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 § 103
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 14-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Achoundong et al., Macromolecules 2013, 46, pages 5584-5594 (hereinafter referred to as “Achoundong”) in view of US 2010/0270234 A1 (hereinafter referred to as “Liu ‘234”).
Achoundong discloses a method for modifying a preformed cellulose acetate (CA) membrane (see abstract; p.5585 "Dense film membrane formation'), the method comprising:
immersing a preformed polymer membrane in a solution comprising a catalyst dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and a vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) (see p.5586, "GCV-Modification of Cellulose Acetate"; Scheme 1) wherein the preformed polymer membrane of CA membrane comprises a polymer repeat unit comprising a pendant nucleophile (see p.5586, Scheme 1) and maintaining the solution at a temperature of at least 100°C but less than the glass transition temperature (Tg) for crosslinking the membrane (s. p.5586, "GCV-Modification of Cellulose Acetate').
Claims 14 and 22 differ from Achoundong in reciting the use of a weak acid catalyst of acetic acid. However there is no unexpected technical effect linked to such an acid catalyst (such as 3, 5-diaminobenzoic acid or a diamine) and DCP aims equally at providing membranes with high permeability, selectivity and plasticization resistance (s. p.5584 "Introduction').
Liu ‘234 discloses a method for forming a crosslinked polymer membrane (abstract), the method comprising:
reacting, in solution, a silane with a polymer comprising a pendant nucleophile in the presence of a weak acid catalyst such as acetic acid, lactic acid, or hydrochloric acid (par. [0046]), thereby grafting the cellulose acetate with at least a portion of the silane (fig. 1, 2, 4-5; par. [0014], [0034], [0035]; Examples);
casting an amount of the solution (par. [0035], [00361); and
heating at least a portion of the cast solution to an elevated temperature for a crosslinking period, thereby forming a polymer membrane comprising crosslinks formed from the silane (par. [0035], [0036]; Examples).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to choose a weak acid catalyst of acetic acid as an alternative to DCP in the method of Achoundong for the grafting and cross-linking of the cellulose acetate with a silane.
Regarding claim 15, Achoundong discloses that the crosslinking period is at least 5 minutes (see p.5586, "Reaction Conditions Selection”: temperature of 150°C for 24h).
Regarding claim 16, Achoundong discloses the steps of removing the membrane from the solution; and drying the membrane at a drying temperature of at least 100° C (see p.5586, "GCV-Modification of Cellulose Acetate": a drying temperature of 150° C for 24 hours).
Regarding claim 17, Achoundong discloses solvent exchanging the membrane with a non-solvent (air) after removing the membrane from the solution prior to the drying step (see p.5586, "GCV-Modification of Cellulose Acetate").
Regarding claim 18, Achoundong discloses that a weight ratio of the silane to the weak acid catalyst in the solution is at least 5:1 (see p.5586, "Reaction Conditions Selection”: CA:VTMS:DCP is 1:100:0.1 weight ratio).
Regarding claim 19, Achoundong discloses that a molar ratio of the silane to the polymer in the solution is at least 1:1. (see p.5586, "Reaction Conditions Selection”: CA:VTMS:DCP is 1:100:0.1 ratio).
Regarding claim 20, Achoundong discloses the polymer repeat unit comprising a pendant nucleophile is cellulose acetate (CA) and the silane is vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) (see p.5586, "GCV-Modification of Cellulose Acetate"; Scheme 1).
Claim 21 differs from Achoundong in reciting the use of a weak acid catalyst of carboxylic acid. However there is no unexpected technical effect linked to such an acid catalyst (such as 3, 5-diaminobenzoic acid or a diamine) and DCP aims equally at providing membranes with high permeability, selectivity and plasticization resistance (s. p.5584 "Introduction').
Liu ‘234 discloses a method for forming a crosslinked polymer membrane (abstract), the method comprising the use of a weak acid catalyst such as acetic acid, lactic acid, or hydrochloric acid (par. [0046]) for grafting the cellulose acetate with at least a portion of the silane (fig. 1, 2, 4-5; par. [0014], [0034], [0035]; Examples).
Carboxylic acid is well-known weak acid catalyst.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to choose a weak acid catalyst of carboxylic acid as an alternative to DCP in the method of Achoundong for the grafting and cross-linking of the cellulose acetate with a silane.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-1142. The examiner can normally be reached on Maxi Flex.
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/John Kim/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1772
JK
8/3/26
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