Appeal No. 2007-0093 Page 2
Application No. 10/924,119
the presence of an organic complexing ligand[s].” Id., page 1, lines 17-19. “According
to the prior art, DMC catalysts are prepared e.g. by mixing aqueous solutions of a metal
salt (preferably of a zinc salt, such as e.g. zinc chloride) and a metal cyanide salt (e.g.
potassium hexacyanocobaltate) in the presence of an organic complexing ligand
(preferably tert-butanol).” Id., page 1, line 29-page 2, line 1. The resulting catalyst is
isolated by centrifugation or filtration, and then washed with an aqueous solution
comprising the organic complexing ligand. Id., page 2, lines 2-5. “According to the prior
art the further washing steps are also carried out by redispersing with subsequent
isolation of the catalyst. Finally, the DMC catalyst must be dried. This form of catalyst
preparation is exceptionally time-consuming and cost-intensive.” Id., page 2, lines 12-
15. Appellants have found that “highly active DMC catalysts can be obtained by a
considerably simplified process” in which the catalyst is separated by filtration to form a
filter cake, and then washing the filter cake, without re-dispersing it. Id., page 2, lines
20-31.
Discussion
Claim status
Claims 12-19, which are all the pending claims, are on appeal. Brief, page 2.
The claims stand or fall together because Appellants did not provide separate reasons
for patentability for any of the individual claims. 37 CFR § 41.37(c)(vii). We select claim
12 as representative:
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