Appeal No. 1998-3158
Application No. 08/467,634
about 125EC”, such as aramid fibers, polyester fibers and
glass fibers (col. 6, lines 17-22). A binder which holds the
fibers together in the nonwoven fabric is made by mixing a
polymer having carboxy, anhydride or carboxy salt groups with
either a $-hydroxyalkylamide or a polymer prepared from a
$-hydroxyalkylamide (col. 3, lines 15-19), and curing the
composition at about 125EC to about 400EC (col. 6, lines 26-
28). The polymer having carboxy, anhydride or carboxy salt
groups may have at least two such groups, and the carboxy
group-containing polymer may be neutralized, all or in part,
with a base such as ammonia, sodium hydroxide or an amine
(col. 3, lines 48-60; col. 6, line 56). The
$-hydroxyalkylamide is one of appellants’ polyols
(specification, page 13, line 13). The ratio of hydroxy
groups to carboxy, anhydride or carboxy salt groups is 0.5:1
to 2:1, and ratios outside this range can be used (col. 5,
lines 30-42). The $-hydroxyalkylamide is an efficient curing
agent and, therefore, a curing catalyst is not needed (col. 4,
lines 1-4; col. 6, lines 32-33). Arkens does not disclose
appellants’ phosphorous-containing accelerator.
Welch discloses esterification catalysts for crosslinking
4
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