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 § 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.
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, 5-8, and 15-17, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. §102 as anticipated by Li (US 2018/0370863 A1 to Li et al., published Dec. 27, 2018).
Li discloses a method of forming an impurity barrier layer (“environmental barrier coating”) on a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) substrate, wherein the method includes using a heated thermal spray gun, a composite feedstock that includes a coating material including a plurality of first particles, and a second coating material that may be different from the first coating material, where the second coating material can encapsulate a portion of respective surfaces of the plurality of first particles, and by using the heated plume, directing the first coating material to a surface of a CMC substrate to deposit an impurity barrier layer including the first coating material (abstract; [0003]; [0015] to [0018]; Figs. 1-3 of Li). The CMC substrate can comprise Silicon Carbide particles ([0021]; [0022]) and can further comprise a pre-ceramic polymer precursor, wherein the polymer can be polycarbosilane ([0077] to [0081]; [0086]; claims 14 and 15 of Li). The particles in the substrate coating can be amorphous ([0052]; [0054]).
Li further discloses that the bond coat can be applied by thermal (heat) spraying, such as air plasma spraying, used for heating (pyrolysis) ([0035]; [0037]; [0046]; [0048]; [0055]; [0070] [0085]; claim 6 of Li). The ceramic precursor material, such as polycarbosilane, can applied to the particles in any manner, wherein the precursor can include a suspension/solution (liquid) in which the material that forms the coating material is suspended/dissolved in a solvent, wherein the suspension/solution can include a dispersant, a viscosity adjusting agent or other additive to reduce cracking during pyrolysis ([0077] to [0079]; [0081]). The average particle size of the coating material particles is between 0.1 to 25 microns ([0059]).
Although Li does not expressly disclose the viscosity of its polymeric ceramic precursor, because the ceramic precursor disclosed therein (polycarbosilane) is the same as that recited in the present claims, they should possess the same average viscosity recited in present dependent claim 7.
Thus, the instant claims are anticipated by Li.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-20 are allowed.
Claims 2-4 and 9-14 are objected to as dependent upon a rejected base claim but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Li does not disclose its method of preparing amorphous particles of silicon carbide wherein its ceramic precursor is injected as a stream of polymeric ceramic precursor droplets into a plasma jet generated by a plasma spray torch, and wherein said droplets undergo pyrolysis in the plasma jet, in accordance with present dependent claim 2 and independent claim 18.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN J FIGUEROA whose telephone number is (571)272-8916. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:30 am -6:00 pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JOSEPH DEL SOLE can be reached on 571-272-1130. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JOHN J FIGUEROA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1763
September 5, 2026
Prosecution Insights