CTNF 18/853,343 CTNF 85179 Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. DETAILED ACTION This Office action is based on the 18/853343 application originally filed October 01, 2024. Amended claims 1-18, filed October 01, 2024, are pending and have been fully considered. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA 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. 07-34-01 Claims 1-18 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 1 is unclear to the phrase “raw biomass feedstock containing biomass components that have not been chemically processed or modified prior to being directly fed to the slurry hydroconversion reactor”. The claim itself does not however limit to any type of biomass nor to what type of preprocessing is excluded. Generally the term biomass is however used very broadly, including different types of materials obtained, usually as a waste, from different sources. Therefore by definition some kind of processing or modification that has preceded the use as a biomass waste feedstock. It is not clear from the wording of the claim whether these are still considered to fall under the definition of “not being chemically processed or modified”. Further clarification and/or amending of the claims is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1 and 8-18 i s/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1) a s being a nticipated b y F elix et al. (US 2014/0100395) hereinafter “Felix”. R egarding Claim 1 Felix discloses in the abstract, multistage processing of biomass to produce at least two separate fungible fuel streams, one dominated by gasoline boiling-point range liquids and the other by diesel boiling-point range liquids. The processing involves hydrotreating the biomass to produce a hydrotreatment product including a deoxygenated hydrocarbon product of gasoline and diesel boiling materials, followed by separating each of the gasoline and diesel boiling materials from the hydrotreatment product and each other. Felix discloses in paragraph 0051, the hydropyrolysis step, the solid biomass feed is rapidly heated, preferably in a hot fluidized bed, resulting in liquid product yields comparable to and possibly better than yields obtained with conventional fast pyrolysis. Felix discloses in paragraph 0061, the output process stream 120 is passed to and through an optional char separator 124 , a barrier filter 126 (such as to remove catalyst fines) and a process heat exchanger 130 which may be employed to produce process steam. The char and particle-free product stream 132 passes from the heat exchanger 130 to a second reaction stage that employs a hydroconversion reactor vessel 134 in which a hydroconversion step is carried out to complete deoxygenation and hydrogenation of the hydrocarbon product received from the hydropyrolysis reactor 116 . Felix discloses in paragraph 0062, in the hydroconversion reactor vessel 134 , the second reaction stage hydroconversion step is preferably carried out at a lower temperature (250-450° C.) than the first reaction stage hydropyrolysis step to increase catalyst life and at substantially the same pressure (100-800 psig) as the first reaction stage hydropyrolysis step. The weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) for this step is in the range of about 0.2 to about 3. The catalyst used in this step is preferably protected from Na, K, Ca, P, and other metals present in the biomass which can poison the catalyst, which will tend to increase catalyst life. This catalyst also should be protected from olefins and free radicals by the catalytic upgrading carried out in the first reaction stage step. Catalysts typically selected for this step are high activity hydroconversion catalysts, e.g., sulfided NiMo and sulfided CoMo catalysts. In this reaction stage, the catalyst is used to catalyze a water-gas-shift reaction of CO+H 2 O to make CO 2 +H 2 , thereby enabling in-situ production of hydrogen in the second stage reactor vessel 134 , which, in turn, reduces the hydrogen required for hydroconversion. NiMo and CoMo catalysts both catalyze the water-gas-shift reaction. The objective in this second reaction stage is once again to balance the deoxygenation reactions. This balancing is accomplished by using relatively low hydrogen partial pressures (100-800 psig) along with the right choice of catalyst. In conventional pyrolysis oil hydrodeoxygenation processes, hydrogen partial pressures in the range of about 2000 psig to about 3000 psig are typically employed. This is because the processes are intended to convert pyrolysis oils, which are extremely unstable and difficult to process at lower partial pressures of H 2 . The claimed invention is anticipated by the reference because the reference teaches a composition which comprises all of the claimed components. In the alternative, no patentable distinction is seen to exist between the reference and the claimed invention absent evidence to the contrary. Regarding Claim 8 Felix discloses in paragraph 0027, as used herein, the term “biomass” refers to biological material derived from living or deceased organisms and includes lignocellulosic materials, such as wood, residues from forest and agricultural lands, aquatic materials, such as algae, aquatic plants, seaweed, and animal by-products and wastes, such as offal, fats, and sewage sludge, or any combination of these or other forms of biomass. In one aspect, a multi-stage hydropyrolysis process for the direct production of a variety of high-quality liquid fuels, particularly upgraded hydrocarbon fuels, from biomass. Regarding Claims 9-16 Felix discloses in paragraph 0062,in the hydroconversion reactor vessel 134 , the second reaction stage hydroconversion step is preferably carried out at a lower temperature (250-450° C.) than the first reaction stage hydropyrolysis step to increase catalyst life and at substantially the same pressure (100-800 psig) as the first reaction stage hydropyrolysis step. The weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) for this step is in the range of about 0.2 to about 3. The catalyst used in this step is preferably protected from Na, K, Ca, P, and other metals present in the biomass which can poison the catalyst, which will tend to increase catalyst life. This catalyst also should be protected from olefins and free radicals by the catalytic upgrading carried out in the first reaction stage step. Catalysts typically selected for this step are high activity hydroconversion catalysts, e.g., sulfided NiMo and sulfided CoMo catalysts . In this reaction stage, the catalyst is used to catalyze a water-gas-shift reaction of CO+H 2 O to make CO 2 +H 2 , thereby enabling in-situ production of hydrogen in the second stage reactor vessel 134 , which, in turn, reduces the hydrogen required for hydroconversion. NiMo and CoMo catalysts both catalyze the water-gas-shift reaction. The objective in this second reaction stage is once again to balance the deoxygenation reactions. This balancing is accomplished by using relatively low hydrogen partial pressures (100-800 psig) along with the right choice of catalyst. In conventional pyrolysis oil hydrodeoxygenation processes, hydrogen partial pressures in the range of about 2000 psig to about 3000 psig are typically employed. This is because the processes are intended to convert pyrolysis oils, which are extremely unstable and difficult to process at lower partial pressures of H 2 . Felix further discloses in paragraph 0055, small size spray-dried silica-alumina catalyst impregnated with NiMo or CoMo and sulfided to form a hydroconversion catalyst—commercially available NiMo or CoMo catalysts are normally provided as large size ⅛- 1/16-inch tablets for use in fixed or ebullated beds. In the instant case, NiMo is impregnated on spray dried silica alumina catalyst and used in a fluidized bed. This catalyst exhibits higher strength than a conventional NiMo or CoMo catalyst and would be of an appropriate size for use in a fluidized bed. Regarding Claim 17 Felix does not disclose the process having a coke yield and therefore Felix has met the limitation of the present invention of having less than 5 weight percent, less than 2 weight percent, or less than 1 weight percent of coke (less than 5 weight percent, less than 2 weight percent, or less than 1 weight percent encompasses zero). Regarding Claim 18 Felix discloses in paragraph 0073, the liquid hydrocarbon products produced by this process should contain less than 5% oxygen with a low total acid number (TAN) less than 1 and should exhibit good chemical stability to polymerization or a reduced tendency to display chemical reactivity. In a preferred embodiment of this invention wherein the total oxygen content of the product is reduced below 2%, the water and hydrocarbon phases will easily separate out in any normal separation vessel because the hydrocarbon phase has become hydrophobic. This is a significant advantage when compared to conventional pyrolysis in which the water is miscible with and mixed in with the highly oxygenated pyrolysis oil . 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Bauer et al. (US 2009/0299112) hereinafter “Bauer” . Regarding Claims 1-12 Bauer discloses in the abstract, a method for hydroconversion of a combined feed of at least one low value petroleum derived hydrocarbon and at least one biorenewable feedstock in a hydroconversion reaction zone in the presence of a hydroconversion catalyst at hydroconversion reaction conditions for a period of time sufficient to form a hydroconversion reaction product. Bauer discloses in paragraph 0009, a method for improving the hydroconversion of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock comprising the steps of: admixing from about 50 wt % to about 99 wt % of a low value petroleum derived hydrocarbon with from about 1 wt % to about 50 wt % of at least one lignocellulosic biomass feedstock to form a combined feed ; reacting the combined feed with at least one sulfide containing micro particulate dispersed metal catalyst in a hydroconversion reaction zone at hydroconversion reaction conditions including a temperature of from about 350° C to about 500° C and a pressure of from about 1200 psig to about 2500 psig for a period of time sufficient to form a hydroconversion reaction product; and withdrawing the hydroconversion reaction product from the reaction zone wherein the hydroconversion reaction product includes a naphtha yield on a wt % product basis that is greater than the naphtha yield on a wt % product basis of a straight low value petroleum derived hydrocarbon feed at the same hydroconversion reaction conditions and using the same type and amount of hydroconversion catalyst. Bauer discloses in paragraph 0013, the methods and hydroconversion reaction zones are described below generally with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic of one embodiment of a hydroconversion method and reaction zone. In FIG. 1, a low value petroleum derived hydrocarbon feed 12 and a biorenewable feedstock stream 14 is combined to form a multi-phase combined feed stream 18 . Combined feed stream 18 may be formed by adding a low value petroleum derived hydrocarbon feed stream 12 and a biorenewable feed steam 14 directly into hydroconversion reaction zone 22 where the feed ingredients admix. Alternatively, low value petroleum derived hydrocarbon feed 12 and biorenewable feedstock stream 14 may be initially combined in a pre-feed reaction vessel 16 or they may be combined in a feed conduit and thereafter combined feed stream 18 is directed into hydroconversion reaction zone 22 . It is anticipated that biorenewable feedstock stream 14 will generally be a solid particulate material although the use of liquid biorenewable feedstocks. When the biorenewable feedstock stream 14 is a solid particulate material the biorenewable feedstock 14 may be combined with liquid low value petroleum derived hydrocarbon feedstock 12 in a pre-feed vessel 16 to form a combined slurry feed that can be intimately admixed before introduction into hydroconversion reaction zone 22 . Bauer discloses in paragraph 0014, the low value petroleum derived hydrocarbon stream 12 can be any type of petroleum derived hydrocarbon stream that is known to be usefully processed in a hydroconversion reaction zone. Examples of useful low value petroleum derived hydrocarbon feed streams include , but are not limited to heavy oil vacuum bottoms, vacuum residue, FCC slurry oil and other heavy hydrocarbon-derived oils . Especially useful as low value petroleum derived hydrocarbon feed stocks are petroleum-derived hydrocarbons having 80 volume percent or more materials with a boiling point greater than 1050° F. Also useful are petroleum derived hydrocarbons including at least 80 wt % hydrocarbons having a boiling point greater than 650° F and comprised of 10-50% aromatic hydrocarbons. Bauer discloses in paragraph 0015, useful biorenewable feedstocks may include but are not limited to lignin, plant parts, fruits, vegetables, plant processing waste, wood chips, chaff, grain, grasses, corn, corn husks, weeds, aquatic plants, hay, paper, paper products, recycled paper and paper products, and any cellulose containing biological material or material of biological origin. Lignocellulosic biomass, or cellulosic biomass as used throughout the remainder of this document, consists of the three principle biopolymers cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The ratio of these three components varies depending on the biomass source. Cellulosic biomass might also contain lipids, ash, and protein in varying amounts. The economics for converting biomass to fuels or chemicals depend on the ability to produce large amounts of biomass on marginal land, or in a water environment where there are few or no other significantly competing economic uses of that land or water environment. The economics can also depend on the disposal of biomass that would normally be placed in a landfill. Other useful biorenewable feedstocks are pyrolysis oils. Bauer discloses in paragraph 0021, in order to improve catalyst dispersion in the hydroconversion reaction zone, the catalyst may be premixed with a cutting stock to form a catalyst slurry prior to the addition of the catalyst into the reaction zone or into combination which one or more of the hydroconversion reaction zone feed streams. The cutting stock(s) may be any type of material known in the art for creating a catalyst feed slurry. In the present invention, one useful cutting oil is a pyrolysis oil or any other type of biorenewable oil that is useful in the present invention. In another alternative, the cutting stock may be a hydroconversion reaction zone recycle stream, byproduct or product stream material. In yet another alternative, the cutting stock may be an inexpensive light oil such as mineral oil. Bauer discloses in paragraph 0022, the catalyst used in the methods and processes may be any catalyst that is known to be useful in a hydroconversion reaction process and in particular slurry phase hydroconversion reaction processes. The hydroconversion reactor and reaction zone includes an active hydroconversion catalyst. However, the catalyst feed can include an active catalyst and/or catalyst precursor ingredients. In other words, the catalyst feed does not have to include an active catalyst. Instead, the catalyst feed may include ingredient(s) that react together or that react with ingredients in the combined feed or in the hydroconversion reactor to form an active hydroconversion catalyst in the hydroconversion reaction zone. Bauer discloses in paragraph 0023, some examples of useful classes of hydroconversion catalysts include, but are not limited to, heterogeneous solid powder catalysts, homogeneous water soluble dispersed catalysts, oil soluble dispersed catalysts, and homogenous solid powder catalysts. Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts may in particular be metals such as cobalt, molybdenum, nickel, iron, vanadium, tin, copper, ruthenium and other Group IV-VIII transition metal containing catalysts. Fine catalytic powders such as powdered coals and limonite may be used as well. The metals can be added to the hydroconversion reaction zone in many forms including as metal salts like ammonium heptamolybdate, and iron sulfate. The metals can be added as oil or water soluble species. Bauer discloses in paragraph 0026, the catalysts may be used alone or they may be further enhanced by adding small amounts of promoters and other well know catalyst additives such as small percentages of at least one active metal such as palladium, platinum, nickel, tungsten or mixtures thereof. Bauer discloses in paragraph 0029, additional additives can be added to or combined with the catalyst in order to improve combined feed conversion. For example, it might be useful to associate the catalyst with non-metallic refractory materials like carbon absorbents, silica, alumina, clays and similar materials. The catalysts may be associated with the refracting materials by well-known methods such as impregnation, dry mixing, adding the catalyst and refracting materials separately into the reaction zone and so forth. Other known additives that enhance catalytic activity or that inhibit catalyst deactivation can also be added to the catalyst or to the hydroconversion reaction zone. Bauer discloses in paragraph 0031, the hydroconversion reaction zone may be selected from any type of hydroconversion reactor that is useful for converting low value heavy hydrocarbons into high value lighter hydrocarbons. The hydroconversion reaction zone may include a fixed bed catalyst or it may include a dynamic catalyst bed such as an ebulated bed, fluidized bed or slurry bed of catalyst. In general, it is anticipated that fixed bed catalyst systems will not be very useful in processing the combined feeds of the present invention because the biorenewable hydrocarbons feedstock will typically be a solid particulate material that will quickly foul the catalyst and plug the reactor. A fixed catalyst bed hydroconversion reaction process may be used where a very small amount, such as a surfactant acting amount or slightly more of the biorenewable feedstock is introduced into the hydroconversion reaction zone. Otherwise, the hydroconversion reaction zone will preferably be a dynamic catalyst bed reaction zone such as a fluidized bed, ebulated bed or slurry phase catalyst containing reaction zone. The claimed invention is anticipated by the reference because the reference teaches a composition which comprises all of the claimed components. In the alternative, no patentable distinction is seen to exist between the reference and the claimed invention absent evidence to the contrary . Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Urade et al. (US 2017/0009143) discloses in paragraph 0017, liquid hydrocarbon fuels with improved specifications can be obtained from solid feedstocks comprising biomass and/or waste plastics in an efficient process comprising subjecting said feedstocks to hydropyrolysis and hydroconversion steps, separating a liquid C4+ hydrocarbon product and subjecting at least a portion of said liquid C4+ hydrocarbon product to a hydroprocessing step in the presence of one or more catalysts comprising a reduced metal on a solid support. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LATOSHA D HINES whose telephone number is (571)270-5551. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM. 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. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Prem Singh can be reached at 571-272-6381. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /Latosha Hines/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/853,343 Page 2 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/853,343 Page 3 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/853,343 Page 4 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/853,343 Page 5 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/853,343 Page 6 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/853,343 Page 7 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/853,343 Page 8 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/853,343 Page 9 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/853,343 Page 10 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/853,343 Page 11 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/853,343 Page 12 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/853,343 Page 13 Art Unit: 1771
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