Appeal No. 1997-0722
Application 08/364,589
solids (e.g., poultry farm waste water enriched with fat, oil,
blood and other solids) by treatment with a vinylamine polymer
defined by the claim language as "including from about 1 to
about 99 mole percent vinylamine and from about 1 to about 99
mole percent of at least one monomer selected from the group
consisting of amidine, vinylformamide, vinyl alcohol, vinyl
acetate, vinyl pyrrolidinone, and the esters, amides, nitriles
and salts of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid" (appealed
claim 1 emphasis added). Such treatment effects the
coagulating and flocculating of the suspended solids in the
waste water thereby enabling the separation of such solids
therefrom. Appellants contend (brief, page 3) that the use
the claimed vinylamine polymer produces "a more effective
flocculation" as compared to currently used acrylamide-based
polymers.
Claim 1 is representative and is reproduced below:
1. A method for clarifying food processing waste water
containing suspended solids comprising the step of treating
the food processing waste with an effective amount of at least
one vinylamine polymer, the polymer having a molecular weight
-2-
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