Appeal No. 1998-1278
Application No. 08/603,186
with an aqueous solution which contains an
alkanol amine absorbent-reactant; circulating
the solution from the contactor to a
regeneration step wherein the CO2 is released from
the absorbent, the CO2 recovered and the essentially
CO2 free absorbent recycled to the contactor . . . .
[See column 4, lines 54-68, together with column 2,
lines 10-37 and column 2, line 66 to column 3, line 14.]
Any absorbents, including “monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine
(DEA), triethanolamine (TEA), methyl diethanolamine (MDEA),
sulfolane, diisopropylamine (DIPA) and the like,” may be
employed. See column 2, lines 19-50. We recognize that Pearce
does not specifically mention using the claimed sterically
hindered amine as an absorbent for removing carbon dioxide from
the industrial gases.
However, the examiner finds that both Sartori and Lam teach
using an absorbent containing the claimed hindered amines useful
for absorbing carbon dioxide. See the Answer, pages 6 and 11.
We find that Sartori, for example, teaches (column 3, lines 32-39
together with columns 1 and 2 and column 3, lines 48-57) that:
In copending U.S. application Ser. No. 590,427,
filed June 26, 1975, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference, there is
disclosed and claimed sterically hindered amine
compositions useful for scrubbing acid gases.
These sterically hindered amines, unexpectedly
improve the efficiency, effectiveness and working
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