Appeal No. 95-3985
Application No. 08/016,644
id. Hence, there is no teaching in Bowers that enables one to
generalize from irradiation of his copolymers to
fluoropolymers in general. The examiner’s contention that
fluoropolymers are homologous is not supported.
Moreover, patentee’s statement that either degradation
or crosslinking may be obtained is supported by a teaching in
Table VI, bridging columns 7 and 8, that polytetra-
fluoroethylene and polyhexafluoro-propylene both degrade when
subjected to high energy ionizing radiation at temperatures in
excess of their glass transition temperature , the former 4
having a decreased melt viscosity and the latter a
substantially lowered inherent viscosity. Accordingly, we
find that the person having ordinary skill in the art
following the teachings of Bowers with respect to irradiation
at temperatures in excess of the glass transition temperature
would not have known whether the fluoropolymers would have
degraded or crosslinked.
Finally, the examiner’s assertion that, “[A]ppellants’
claims encompass fluoropolymers containing terminally
4 Polymer Handbook, J Brandrup et al., III-64 to III-65,
Interrscience Publishers, New York, 1966.
8
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