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 .
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-12, 14 and 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhan et al (US 2023/0191381) in view of Ding et al (US 2021/0170376).
With respect to claim 1, Zhan discloses a method of cracking a hydrocarbon feed, the method comprising:
contacting the hydrocarbon feed with a catalyst in the presence of molecular hydrogen to crack at least a portion of the hydrocarbon feed to form a product (see paragraph 0011);
wherein the catalyst comprises:
from 0.1 wt.% to 40 wt.% of a zeolite Beta (see paragraph 0012);
from 30 wt.% to 80 wt.% of amorphous silica alumina (see paragraph 0012);
from 0.1 wt.% to 40 wt.% of porous alumina (see paragraph 0012); and
from 0.1 wt.% to 90 wt.% of one or more metal oxides (see paragraph 0045); and
wherein the hydrocarbon feed (VGO) has a 5 wt.% boiling point from 250 °C to 500 °C (689°F, which is about 365°C, see paragraph 0112, Table 3) and a 95 wt.% boiling point from 450 °C to 650 °C (1010°F, which is about 543°C, see paragraph 0112, Table 3).
Zhang fails to disclose wherein the zeolite Beta comprises an average particle size less than or equal to 100 nm, as claimed.
However, in a related process for producing a hydrocracking catalyst, Ding discloses a process for forming composite of nano-sized zeolite beta, having a particle size of less than 100nm and hierarchical zeolite Y (see abstract and paragraph 0004), wherein the catalyst comprises alumina and other metal sources, such as metal oxides (see paragraph 0020) and such that the combination of the Zeolite Y and nano-sized zeolite beta have a synergistic effect increases conversion over conventionally sized hydrocracking catalyst (see paragraph 0011).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Zhang in view of Ding with the claimed zeolite Beta comprises an average particle size less than or equal to 100 nm, as the combination of the Zeolite Y and nano-sized zeolite beta have a synergistic effect increases conversion over conventionally sized hydrocracking catalyst.
With respect to claim 2, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1.
Zhang further discloses wherein the hydrocarbon feed has an initial boiling point from about 330 °C and a final boiling point from 587°C (see paragraph 0112, from about 626 to 1089°F) .
With respect to claim 3, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1.
Zhang further discloses wherein the product comprises greater than or equal to 35 wt.% of hydrocarbons having a boing point in a range of from (150°C to 375 °C) 302° to 707°F (see paragraph 0114, samples C and D).
With respect to claim 4, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1.
Zhang further discloses wherein the product comprises greater than or equal to 40 wt.% of hydrocarbons having a boing point in a range of from (150°C to 375 °C) 302° to 707°F (see paragraph 0114, samples C and D).
With respect to claim 5, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1.
Zhang further discloses wherein the product comprises greater than or equal to 20 wt.% of hydrocarbons having a boing point in a range of from (250°C to 375 °C) 482° to 707°F (see paragraph 0114, samples C and D).
With respect to claim 6, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1.
The prior combination further discloses wherein the catalyst comprises from 0.1 wt.% to 1 wt.% of the zeolite Beta having a particle size of less than or equal to 100 nm (see Zhang paragraph 0012).
With respect to claim 7, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1.
Zhang further discloses wherein the catalyst comprises from 50 wt.% to 60 wt.% of the amorphous silica alumina (see paragraph 0012).
With respect to claim 8, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1.
Zhang further discloses wherein the catalyst comprises from 10 wt.% to 20 wt.% of porous alumina (see paragraph 0012).
With respect to claim 9, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1.
Zhang further discloses wherein the one or more metal oxides comprise:
nickel oxide in an amount of from 0 wt.% to 10 wt.%, based on the total weight of the catalyst; and tungsten trioxide in an amount of from 15 wt.% to 25 wt.%, based on the total weight of the catalyst (see paragraph 0044-0045).
With respect to claim 10, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1.
Ding further discloses wherein the zeolite Beta has a surface area greater than or equal to 100 m2/g (see Ding paragraph 0065, table 2).
With respect to claim 11, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1.
Ding further discloses wherein the zeolite Beta has a surface area of 555 m2/g (see Ding paragraph 0065, table 2).
With respect to claim 12, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1.
Ding further discloses wherein the zeolite Beta has a total pore volume of 0.54 mL/g (see Ding paragraph 0065, table 2).
With respect to claim 14, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1.
Ding further discloses wherein the zeolite Beta has an average pore size of 18 nm (see Ding paragraph 0065, table 2).
With respect to claim 17, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1.
Zhang further discloses wherein the zeolite Beta comprises from 0 wt.% to 5 wt.% of a combination of phosphorus, boron, titanium, and zirconium (see paragraph 0044-0045).
With respect to claim 18, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1.
Zhang further discloses wherein the amorphous silica alumina comprises a mass ratio of alumina to silica of from 95:5 to 30:70 (see paragraph 0016).
With respect to claim 19, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1.
Zhang further discloses wherein the one or more metal oxides comprise a metal selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, and nickel, molybdenum, and tungsten, and combinations thereof (see paragraph 0044-0045).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang and Ding as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Camblor et al (Characterization of nanocrystalline zeolite Beta, 1998).
With respect to claim 16, the prior combination teaches the limitation of claim 1.
The prior combination is silent to the crystallinity of zeolite Beta.
However, in a relevant study, characterizing the crystallinity of the nanosized zeolite Beta, Camblor discloses wherein crystallinity of nanosized zeolite Beta is greater than 90% (see parge 61, table 1).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date to modify the prior combination with the claimed crystallinity in view Camblor, as said characteristics are conventional in nanosized zeolite Beta.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13,15 and 20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With respect to claim 13 and 20, the closest prior art, Zhang et al (US 2023/0191381) and Ding et al (US 2021/0170376) disclose wherein the zeolite Beta has a surface area greater than or equal to 180 m2/g (see Ding, paragraph 0065, table 2);
the zeolite Beta has an average pore size of about 18 nm (see Ding, paragraph 0065, table 2);
the amorphous silica alumina comprises a mass ratio of alumina to silica of from 10:90 to 30:70 (see Zhang paragraph 0016); and
the product comprises greater than or equal to 35 wt.% of hydrocarbons having a boiling point from (150°C to 375 °C) 302° to 707°F (see Zhang paragraph 0114, samples C and D).
The closest prior art fails to teach or suggest to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date to modify the hydrocracking catalyst with the zeolite Beta has a total pore volume from 0.5 mL/g to 1.0 mL/g.
With respect to claim 15, the closest prior art Ding fails to teach or suggest to one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date to modify the hydrocracking catalyst with the zeolite Beta having an average pore size less than or equal to 2 nm.
Conclusion
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/JUAN C VALENCIA/ Examiner, Art Unit 1771
/PREM C SINGH/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1771
