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 with traverse of Group I, Species C in the reply filed on 4/30/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that there would be no search burden. This is not found persuasive because this application is a national stage filed under 35 U.S.C. 371, and a requirement for lack of unity does not require a search burden.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 5-6 and 17-24 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 4/30/2026.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 7, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) / (a) (2) as being anticipated by Schoenfeldt (WO2018229265A1).
Regarding claim 1, Schoenfeldt discloses a method of adjusting the oxoacidity of a molten metal hydroxide salt in an energy or heat storage container (core container – 20; Fig. 1) where the hydroxide salt provides a medium for energy or heat storage (metal hydroxide – Page 12, lines 20-30), the method comprising the steps of: estimating a target concentration of at least one of H20, 02-, and OH- in a molten salt of a metal hydroxide (Page 22, line 25 – Page 23 line 25); providing a processing gas (cover gas…chemically inert – Page 13, lines 20-35) comprising an inert carrier gas and an oxoacidity control component (H2O - Page 13, lines 20-35); and contacting the processing a gas comprising the oxoacidity control component with the molten salt of a metal hydroxide to adjust the oxoacidity of the molten salt of a metal hydroxide (oxoacidity may be controlled by controlling the composition of the cover gas…H20 – Page 23, lines 10-15).
Regarding claim 3, Schoenfeldt discloses the limitations of claim 1, and Schoenfeldt further discloses the oxoacidity control component is water vapour (H20 – Page 23, lines 10-15), and the water vapour is added to the processing gas to provide a partial pressure of water in the processing gas (oxoacidity may be controlled by controlling the partial pressure of H2O in the cover gas – Page 24, lines 30-35).
Regarding claim 7, Schoenfeldt discloses the limitations of claim 1, and Schoenfeldt further discloses wherein the oxoacidity control component is selected from H20, H2 and HF (oxoacidity may be controlled by controlling the partial pressure of H2O in the cover gas – Page 24, lines 30-35).
Regarding claim 11, Schoenfeldt discloses the limitations of claim 1, and Schoenfeldt further discloses wherein heat is added or removed from the molten salt of a metal hydroxide (via heat exchanger - Page 12, lines 25-30).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 8-10, 12-16 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC S RUPPERT whose telephone number is (571)272-9911. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm.
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/ERIC S RUPPERT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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