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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-6 filed on 10/25/2023 are acknowledged. No preliminary amendment was filed.
Priority
This application claims foreign priority to JAPAN 2022-172298 filed on 10/27/2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) dated 10/25/2023 complies with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97, 1.98 and MPEP § 609. Accordingly, the IDS document has been placed in the application file and the information therein has been considered as to the merits.
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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lin et al. (JP 6731105 B2, published 07/29/2020, see PTO-892).
Lin is drawn to a sulfate ester modified cellulose nanofiber and a method for producing cellulose nanofiber. Lin exemplified the production of cellulose nanofibers with a crystallinity as low as 53% and exemplified the sulfate esterification of the cellulose nanofibers (Table 2). Lin teaches that the sulfate esterification was done by reacting the hydroxyl groups on the surface of the cellulose nanofiber to produce a sulfate esterified modified cellulose nanofiber (page 3).
Accordingly, the instant claims are anticipated by teachings of the prior art.
Claims 1-3 and 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kimura et al. (JP 2010254798 A, published 11/11/2010, see PTO-892) and as evidenced by Wang et al. (Cellulose, 05/08/2018, see PTO-892).
Kimura is drawn to a method for producing a cellulose ester. Kimura prepares a low crystalline cellulose by pulverizing pulp with a ball mill (page 7). Kimura claims a method of producing a cellulose ester compound by reacting a low crystalline powdery cellulose having a crystallization index of less than 5% in the presence of a base catalyst (claim 1, page 7-8). Kimura exemplified a low crystalline powdery cellulose with a crystallization index of -18% and average particle size of 45 micrometers that was reacted with a sodium methoxide/methanol solution, then the resulting product was reacted with methyl octoate. The resulting cellulose ester had a degree of substitution of 0.83 (Example 1, page 7).
Kimura does not directly teach that the derivatization is esterification of the hydroxyl group of the low crystalline cellulose.
As evidenced by Wang, the hydroxyl groups participate in the esterification reaction (page 3705 and Figure 1). Therefore, the esterification taught by Kimura must necessarily occur at the hydroxy group of the low crystalline cellulose meeting the limitation of instant claim 3.
Accordingly, the instant claims are anticipated by teachings of the prior art.
Claims 1, 2, and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liimatainen et al. (Carbohydrate Polymers, published 11/09/2010, see PTO-892).
Liimatainen is drawn to the characterization of highly accessible cellulose microfibers generated by wet stirred media milling (title). The cellulose microfibers were produced from kraft wood pulp by a method based on a single mechanical treatment with a wet stirred media mill. The method resulted in microfibers with a length of below 50 micrometers. Further, the amount of reactive amorphous sites was increased according to the crystallinity index which decreased from 65% to 20-30% (page 2009). The chemical accessibility and reactivity of the micronized cellulose were evaluated by oxidizing cellulose to 2,3-dialdehyde cellulose during milling. The product of the evaluation step meets the limitation of derivatizing the cellulose (page 2006).
Accordingly, the instant claims are anticipated by teachings of the prior art.
Conclusion
No claims allowed.
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/SAMANTHA LYNN SCHACHERMEYER/Examiner, Art Unit 1693
/SCARLETT Y GOON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1693