Appeal 2007-3548
Application 10/627,947
binding compound to bind a metal cation, and a sorbent to sorb the
compound and allow the compound and the metal cation bound thereto to be
removed from the acidic solution. The Specification states: “granular
activated carbon and a benzotriazole may be added to a metal containing
solution, such as an acid mine drainage, or industrial wastewater, in order to
coordinate the bind [to] the metal with benzotriazole, and sorb the
benzotriazole to the activated carbon, and remove the resulting three
component granular structures by settling, filtering, or other solid separation
technique common to the wastewater treatment arts” (Specification 18,
¶ 101).
Appellants describe the suitability of using the claimed invention in
specific acidic solutions as follows:
Experiments indicate that the metal binding compounds
and sorbents may be used in combination to remove metals
from a strongly acidic aqueous solution having a pH between
about 2-3, or a moderately acidic solution having a pH between
about 3-5, or a mildly acidic solution having a pH between
about 5-7. Many terrestrial waters affected by acid mine
drainage are strongly or moderately acidic as are many
industrial wastewaters. Advantageously, this means that such
acidic waters may be treated by the present invention without,
or without significant, pH adjustments. Experiments also
indicate that the present invention may be used to remove metal
ions from solution, such as copper, zinc, cobalt, nickel, gold,
and lead, from acid waters having a temperature between about
1-30°C or more favorably between about 5-15°C.
(Specification 21, ¶ 111).
Thus, in the present case, a solution having a pH ranging from 2-
7 is an acidic solution.
Activated carbon is one example of a sorbent suitable for use in the
present invention. The Specification discloses that activated carbon is used
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Last modified: September 9, 2013