Appeal No. 94-3846
Application 07/891,376
This is a decision on an appeal from the final rejection of claims 1 through 11
which are all of the claims in the application.
The subject matter on appeal relates to a process for preparing a fluid absorbent
polymer which comprises isolating polymer particles having hydrophobic surfaces from
the organic phase in which they were formed and coating the polymer particles with a
hydrophilic material in the absence of an organic solvent so as to render the polymer
surface hydrophilic. Further details of this appealed subject matter are set forth in
illustrative claim 1 which reads as follows:
1. In a process for preparing a fluid absorbent polymer wherein an ethylenically
unsaturated monomer mixture is dispersed as droplets in an inert organic phase
containing a hydrophobic suspending agent, such droplets being polymerized to form
polymer particles whereupon a portion of the hydrophobic suspending agent remains
on the surface of the polymer rendering the polymer surface hydrophobic, the
improvement comprising isolating the polymer particles from the organic phase and
coating the polymer particles with a hydrophilic material in the absence of an organic
solvent, such as to render the polymer surface hydrophilic.
The references relied upon by the examiner’s evidence of obviousness are:
Yamasaki et al. (Yamasaki) 4,459,396 Jul. 10, 1984
Yasui et al. (Yasui) 4,799,911 Mar. 5, 1991
Claims 1 through 11 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being
unpatentable over Yasui alone or further in view of Yamasaki.
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