Appeal 2006-2523
Application 10/206,496
one to three carbon atoms, which includes ethanol, citing col. 10, ll. 30-44
(Answer 5:5-9). The Examiner finds Adachi would have taught that the
alcohols used in the solvent are selected based on a hydrolysis rate which
forms the metal oxide on the substrate particles and not in solution, in which
respect the hydrolysis rate of titanium alkoxides is reduced in the disclosed
alcohol solutions, citing col. 5, ll. 3-57, and col. 6, ll. 38-50; and in contrast,
silicon alkoxides have a lower hydrolysis rate than titanium alkoxides and
thus, are used in a solvent of lower alcohols in such polymerization
processes, citing col. 6, ll. 30-44 (id. 5:9-21). The Examiner further finds
the hydrolysis rate of the metal precursor also increases with temperature as
described in the Background of the Invention (id. 6:1-2). The Examiner
determines one of ordinary skill in this art would have been led by Adachi to
select the alcohols, including mixtures thereof, in the solution and the
temperature of the polymerization to achieve an optimum hydrolysis rate
based on the metal alkoxide precursor employed (id. 6:2-8).
On this basis, the Examiner determines, prima facie, one of ordinary
skill in the art would have added other alcohols to the ethanol and other
alcohol containing solutions used in the prior art polymerization processes
described in the Background of the Invention as taught by Adachi and would
have increased the temperature at which that process is conducted in the
reasonable expectation that the metal oxide film is formed on the surface of
the substrate particles, not in solution, and at a higher rate (Answer 6:9-17).
The Examiner takes the position one of ordinary skill in the art following the
knowledge of the polymerization method in the prior art set forth in the
Background of the Invention and the teachings of Adachi would have
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