Appeal No.96-2575
Application 08/051,886
use of silicon-nitrogen compounds of the recited formula.
Consequently, the examiner
relies upon the Kratel references for teaching a reaction of
appellants' silicon-nitrogen compounds with SiO . However, as
2
explained by appellants, the flaw in the examiner's reasoning
is that the Kratel references are not directed to reacting the
silicon-nitrogen compounds with a wet gel to form a xerogel,
as required by the appealed claims and disclosed by the
primary reference, McDaniel. While the examiner points to the
mention of aerogels and xerogels in the Kratel patents, the
references teach reacting the silicon-nitrogen compounds with
dehydrated silica gels or xerogels, not with wet inorganic
gels to form a xerogel. As properly noted by appellants, the
"fine-particle size SiO to be reacted with the organosilicon
2
compounds" (Kratel '487 at column 2, lines 32 and 33) is a
dry, dehydrated material, not a wet gel. In essence, whereas
appellants and McDaniel are directed to forming a xerogel from
an inorganic wet gel, the Kratel references are concerned with
modifying dry SiO (which can be already-formed xerogels) by a
2
3
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Last modified: November 3, 2007