Appeal No. 2000-0316 5
Application No. 08/587,821
solution which is injected following the injection of the silane material can be any of the
well known fluorine-containing acidizing solutions comprising a mixture of (1) a first
acidizing component comprising a non-oxidizing mineral acid, an acid precursor, or a low
molecular weight organic acid or halogenated derivative thereof, and (2) a second acidizing
component comprising a fluorine-containing acid or salt.” See column 6, lines 58-65. We
find that the low molecular weight acids disclosed by Kalfayan include hydroxy carboxylic
acids within the scope of the composition. Kalfayan states that, “from 1 to about 6 carbon
atoms, such as formic, acetic, citric, propionic, and tartaric acids and mixtures thereof,”
are present in the composition. See column 7, lines 37-40. We further find that the
organic acid may be used in concentrations of 10 to 80% by weight. See column 7, lines
45-48. We conclude that the proportion of 10% organic acid falls within the scope of the
claimed subject matter. We find that suitable fluorine containing acid includes hydrofluoric
acid and fluorine containing salts. See column 7, lines 49-50. We find that hydrofluoric
acid is present in an amount of 3% by weight which is within the scope of claim 82. See
Examples 1 and 2.
Accordingly, there is a general disclosure for combining a low molecular weight
organic acid with hydrofluoric acid in the amount required by the claimed subject matter of
claims 26, 27, and 82.
In our view the presence of each of the requisite components, i.e., water,
hydrofluoric acid and a hydroxy carboxylic acid in amounts falling within the scope of
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