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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-9 in the reply filed on 4/10/25 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Molinier et al (US10781149).
Molinier teaches a transalkylation process.
Molinier, claim 12, teaches the transalkylation catalyst comprises a first molecular sieve in a first catalyst bed and a second molecular sieve in a second catalyst bed; and wherein conducting the transalkylation reaction comprises: supplying the feedstream to the first molecular sieve to produce a first effluent; and supplying the first effluent to the second molecular sieve.
Molinier, col. 10, teaches the first catalyst comprises at least 1 wt %, preferably at least 10 wt %, more preferably at least 50 wt %, and most preferably at least 65 wt %, of the first molecular sieve. The second catalyst comprises at least 1 wt %, preferably at least 10 wt %, more preferably at least 50 wt %, and most preferably at least 65 wt %, of the second molecular sieve.
Molinier, col. 12, teaches the first catalyst comprises 0.01 to 5 wt %, preferably 0.1 to 2 wt %, more preferably 0.1 to 1 wt %, of a first metal element of Groups 6-10. The second catalyst comprises 0 to 5 wt %, preferably 0.01 to 2 wt %, more preferably 0.01 to 1 wt %, of a second metal element of Groups 6-10. The first metal element and the second metal element may be at least one hydrogenation component, such as tungsten, vanadium, molybdenum, rhenium, chromium, manganese, a metal selected from Groups 6-10 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, or mixtures thereof. The amount of the hydrogenation component is selected according to a balance between hydrogenation activity and catalytic functionality. Less of the hydrogenation component is required when the most active metals such as platinum are used as compared to palladium, which does not possess such strong hydrogenation activity.
It 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 to choose the amount of the hydrogenation component in both the first catalyst bed and second catalyst bed to obtain a specific balance between hydrogenation activity and catalytic functionality in each bed.
Regarding claim 2, Molinier, col. 16, teaches the process further comprises a step of contacting the paraffinic compounds in the C9+A feedstock and/or the C6A/C7A feedstock with a third catalyst comprising a third molecular sieve having a Constraint Index in the range of 3-12 under first cracking conditions sufficient to crack at least 50 wt % of the paraffinic compounds.
It 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 to choose the amount of the hydrogenation component in third catalyst bed to obtain a specific balance between hydrogenation activity and catalytic functionality in each bed.
Regarding claims 3-4, Molinier, col. 12, teaches Mo.
Regarding claims 5-6, Molinier, col. 10, teaches the catalyst system has a weight ratio of the first catalyst over the second catalyst in the range of 5:95 to 75:25.
Regarding claim 7, Molinier, col. 10, teaches ZSM-5 which is an MFI zeolite.
Regarding claim 8, Molinier, col. 12, teaches each molecular sieve can be composited with a porous matrix binder material.
Regarding claim 9, Molinier, col. 12, teaches the second catalyst comprises 0 to 5 wt % of a second metal element of Groups 6-10.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US8481443 teaches transalkylation of heavy aromatic hydrocarbon feedstocks.
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/STEFANIE J COHEN/Examiner, Art Unit 1732 3/2/26