Appeal No. 95-2245
Application No. 08,011,563
According to page 1 of the specification, “a chloride process”
means:
An example of a manufacturing process which produces
sulfur as a by-product is the preparation of
titanium dioxide pigments via vapor phase oxidation
of titanium tetrachloride (the so-called chloride
process). In this process titanium-containing ores
or slags are chlorinated in a reducing atmosphere in
a reactor at about 1000 C. Carbonaceous materials,o
such as petrol coke are used as a reducing agent.
The gas mixture leaving the reactor contains besides
the metal chlorides (particularly titanium
tetrachloride and various metal chlorides), coke,
unreacted ore, silicon dixoide, carbon dioxide,
carbon monoxide, nitrogen, hydrogen chloride and,
because of the sulfur content of the coke, carbonyl
sulfide. After further treatment, the exhaust gas
is burned before introduction into the atmoshphere
because of its carbon monoxide content; in this
burning, carbonyl sulfide is converted into sulfur
dioxide and carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide. The
sulfur compound must be removed from the exhaust
gases under existing regulations.
The language in claim 1 also clearly requires that sintered
titanium dioxide recovered as a by-product from this chloride
process be used as a catalyst. Under this circumstance, we do
not believe that it can seriously be contended that the
artisan would not understand the meaning of “a chloride
process that has a by-product of titanium dioxide”.
Accordingly, we reverse the examiner’s decision rejecting
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