Appeal No. 1998-0558
Application No. 08/564,942
by oxidation and reduction steps, it is the examiner's
position that Yamasaki, who is also directed to the
isomerization of a C alkyl aromatic hydrocarbon-containing
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feedstock to produce paraxylene, evidences the obviousness of
appellant's catalyst activation procedure. We are in total
accord with the examiner's analysis of Yamasaki and the
conclusion of obviousness based thereof.
Yamasaki, at column 7, lines 19-44, discloses activation
of the catalyst by first oxidizing it in an nitrogen
atmosphere at a temperature preferably in the range of 200° to
600° C, which range totally encompasses the upper half of the
claimed increasing temperature range of from ambient up to
480°C. Also, the reference teaches that, prior to use, the
catalyst is subjected to a reducing atmosphere of hydrogen at
a temperature preferably in the range of 250° to 550°C, which
temperature range also embraces the claimed temperature of
340°C. Moreover,
Yamasaki discloses a regeneration, or re-activation, of the
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