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 § 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 13, 14, and 18 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 13 recites the limitation "the aromatics of the first and third effluent stream" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 14 recites the limitation "the aromatics of bottom stream" in line 14. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the first separator" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claims 12-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schmidt et al. (US 5,672,265).
Regarding claim 12, the reference Schmidt et al. discloses a system for producing and separating aromatics from a heavy naphtha feedstock (see Abstract; col. 4, lines 36-59; Fig. 1), the feedstock comprising at least paraffins and naphthenes (see col. 3, lines 42-48), wherein the system comprises:
one or more dehydrogenation reactors (15) for converting naphthenes in the heavy naphtha feedstocks into aromatics in a first effluent (16) (see col. 4, lines 60-62; Fig. 1);
an aromatic extracting unit (100) for extracting at least a portion of the aromatics from the first effluent (16) to form a second effluent stream of raffinate (102) comprising at least the paraffins (see col. 7, lines 35-42 and lines 57-64; Fig. 1); and
one or more cyclization reactors (115) for converting the paraffins in the second effluent stream (102) into aromatics in a third effluent stream (116) (see col. 7, lines 42-56; col. 10, lines 25-41; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 13, the reference Schmidt et al. discloses that the system further comprises a separating unit (18) for separating a combined stream comprising the first effluent stream (16) and third effluent stream (116) into a bottom stream comprising the aromatics of the first and third effluent streams and a hydrogen gas stream (20, 21) (see col. 7, lines 22-25 and lines 49-52; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 14, the reference Schmidt et al. discloses that the system further comprises a stabilizing unit (23) for separating a liquid reformate stream (26) comprising the aromatics of bottom stream (19) from a hydrogen gas stream (20, 21, 24) (see col. 7, lines 22-25 and lines 35-37; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 15, the reference Schmidt et al. discloses the system, wherein the system comprises two or more of the cyclization reactors connected in series (see col. 7, lines 42-49; col. 10, lines 25-41).
Regarding claim 16, the reference Schmidt et al. discloses the system, wherein the dehydrogenation reactors are operable at a temperature ranging from 400 to 450o C (see col. 4, line 64 to col. 5, line 6).
Regarding claim 17, the reference Schmidt et al. discloses the system, wherein the cyclization reactors are operatable at a temperature ranging from 480 to 520o C (see col. 9, line 54 to col. 10, line 2).
Regarding claim 18, the reference Schmidt et al. discloses the system, wherein the first separator unit (18) also feeds to a compressor unit (22) which feeds back to the one or more dehydrogenation reactors (see col. 7, lines 22-29; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 19, the reference Schmidt et al. discloses the system, wherein the extraction unit also feeds the aromatic extraction to an aromatic recovery unit (see col. 8, lines 22-31).
Regarding claim 20, the reference Schmidt et al. discloses the system, wherein the aromatic extracting unit is configured to form the second effluent stream containing raffinate paraffins wherein the paraffins are comprised in an amount ranging from 95 to 99 wt% and wherein unreacted naphthenes and residual aromatics are comprised in amount ranging from 1 to 5 wt% (see col. 8, lines 28-31).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Lessanework T Seifu whose telephone number is (571)270-3153. The examiner can normally be reached M-T 9:00 am - 6:30 pm; F 9:00 am - 1:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Claire Wang can be reached at 571-270-1051. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LESSANEWORK SEIFU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1774
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