Appeal No. 1996-3990 Page 2
Application No. 08/145,239
atoms with a specified ratio of methyl to non-methyl carbon
atoms. The weight ratio of component A to B in the claimed
composition is required to be within the range of 10:1 to 1:3.
According to appellants (brief, pages 4 and 5), the claimed
composition has improved hydrolytic stability and selectivity
in extracting copper values from aqueous solutions of metal
salts. An understanding of the invention can be derived from
a reading of exemplary claim 20, which is reproduced below.
20. A composition for use in extracting copper values
from aqueous solutions of metal salts which comprises
A) one or more o-hydroxyaryloximes containing at
least 5 aliphatic or alicyclic carbon atoms which are
strong metal extractants which, in 0.2 molar solution in an
aliphatic hydrocarbon solution when loaded with 50% of the
theoretical uptake of copper, will be in equilibrium with a
0.1 molar solution of copper as copper perchlorate at a pH
less than 1: and
B) one or more branched chain aliphatic or
aliphatic- aromatic esters containing 10 to 30 carbon
atoms, wherein the ratio of the number of methyl carbon
atoms to the number of non-methyl carbon atoms is higher
than 1:5, the weight ratio of A to B being in the range
10:1 to 1:3.
The prior art references of record relied upon by the
examiner in rejecting the appealed claims are:
Shanton 4,567,498 Jan. 28, 1986
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