Appeal No. 1999-1833 6
Application No. 08/480,728
examiner’s conclusion that “[i]t would be obvious [sic] [it would have been obvious] to
contact the catalyst of Kioka with a lithium cyclopentadienide or lithium indene.” See
Answer, page 3.
The Numao reference is directed to a catalyst composition utilized in the
polymerization of olefins, wherein the catalyst comprises an alkali metal salt of
cyclopentadiene or indene. See Abstract, column 1, line 54 to column 2, line 23, column
8, line 50 to column 10, line 10 and column 10, lines 45 to column 11, line 65.
Numao however, is directed to a unitary catalytic system obtained by combining numerous
components. There is no specific teaching or suggestion that the polyolefin obtained
having a high molecular weight results from the addition of lithium cyclopentadiene or
lithium indene to the catalyst. Accordingly, we conclude that there is no motivation to
add the lithium compounds disclosed by Numao to the catalyst system of Kioka.
In contrast, we find that Raich discloses a method for the polymerization of isotactic
polypropylene wherein the presence of alkali metal cyclopentadienide substantially reduces
the formation of atactic polypropylene. See Example I and II. We further find that in the
prior polymerization of propylene with a heterogeneous catalyst system comprising TiCl3
with aluminum trialkyl such as AlEt3 there is a substantial portion
of amorphous or atactic polymer formed. See column 1, lines 16-22. In comparison, we
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