Appeal No. 95-5125
Application No. 07/891,300
structure of ethylene oxide homopolymers. Polyethylene oxide
is defined in the art as a high molecular weight homopolymer
of ethylene oxide. Based upon the above considerations we2,3
determine polyethylene oxide to be a linear high molecular
weight homopolymer having repeating ethoxy units of the
structure
-(CH -CH -O-) -. By definition, a linear polymer is
2 2 n
necessarily free of side chains and crosslinking. Stated
otherwise, the introduction of side chains would necessarily
require the introduction of a unit other than an ethoxy
moiety. Similarly, crosslinking would likewise require the
introduction of an additional chemical moiety capable of
crosslinking or the use of an external agent such as a free
radical initiator or radiation, both of which necessarily
alter the polyethylene oxide structure set forth above.
Moreover, our interpretation is consistent with
appellant’s characterization of polyethylene oxide. They have
2 Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering, volume
6, page 226, lines 4-7 and 27-30, page 246, lines 1-3, John
Wiley & Sons, New York, 1985.
3 Poly(ethylene Oxide), page 1, lines 1-3, page 2, lines
1-2, Academic Press, New York, 1976.
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