Appeal No. 1996-0167
Application No. 08/082,107
in the present application. Claim 33 is illustrative:
33. A process for the preparation of alumina agglomerates comprising
(I) preparing a ground or unground powder of active alumina having a
poorly crystalline structure, an amorphous structure or an admixture of
said structures;
(ii) agglomerating said active alumina powder to form alumina
agglomerates;
(iii) combining at least one acid capable of dissolving a portion of
said alumina agglomerates with a different compound from said acid
capable of providing an anion which will combine with aluminum ions
in solution to form an aqueous treatment medium having less than
50% by weight of said compound providing an anion, and subjecting
said agglomerates to an aqueous medium treatment by contacting
said agglomerates with said aqueous treatment medium;
(iv) subjecting the combined agglomerates and the aqueous
treatment medium to a hydrothermal treatment by heating wherein the
combination of said aqueous medium treatment and hydrothermal
treatment increases the porosity of the agglomerates by expansion;
and then
(v) thermally activating the agglomerates with essentially no loss of
alumina agglomerates treated as a result of the combination of steps
(iii)-(v).
The examiner relies upon the following reference as evidence of obviousness:
Schmerling 2,651,617 Sep. 08, 1953
Appellants' claimed invention is directed to a process for preparing alumina
agglomerates. The process involves, inter alia, treating the alumina agglomerates with
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