Appeal No. 1998-2801
Application No. 08/789,160
heating and stirring the polychlorinated aromatic
compound or hydrocarbon oil containing the polychlorinated
aromatic compound and
adding potassium tert-butoxide to said
polychlorinated aromatic compound or hydrocarbon oil
containing said polychlorinated aromatic compound to conduct a
reaction therewith in the absence of a solvent and at a
temperature of from 100 to 300EC and remove chlorine from said
polychlorinated aromatic compound.
The examiner relies upon the following references as
evidence of obviousness:
Peterson 4,532,028 Jul. 30, 1985
Streck et al. (Streck) 4,776,947 Oct. 11, 1988
Appellants' claimed invention is directed to a method of
treating polychlorinated aromatic compounds, PCBs, by reacting
potassium tert-butoxide with the polychlorinated aromatic
compounds. The reaction removes chlorine from the
polychlorinated aromatic compound. Also, the reaction is
carried out in the absence of a solvent.
Appealed claims 23-26 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C.
§ 103 as being unpatentable over Streck in view of Peterson.
We have thoroughly reviewed the respective positions
advanced by appellants and the examiner. In so doing, we
concur with appellants that the applied prior art fails to
establish a prima facie case of obviousness for the claimed
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