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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claims 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fashandi et al., Synthesis of Ti3AuC2, Ti3Au2C2 and Ti3IrC2 by noble metal substitution reaction in Ti3SiC2 for high-temperature-stable Ohmic contacts to SiC, NATURE MATERIALS, VOL 16, AUGUST 2017 pp. 814-819 (hereinafter “Fashandi”).
Regarding claim 1, Fashandi teaches a MAX phase material (see first sentence). Fashandi teaches that the Ti3AuC2 phase is formed (see pp. 814 and 815). Fashandi teaches that the Ti3AuC2 phase is formed by out-diffusion of Si from a Ti3SiC2 that forms an amorphous SiO2 on the surface (see p 815).
The Ti3AuC2 material meets the limitation of a Mn+1AuqA(1-q)Xn phase, wherein q=1 and n=2. The material is a composite either by the layered nature of the material (see Fig 1), or by the fact that a SiO2 amorphous phase be present in the surface (p. 814-815).
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 7572313 B2
(hereinafter “Barsoum”).
Regarding claim 1, Barsoum teaches a turbomachinery component having a substrate, comprising metal and a MAX phase material (See Summary). More specifically Barsoum teaches a substrate having a surface, which consists essentially of a composite of at least one metal and at least one compound having the chemical formula Mn+1AXn (see claim 1). Barsoum teaches that the metal is selected from silver or gold (See claim 1). Barsoum teaches numerous examples of the MAX phase composites which use silver as the metal (cols 6-7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time of invention to have selected gold out of the choices of silver and gold, because Barsoum teaches that these are each suitable for the purpose. The simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results would have been prima facie obvious to a skilled artisan.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER S KESSLER whose telephone number is (571)272-6510. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5:30.
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CHRISTOPHER S. KESSLER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1734
/CHRISTOPHER S KESSLER/Examiner, Art Unit 1759
