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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of invention group 2, claims 20-29, in the reply filed on 3/26/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-19, 30-37 and 46-30 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention groups 1, 3-4 and 6-8, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 3/26/2026.
Claims 20, 22, 26-27, 29, 38-45 are amended in view of applicant’s response filed 3/26/2026. Claims 38-45 have been changed to depend on claim 20. Therefore, claims 20-29 and 38-45 are currently pending.
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.
Claim(s) 20-29 and 38-45 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Reid US 2018/0036804(Reid).
Reid teaches an In-Flight Direct Reduction (IFDR) plant for producing directly reduced iron powder(abstract), comprising feeding iron oxide fines(Fig. 1 #12), hydrogen(Fig. 1 #10) and oxygen (Fig. 1 #13) to an In-Flight reactor (Fig. 1 #11) and undergoes a direct reduction reaction and produce reduced iron powders(Fig. 4 #46).
Regarding claim 1, Fig 1#12 of Reid reads on the claimed metal oxide material charging device. Fig. 1 #10 of Reid reads on the claimed reducing agent fluid inlet device, capable of providing reducing gas(i.e. hydrogen) to react with iron oxide in the In-Flight reactor, which reads on the claimed direct reduction facility. Fig. 4 #46 of Reid reads on the claimed reduced metal material outlet device, configured to discharge the reduced iron. Additionally, Reid further teaches that the thermal energy or heat from the reduced iron product exiting from the In-Flight reactor is used to preheat the iron oxide feed, which provides an iron oxide feed material holding thermal energy, wherein the thermal energy comes from a manufacturing thermal process(i.e. cooling of the reduced iron product exit stream). The IDFR plant as taught by Reid reads on the claimed direct reduction facility configured to provide reduction of the metal oxide material utilizing thermal energy of the metal oxide material, wherein the thermal energy of the metal oxide material comes from a thermal process(i.e. cooling of the reduced iron produce exit stream). Reid further teaches that the reducing gas hydrogen can be preheated as well (Figs. 5-6, [0046-0047]).
For the reasons set forth above, the Examiner concludes that the IFDR plant as taught by Reid anticipates the claimed metal material production configuration.
Regarding claim 21, the heat exchanger for preheating the iron oxide feed as shown in Fig. 6 of Reid read on the integrated metal oxide material production unit, based on the broadest reasonable interpretation, since the details of the claimed metal oxide material production unit are not recited in the claim.
Regarding claims 22 and 24, Fig. 7 and related discussion as taught by Reid reads on the claimed electrolysis unit configured to decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen exit arrow shown in Fig.7 implies the presence of the claimed hydrogen gas transfer device comprising a fluid transportation vehicle and/or hose arrangement[0050].
Regarding claim 23, the oxygen exit arrow shown in Fig.7 implies the presence of the claimed oxygen gas transfer device.
Regarding claim 25, since the electrolysis occurs in the IFDR plant of Reid, the examiner concludes that the IFDR plant of Reid is integrated with the electrolysis unit as claimed.
Regarding claim 26, the arrow between the heat exchanger and In-Flight Reactor in Fig. 9 of Reid implies the presence of a metal oxide charging inlet device transferring the iron oxide from the heat exchanger (i.e. metal oxide material production unit) directly into the In-Flight reactor.
Regarding claim 27, the heat exchanger for heating the iron oxide feed material and reducing agent using the thermal energy from the product exit stream reads on the claimed heat exchanger. The product exit stream from the In-Flight reactor also includes water result from the reaction of hydrogen and iron oxide, which reads on the waste reduction fluid from the direct reduction facility.
Regarding claim 28, Reid further teaches that the reducing agent is preheated prior to being introduced to the In-Flight reactor[0047].
Regarding claim 29, the instant claim is mostly rejected for the same reasons in the rejection of claim 20 above. Additionally, Reid teaches that the reaction temperature is controlled [0016, 0020], which implies the presence of claimed control circuitry adapted to control the direction reduction of the metal oxide material as claimed.
Regarding claim 38, since the heat exchanger as taught by Reid reads on the metal oxide material production unit, based on the broadest reasonable interpretation, the examiner concludes that the iron oxide exiting from the heat exchanger of Reid (i.e. the metal oxide material production unit) )holds thermal energy the heat exchanger of Reid is configured to transfer the iron oxide material to the direct reduction facility and forming the reduced iron material by chemical reaction between the iron oxide and a reducing agent, such as hydrogen, as claimed.
Regarding claim 39, Reid further teaches that the metal oxide material are from iron ore[0054], which is heated in the heat exchanger by the excess heat transferred in the exit stream from the In-Flight reactor.
Regarding claim 40, Fig. 6 Scenario C) further includes another heat exchanger for heating the oxygen gas prior to discharging it into the In-Flight Direct Reduction plant, which reads on the claimed metal oxide production unit based on the broadest reasonable interpretation having the claimed oxygen discharge device for discharging oxygen.
Regarding claim 41, the heat exchanger as taught by Reid, which reads on the claimed metal oxide material production unit, having a discharge line for discharging the reducing agent, such as hydrogen gas(Fig. 5 #55, Figs. 6 & 9).
Regarding claim 42, the heat exchanger of Reid heats iron oxide and hydrogen gas together, wherein the hydrogen gas would have also provided heating to the metal ore mixture as claimed.
Regarding claims 43-45, the heat exchanger of Reid serves as a pre-heating apparatus to pre-heat the metal oxide material as claimed. Additionally, the heat exchanger of Reid is capable of heating metal oxide material regardless if it was previously cooled down or not. Furthermore, the claimed previous cooling of metal oxide material is directed to a process limitation in an apparatus claim. Therefore, does not patentably distinguish the claimed metal material production configuration from the In-Flight Direct Reduction plant of Reid.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LOIS L ZHENG whose telephone number is (571)272-1248. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:15-4:45.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Keith Hendricks can be reached at 571-272-1401. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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LOIS ZHENG
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1733
/LOIS L ZHENG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1733
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