Appeal No. 96-2884
Application No. 08/181,997
iron oxide, which form more readily converts to iron carbide. In the second step the hematite
form of iron oxide, Fe O , is treated with a five species gas system, CO, CO CH H and2 3 2, 4 , 2,
H O, to directly convert Fe O to iron carbide. Stephens employs a fluidized bed as his2 2 3
reactor in his conversion processes.
The rejections
III. Claims 1, 5, 6, 9, 14, 15, 18 and 19 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(b) as
anticipated by Okamura. We reverse this rejection.
The examiner contends that Okamura teaches reducing an iron feed free of
iron carbide with hydrogen gas then with methane and/or CO and/or hydrogen. The
examiner’s contention is a short hand explanation which basically would indicate that
Okamura describes seven different gas or gas combinations. According to the examiner,
Okamura describes the use of (1) methane alone, (2) carbon monoxide alone, (3) hydrogen
alone, (4) the combination of methane and carbon monoxide, (5) the combination of carbon
monoxide and hydrogen, (6) the combination of methane and hydrogen and (7) the
combination of methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen as the gas or gases in the second
step of his process. We focus our attention of gas combination (7) with respect to claim 1
and the rejection before us since claim 1 requires in the second step a combination of gases,
to include, (a) carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane (b) carbon dioxide, hydrogen and
methane and (c) carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and methane.
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