carbide; a silicon-silicon; carbide-based composite material; and silicon nitride,” Addiego teaches sorbent honeycombs made out of alumina, silica, titania, amorphous and crystalline silicates (Addiego , [0013])
Claim 4 further requires “wherein the step of removing the acid gas adsorption layer from the surface of the base material includes heating the acid gas adsorption device to burn down the acid gas adsorption layer.” Addiego teaches subsequently contacting the honeycomb with a fluid to remove the CO₂ sorbent. Depending on contact time and solubility, the fluid may remove up to 100% of the sorbent from the honeycomb by washing, leaching, extraction, or stripping (Addiego, [0023]–[0024]). Addiego further teaches using the honeycomb in a CO₂-capture process until its PEI sorbent has degraded, calcining the used honeycomb at approximately 400°C to 600°C to completely oxidize and remove the PEI, and subsequently immersing the honeycomb in a methanol/PEI mixture to infuse it with fresh PEI (Addiego, [0049]–[0051], example 3).
Regarding claim 5, Addiego teaches honeycomb is calcined at about 400°C- 600°C (Addiego, Example 4)
Regarding claim 6, the method of regenerating an acid gas adsorption device of claim 4 has been discussed above, Addiego teaches subsequently contacting the honeycomb with a fluid to remove the CO₂ sorbent. Depending on contact time and solubility, the fluid may remove up to 100% of the sorbent from the honeycomb by washing, leaching, extraction, or stripping (Addiego, [0023]–[0024]). Addiego further teaches using the honeycomb in a CO₂-capture process until its PEI sorbent has degraded, calcining the used honeycomb at approximately 400°C to 600°C to completely oxidize and remove the PEI, and subsequently immersing the honeycomb in a methanol/PEI mixture to infuse it with fresh PEI (Addiego, [0049]–[0051], example 3).
With respect to claim 16, the claim requires “a method of producing an acid gas adsorption device, comprising the steps of: causing an acid gas to be adsorbed to an acid gas adsorption material by supplying a gas including the acid gas to an acid gas adsorption device including a base material, and an acid gas adsorption layer arranged on a surface of the base material;” Addiego teaches a carbon-dioxide capture article comprising a honeycomb having porous partition walls defining gas-flow channels. The honeycomb may comprise a porous substrate capable of retaining a sorbent. The partition walls are formed from a powder and binder, and the CO₂ sorbent may permeate or coat the partition walls and the surfaces of the honeycomb (Addiego, [0010]-[0012]). In Example 3, a silica layer (porous carrier) is formed on a honeycomb base material and a PEI layer is formed thereon. See [0046]-[0048].
Claim 16 further requires “the acid gas adsorption layer including a porous carrier and the acid gas adsorption material, so that the gas is brought into contact with the acid gas adsorption layer; causing the acid gas to be desorbed from the acid gas adsorption material;” Addiego teaches that the sorbent is used in an ongoing cyclical process that repeatedly adsorbs and desorbs CO₂ from the gas stream. Addiego recognizes that, after repeated adsorption cycles, the sorbent may degrade or lose its capacity to adsorb CO₂ (Addiego, [0022]).
Claim 16 further requires “removing the acid gas adsorption layer of the acid gas adsorption device, which has been subjected to the step of causing the acid gas to be adsorbed and the step of causing the acid gas to be desorbed, from the surface of the base material; forming an acid gas adsorption layer including a porous carrier and an acid gas adsorption material on the surface of the base material from which the acid gas adsorption layer has been removed.” Addiego teaches subsequently contacting the honeycomb with a fluid to remove the CO₂ sorbent. Depending on contact time and solubility, the fluid may remove up to 100% of the sorbent from the honeycomb by washing, leaching, extraction, or stripping (Addiego, [0023]–[0024]). Addiego further teaches using the honeycomb in a CO₂-capture process until its PEI sorbent has degraded, calcining the used honeycomb at approximately 400°C to 600°C to completely oxidize and remove the PEI, and subsequently immersing the honeycomb in a methanol/PEI mixture to infuse it with fresh PEI (Addiego, [0049]–[0051], example 3).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Addiego (WO-2016191150-A1) as applied to claim 3 and above, and further in view of Belharouak (US 2021/0257685 A1).
With respect to claim 13, the method of regenerating an acid gas adsorption device according to claim 3 has been discussed above.
Claim 13 further requires “wherein the acid gas adsorption layer includes: particles each including the porous carrier and the acid gas adsorption material; and an organic binder capable of binding the particles;” Addiego teaches a carbon-dioxide capture article comprising a honeycomb having porous partition walls defining gas-flow channels. The honeycomb comprise a porous substrate capable of retaining a sorbent. The partition walls are formed from a powder and binder, and the CO₂ sorbent may permeate or coat the partition walls and the surfaces of the honeycomb (Addiego, [0010]-[0012]).
Claim 13 further requires “wherein the organic binder is soluble in an aprotic polar solvent and is substantially insoluble in a protic polar solvent, and wherein the step of removing the acid gas adsorption layer from the surface of the base material includes bringing the aprotic polar solvent into contact with the acid gas adsorption layer to dissolve the organic binder.” Belharouak teaches that PVDF is soluble in the aprotic polar solvents N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, NMP, and dimethylformamide, DMF.
(Belharouak 15, [0007]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have, by the method of Addiego, the limitations claimed above as Belharouak teaches that ethylene glycol does not remove or dissolve the PVDF binder and reports that NMP and DMF have good PVDF solubility, whereas ethylene glycol has a substantially lower ability to dissolve PVDF (Belharouak 21, [0083]–[0085]).
Claim(s) 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Addiego (WO-2016191150-A1) as applied to claims 1 and 3 above, further in view of Buelow (US 9,457,340 B2).
Regarding claim 14, The method of regenerating an acid gas adsorption device according to claim 1 has been discussed above.
Claim 14 further requires ”wherein the step of causing the acid gas to be adsorbed to the acid gas adsorption material includes supplying, as the gas including the acid gas, air to the acid gas adsorption device.” Addiego teaches the sorbent can be used in various process to capture carbon dioxide but does not expressly teach that the supplied CO₂-containing gas is air. See [0020]. However, Buelow teaches supplying air, including ambient air, containing CO₂ to an adsorption device.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have, by the method of Addiego, the supplied CO₂-containing gas contain air as Buelow teaches that the same type of PEI-containing porous honeycomb sorbent effectively adsorbs CO₂ from air. Selecting air as Addiego’s CO₂-containing gas would therefore have amounted to using the disclosed adsorption article with a known CO₂-containing gas stream for its established purpose, with the predictable result of removing CO₂ from the air. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to use the adsorbent device of Addiego to capture CO2 from air in order to reduce the greenhouse gas content.
Regarding claim 15, the method of regenerating an acid gas adsorption device according to claim 3 has been discussed above.
Claim 15 further requires ”wherein the step of causing the acid gas to be adsorbed to the acid gas adsorption material includes supplying, as the gas including the acid gas, air to the acid gas adsorption device.” Addiego does not expressly teach that the supplied CO₂-containing gas is air. However, Buelow teaches supplying air, including ambient air, containing CO₂ to the adsorption device. Buelow further teaches that the sorbent coating can adsorb CO₂ from ambient air (Buelow 14, col 4).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have, by the method of Addiego, the supplied CO₂-containing gas is air for reasons explained above in claim 14.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Addiego (WO-2016191150-A1), Belharouak (US 2021/0257685 A1) and Buelow (US 9,457,340 B2) are considered to be the closest prior art to the instant claims..
Regarding claim 7, the method of claim 1 has been discussed above. However, neither Addiego nor the other cited prior art references teach wherein a material for forming the base material includes at least one kind selected from the group consisting of: alumina; silicon carbide; and a silicon-silicon carbide-based composite material, wherein the porous carrier includes mesoporous silica and/or zeolite, and wherein the step of removing the acid gas adsorption layer from the surface of the base material includes bringing an acidic solution into contact with the acid gas adsorption layer to dissolve the acid gas adsorption layer. Rather, Addiego teaches a monolithic or honeycomb ceramic substrate; a porous support selected from alumina, silica, silica-alumina, etc; an adsorption material selected from amines, including PEI; and that the adsorption material adsorbs carbon dioxide (Addiego, [0018]]). Addiego does not explicitly teach removing the adsorption layer (including the porous carrier) by contacting it with an acidic solution to dissolve the later.
Claim 8 contains allowable subject matter due to its dependence on claim 7, which
contains allowable subject matter.
Regarding claim 9 the method of claim 3 has been discussed above. However, neither Addiego nor the other cited prior art references teach wherein a material for forming the base material includes at least one kind selected from the group consisting of: alumina; silicon carbide; and a silicon-silicon carbide-based composite material, wherein the porous carrier includes mesoporous silica and/or zeolite, and wherein the step of removing the acid gas adsorption layer from the surface of the base material includes bringing an acidic solution into contact with the acid gas adsorption layer to dissolve the acid gas adsorption layer. Rather, Addiego teaches honeycombs with flow channels and carbon dioxide sorbent in and on the wall of the honeycomb (Addiego, [010]-[0013],[0018]-[0019]). Addiego does not explicitly teach wherein the step of removing the acid gas adsorption layer including the porous carrier from the surface of the base material includes bringing an acidic solution into contact with the acid gas adsorption layer to dissolve the acid gas adsorption layer.
Regarding claim 10, neither Addiego nor the other cited prior art references teach wherein a material for forming the base material includes silicon carbide and/or a silicon-silicon carbide-based composite material, wherein the porous carrier includes mesoporous alumina, and wherein the step of removing the acid gas adsorption layer from the surface of the base material includes bringing an alkaline solution into contact with the acid gas adsorption layer to dissolve the acid gas adsorption layer.
Claim 11 contains allowable subject matter due to its dependence on claim 10, which
contains allowable subject matter.
Regarding claim 12 the method of claim 3 has been discussed above. However, neither Addiego nor the other cited prior art references teach wherein a material for forming the base material includes silicon carbide and/or a silicon-silicon carbide-based composite material, wherein the porous carrier includes mesoporous alumina, and wherein the step of removing the acid gas adsorption layer from the surface of the base material includes bringing an alkaline solution into contact with the acid gas adsorption layer to dissolve the acid gas adsorption layer.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STARFARI TESHAWN MCCLAIN whose telephone number is (571)272-0169. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 AM- 5 PM.
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/STARFARI TESHAWN MCCLAIN/ Examiner, Art Unit 1736
/ANTHONY J ZIMMER/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1736
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