Appeal No. 96-2885
Application No. 08/146,862
azeotrope-like compositions comprising HF and fluorocarbons
like the presently claimed CF CCl F, we fully concur with the
3 2
examiner that the claimed azeotrope or azeotrope-like
composition consisting essentially of hydrogen fluoride and
CC1 FCF would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in
2 3
the art.
Appellants contend that:
The feed stream [of Lee] can be any mixture of at
least one fluorocarbon and hydrogen fluoride that
results in a fluorocarbon/HF admixture that is
difficult to separate by conventional distillation
(see, Col. 4, lines 12-17); and does not have to be
at an azeotrope or azeotrope-like concentration
range, but merely capable of forming the difficult-
to-separate composition during distillation (see,
Col. 4, lines
27- 32).
See sentence bridging pages 6 and 7 of Brief. However, as
noted above, Lee expressly teaches that "this invention
provides a process for the separation of a difficult-to-
separate azeotrope or azeotrope-like composition consisting
essentially of hydrogen fluoride and a C -C fluorocarbon
1 3
composition" (sentence bridging columns 2 and 3).
Furthermore, we fail to perceive any meaningful distinction
between a so-called "azeotrope-like composition" and a
-4-
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