Appeal No. 95-3464
Application 08/075,857
the crosslinking is accelerated in the presence of a silanol
condensation catalyst (col. 2, lines 57-65). Premature curing
of the silane copolymer or silane-modified polyethylene is
prevented by keeping pellets of a masterbatch of a carrier
polymer containing the silanol condensation catalyst separate
from pellets of the blend of the terpolymer rubber and the
silane copolymer or silane-modified polyethylene prior to
molding or extrusion of the blend into the desired shape (col.
3, lines 39-48). The product of the molding or extrusion is
cured by immersing it in hot water (col. 3, lines 51-53).
The examiner points out that both Asanuma’s catalyst and
appellants’ catalyst can be palladium or platinum, and argues
that because these catalysts and the other materials are the
same in both Asanuma’s method and that of appellants, then if
crosslinking takes place in appellants’ method, it must take
place in Asanuma’s method (answer, pages 3-4). Thus, the
examiner argues, one of ordinary skill in the art would have
been motivated to use Topcik’s pelletization method to keep
Asanuma’s catalyst separate from the silane copolymer to
prevent premature curing (answer, page 3).
Asanuma does not mention crosslinking, but since
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