Appeal No. 2002-0864
Application 09/022,817
chloride, in the admittedly known method as modified and/or
explained by Kato and Tabata. However, we determine that the
combined teachings of these prior art references would not have
resulted in the claimed invention inasmuch as they would have
suggested the desirability of converting mercury and/or mercury
compounds in a boiler gas to mercury chloride before denitrating
it in the presence of ammonia and a specific denitrating
catalyst.
In reaching this determination, we have also considered
the teachings of Ando relied upon by both the examiner and the
appellants. See the Answer, page 8, and the Brief, pages 4-5.
While Ando teaches and/or suggests that a temperature applicable
to a non-catalytic denitration reaction step (reacting nitrogen
oxides with ammonia in the absence of a catalyst) is equally
applicable to a temperature for converting mercury/mercury
compounds into mercury chloride (chlorination)(see page A39),
it does not teach or suggest that both the above-mentioned
chlorination and denitration reactions can be carried out
simultaneously in the presence of a specific denitration catalyst
(see Ando in its entirety). Specifically, the examiner has not
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