Appeal 1997-1635
Application 08/319,667
"before the treatment by distillation." It does not say the
sulfonic acid group-containing compound must be present during
distillation! Nor, contrary to counsel's argument, does the
sulfonic acid group-containing compound have to present along
with the amine. A cursory dusting of the specification will
reveal that applicants state that the organic sulfonic acid
may "be added before" the amine. There is nothing in the
specification which would preclude sequential treatment
beginning with the organic sulfonic acid followed by
distillation followed by addition of amine followed by a
second distillation. There is nothing in the specification
which requires the organic sulfonic acid to be present when
any amine is removed by distillation albeit a preferred method
may involve the joint presence of a sulfonic acid and an amine
at the time of distillation.
We would also note that the language "organic sulfonic
acid" as used in the specification would not appear to exclude
an organic sulfonic acid ion-exchange resin of the type
described by Japan. "[S]trongly acidic cation-exchange resins
having sulfonic acid groups" (Japan, page 4, second paragraph)
are organic sulfonic acids.
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