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 .
The pending claims are claims 1-15.
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)(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) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Menon, US 6010653
Regarding claim 1, Menon teaches an electrode slurry (col. 10, lines 38-45) comprising:
(a) 60 wt.% to 98 wt.% of an electrode active material (35-65 weight percent) (col. 8, lines 45-58),
(b) 0 wt.% to 20 wt.% of conductive carbon (“A graphite mixture is prepared separately by first adding 80 grams of graphite into 3.1 grams of carbon black”) (col. 10, lines 55-67 and col. 11, lines 1-2), and
(c) 1 wt.% to 20 wt.% of a plasticized binder (1-20 wt%) (col. 8, lines 45-58), wherein the wt.% is based on the total weight of the slurry, characterized in that,
the plasticized binder comprises: polyvinylidene fluoride (col. 3, lines 45-54) (PVDF; col. 7, lines 47-67); and a plasticizer selected from the group consisting of: glyme (col. 5, lines 4-7), tetraglyme (col. 6, lines 30-47), triglyme (col. 6, lines 30-47).
Regarding claim 2, Menon teaches wherein the plasticizer is present in an amount ranging between 1 wt.% to 50 wt.% (1-20 wt%) (col. 8, lines 45-58), based on the weight of polyvinylidene fluoride (col. 3, lines 45-54) (PVDF; col. 7, lines 47-67).
Regarding claim 3, Menon teaches wherein the plasticized binder is obtained by mixing polyvinylidene fluoride with the plasticizer(col. 3, lines 45-54) (PVDF; col. 7, lines 47-67).
Regarding claim 4, Menon teaches method for preparing the electrode slurry (col. 9, lines 30-50) as claimed in claim 1, the method comprising: mixing the electrode active material (col. 9, lines 30-50), conductive carbon, and plasticized binder (col. 9, lines 30-50), in presence of a solvent to obtain the electrode slurry (col. 9, lines 30-50).
Regarding claim 5, Menon teaches wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of: dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (col. 6, lines 30-47).
Regarding claim 6, Menon teaches method for preparing an electrode by coating the electrode slurry of claim 1 on a current collector (col. 1, lines 54-65).
Regarding claim 7, Menon teaches wherein the current collector is subjected to drying at a temperature ranging between 50°C to 200°C (100 deg C to about 350 deg C) (col. 4, lines 62-67).
Regarding claim 8, Menon teaches an electrode obtained from the method as claimed in claim 6 (col. 2, lines 7-14).
Regarding claim 9, Menon teaches battery comprising the electrode of claim 8 (col. 7, lines 46-65).
Regarding claim 10, Menon teaches wherein the battery (col. 4, lines 17-22) is selected from a lithium-ion battery, a sodium ion battery, a potassium ion battery, zinc ion battery, aluminium ion battery, calcium ion battery, fluorine ion battery, an aqueous battery, and a primary battery (col. 7, lines 46-65).
Regarding claim 11, Menon teaches an electrochemical device (electrolyzer) (col. 1, lines 4-7; col. 3, lines 64-67) comprising the electrode of claim 8.
Regarding claim 12, Menon teaches fuel cell comprising the electrode of claim 8 (col. 2, lines 39-42).
Regarding claim 13, Menon teaches further comprising coating the electrode slurry on a current collector (col. 1, lines 54-65).
Regarding claim 14, Menon teaches electrolyzer as obtained from the method as claimed in claim 6 (col. 1, lines 4-7; col. 3, lines 64-67).
Regarding claim 15, Menon teaches an electrochemical cell as obtained from the method as claimed in claim 6 (col. 2, lines 39-42).
Thus, the claims are anticipated.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANGELA J MARTIN whose telephone number is (571)272-1288. The examiner can normally be reached 7am-4pm.
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ANGELA J. MARTIN
Examiner
Art Unit 1727
/ANGELA J MARTIN/Examiner, Art Unit 1727
