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 . This is a first action on the merits of the application. Claims 8-14 are pending.
Claim Objections
Claims 8-14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 8 recites “Process for the treatment of wastewater……” in line 1. It is respectfully requested to amend the recitation to “A process
Claim 8 recites “the reduction of sulfate to sulfides” in line 3 which lacks an antecedent basis.
Claim 8 recites “adding the wastewater to the first loop at a set flow rate; and,”. It is respectfully requested to amend the recitation to “adding the wastewater to the first loop at a set flow rate; and[[,]]”.
Claim 8 recites “the flow rate of feeding” in line 15 which lacks an antecedent basis.
Claim 9 recites “adding the bleed from the first loop to the second loop; and,”. It is respectfully requested to amend the recitation to “adding the bleed from the first loop to the second loop; and[[,]]”.
Claim 9 recites “the flow rate of feeding” in lines 5-6 which lacks an antecedent basis.
Claims 9-12 recites “Process according to claim 8……” in line 1. It is respectfully requested to amend the recitation to “The process
Claim 13 recites “Process for the treatment of wastewater……” in line 1. It is respectfully requested to amend the recitation to “A process
Claim 13 recites “and,” in line 8. It is respectfully requested to amend the recitation to “and[[,]]”.
Claim 13 recites “processing said wastewater according to claim 8” in line 9. It is respectfully requested to amend the recitation to “processing said wastewater according to the process recited in claim 8”.
Claim 14 recites “Process for the treatment of wastewater……” in line 1. It is respectfully requested to amend the recitation to “A process
Claim 14 recites “and,” in line 9. It is respectfully requested to amend the recitation to “and[[,]]”.
Claim 14 recites “processing said wastewater according to claim 10” in line 10. It is respectfully requested to amend the recitation to “processing said wastewater according to the process recited in claim 10”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 8-14 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 8 recites “the pH of the solution” in line 11 which lacks an antecedent basis. In addition, it is unclear what the “solution” refers to, such as “an acidic aqueous solution” or “a sulfidic solution” or other solution(s).
Claim 8 recites “a minor part of the solution” in line 14. It is unclear what the “solution” refers to, such as “an acidic aqueous solution” or “a sulfidic solution” or other solution(s). In addition, the basis for determining “minor part” of the solution is unspecified and, as a result, the claim is considered unclear.
Claims 9-14 are also rejected under 35 U.S. §112 by virtue of its dependence on claim 8.
Claim 9 recites “the breed” in line 4 which lacks an antecedent basis.
Claim 9 recites “a minor part of the solution” in line 5. It is unclear what the “solution” refers to, such as “an acidic aqueous solution” or “a sulfidic solution” or other solution(s). In addition, the basis for determining “minor part” of the solution is unspecified and, as a result, the claim is considered unclear.
Claim 13 recites “separating the insoluble sulfides from the wastewater, thereby obtaining wastewater;” in line 7. This is considered indefinite for the following reason: Since sulfides are removed from the wastewater, the “obtained wastewater” comprises a difference chemical composition compared to the “wastewater”. Therefore, the obtained wastewater needs to be denoted as, for example, “obtaining sulfides-depleted wastewater”. The recitation, “processing said wastewater according to claim 8” in line 9 also needs to be amended as, for example, “processing said sulfides-depleted wastewater according to the process recited in claim 8”.
Claim 14 recites “separating the insoluble sulfides from the wastewater, thereby obtaining wastewater;” in line 8. This is considered indefinite for the following reason: Since sulfides are removed from the wastewater, the “obtained wastewater” comprises a difference chemical composition compared to the “wastewater”. Therefore, the obtained wastewater needs to be denoted as, for example, “obtaining sulfides-depleted wastewater”. The recitation, “processing said wastewater according to claim 10” in line 10 also needs to be amended as, for example, “processing said sulfides-depleted wastewater according to the process recited in claim 10”.
Allowable Subject Matters and Allowed claims
Claims 8-14 in the instant application are allowed if previously presented objection to claims 8-14, and 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejections to claims 8-14 are resolved.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: A thorough search for pertinent prior art did not locate any prior art that discloses or suggests the invention recited in claims 8-14. The concept of a process for the treatment of wastewater containing sulfate salts of cations susceptible of forming soluble sulfides, comprising the steps of:
(i) providing a bioreactor suitable for the reduction of sulfates to sulfides;
(ii) providing an electrochemical cell through which a current is passed, having a central compartment connected by cation exchange membranes to an adjacent cathode compartment, and to an adjacent anode compartment, thereby generating H2 in the cathode compartment, and O2 in the anode compartment;
(iii) passing a cation-bearing aqueous solution through the central compartment;
(iv) providing an acidic aqueous solution in the anode compartment;
(v) circulating a sulfidic solution in a first loop over a path passing through the bioreactor and the cathode compartment, whereby the pH of the solution is maintained between 6 and 9 by adjusting the current through the electrochemical cell;
(vi) adding the wastewater to the first loop at a set flow rate; and
(vii) bleeding a minor part of the solution from the first loop at a rate corresponding to the flow rate of feeding the wastewater (claim 8), is considered novel.
A closest prior art to Buisma et al. (WO 9729055 A1) discloses a process for the removal of heavy metal ions from metal-containing waste water and the removal of sulphate from sulphate-containing waste water, wherein sulphate is biologically reduced to sulphide, sulphide reacts with metal ions to form metal sulphides, and metal sulphides formed are separated from the waste water, characterized in that biologically produced sulphide is recycled to the metal-containing waste water and metal sulphides are separated prior to the biological reduction of sulphate.
Other pertinent prior art to Rozendal et al. (US 2011/0011799 A1) discloses a process for removing sulfide from an alkaline sulfidic liquid comprising: (i) subjecting the sulfidic liquid to electrodialysis using an anion exchange membrane; (ii) subjecting concentrate of said electrodialysis to biological oxidation; and (iii) using diluate of said electrodialysis having a pH of at least 11 as an alkaline liquid, wherein said biological oxidation is carried out under conditions allowing selective oxidation of sulfides to elemental sulfur, which is separated off as a solid, and wherein said electrodialysis is carried out in a cell comprising at least three compartments: a first compartment into which the sulfidic liquid is introduced and from which the diluate is carried off; a second compartment, at the anode side of said first compartment and separated from said first compartment by said anion exchange membrane, from which diluate is carried off; and a third compartment, at the anode side of said second compartment and separated from said second compartment by a cation exchange membrane or a bipolar membrane.
Other pertinent prior art to Schmidt et al. (EP 0 399 993 A1, refer to the attached English translation document) discloses a process for the stepwise membrane-electrolysis of aqueous solutions containing alkali sulphate, whereby these solutions are led through a multiplicity of 3-chamber electrolysis cells operating in series wherein each cell has an anode chamber, a middle chamber and a cathode chamber which are separated from one another by two ion exchange membranes, and the solutions containing alkali sulphate are introduced at least partly into the middle chamber of the first electrolysis cell, characterized in that, the electrolyte solutions are led through at least four 3-chamber electrolysis cells operating in series and at least at the start of the series of electrolysis cells they are dialyzed exclusively by cationic exchange membranes, and that the electrolyte solution from the middle chamber of the last cell of the series is returned to the anode chamber of the first cell.
Other pertinent prior art to Lupton et al. (US 2017/0305773 A1) discloses a process for removing sulfides from a feed water stream in a bioreactor wherein said water stream contains from about 1 mg/L to about 2500 mg/L of sulfur compounds on an elemental sulfur basis, comprising: (a) passing said water stream through a fixed film bioreactor containing a effective quantity of autotrophic obligate chemolithotrophic bacteria immobilized on a packing material within said bioreactor; (b) recycling a portion of a recycle water from a bioreactor effluent to the bioreactor; (c) passing air to the said recycle water to saturate the recycle water with dissolved oxygen; (d) mixing the recycle water with the feed water stream to provide a mixed water stream; (e) oxidizing said sulfides to form sulfates; and (f) removing a purified water stream comprising less than about 0.5 mg/L sulfides from said bioreactor.
Other pertinent prior art to Klein et al. (WO 2014/037276 A2, refer to the attached English translation document) discloses a process (100) for the treatment of waste water, in particular of sulphate and/or heavy metal mine waters, in a device for treating waste water with a reactor space, a substantially in the reactor space arranged in a particular periodic, recirculation of a recirculation flow from a wastewater located in the reactor space and a carrier material arranged in the reactor space on which biomass of a biofilm is immobilized, and a separation device arranged in the reactor space and permeable by the circulation flow, in which the recirculation flow is recirculated in the reactor space using the recirculation device in particular periodically.
The cited prior arts, alone or in combination, do not teach or suggest a process for the treatment of wastewater containing sulfate salts of cations susceptible of forming soluble sulfides, comprising the steps of: (i) providing a bioreactor suitable for the reduction of sulfates to sulfides; (ii) providing an electrochemical cell through which a current is passed, having a central compartment connected by cation exchange membranes to an adjacent cathode compartment, and to an adjacent anode compartment, thereby generating H2 in the cathode compartment, and O2 in the anode compartment; (iii) passing a cation-bearing aqueous solution through the central compartment; (iv) providing an acidic aqueous solution in the anode compartment; (v) circulating a sulfidic solution in a first loop over a path passing through the bioreactor and the cathode compartment, whereby the pH of the solution is maintained between 6 and 9 by adjusting the current through the electrochemical cell; (vi) adding the wastewater to the first loop at a set flow rate; and (vii) bleeding a minor part of the solution from the first loop at a rate corresponding to the flow rate of feeding the wastewater, as recited in claim 8 of claimed invention.
Conclusion
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/YOUNGSUL JEONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1772