DETAILED ACTION
This is the initial Office action for application SN 19/099,077 having an effective date of 28 January 2925 and a provisional priority date of 03 August 2022. A preliminary amendment was filed on 28 January 2025. Claims 1-20 are pending. 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 § 112
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.
Claims 12-16 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.
In dependent claims 12-16, there is no proper antecedent basis for “The method of claim 11” since independent claim 11 is drawn to “A chemical recycling process…”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abbott et al (US 2022/0098491).
Abbott et al [“Abbott”] discloses the production of chemicals and plastics using pyrolysis oil from the pyrolysis of plastic waste as a chemicals feedstock or co-feedstock along with a petroleum-based, fossil fuel-based, or bio-based feedstock [0002].
In regard to claim 1, Abbott discloses in an aspect of the invention a method for producing recycled content para-xylene, the method comprising steps (a), (b) and (c).
Step (a) comprises removing nitrogen from a recycled content pyrolysis oil in a nitrogen removal unit to thereby provide a nitrogen-depleted product stream [0124]-[0189]. Abbott discloses that pyrolysis oil can be derived from the pyrolysis of a wide range of plastic wastes wherein the nitrogen content can be ≤2500 ppm, ≤3500 ppm, ≤4500 ppm, or any range between two of these recited values [0129]. Abbott discloses that the nitrogen content may be from 250 ppm to 1400 ppm [0169]. Thus, nitrogen may be removed from the pyrolysis oil to a desired concentration.
Step (b) comprises reforming at least a portion of the nitrogen-depleted product stream in a reformer unit to thereby provide an aromatics-containing stream. In another aspect of the invention, Abbott teaches that one of the processing units is a reforming unit wherein the output stream can comprise circular aromatic hydrocarbons in a higher concentration than is present in the primary processing unit feed [0267]-[0268].
Step (c) comprises processing at least a portion of the aromatics-containing stream in an aromatics complex to produce a recycled content para-xylene product stream [0241] comprising at least 85 weight % of para-xylene (inherent).
In regard to independent claim 11, Abbott discloses a method for producing recycled content para-xylene, the method comprising steps (a) and (c) wherein (a) comprises pyrolyzing waste plastic to produce a recycled content pyrolysis oil (r-pyoil) stream, and step (c) comprises removing nitrogen from at least a portion of the r-pyoil stream and/or at least a portion of the hydrotreated pyoil stream in a nitrogen removal unit to thereby provide a nitrogen-depleted product stream [0124]-[0189].
In regard to independent claim 17, Abbott discloses a method for producing a recycled content organic chemical compound (r-organic chemical compound), the method comprising: (a) introducing a recycled content reformate (r-reformate) stream into an aromatics complex, wherein the r-reformate stream is obtained by subjecting to reforming [0267]-[0268] a recycled content pyrolysis oil (r-pyoil) stream that has passed through a nitrogen removal process [0124]-[0189]; and (b) processing the r-reformate stream in the aromatics complex to provide an r-pX stream [0241] comprising at least 85 weight % para-xylene (inherent).
In regard to independent claim 17, Abbott discloses a method for producing a recycled content organic chemical compound (r-organic chemical compound), the method comprising (a) introducing a stream of recycled content paraxylene (r-pX) into a terephthalic acid (TPA) production facility, wherein a least a portion of the r-pX is obtained by subjecting to reforming a recycled content pyrolysis oil (r-pyoil) stream that has passed through a nitrogen removal process [0124]-[0189] to produce a recycled content reformate (r-reformate) stream and processing at least a portion of the r-reformate stream in an aromatics complex to produce the r-pX; and (b) processing at least a portion of the r-pX in the TPA production facility to provide recycled content purified terephthalic acid [0241].
The examiner is of the position that dependent claims 2-10, 12-16 and 18-19 do not appear to contain any additional features which, in combination with the features of the independent claims, result in an unobvious invention over the prior art to Abbott.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELLEN M MCAVOY whose telephone number is (571)272-1451. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:30am - 7:00 pm EST.
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/ELLEN M MCAVOY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1771
EMcAvoy
August 21, 2026
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