Appeal No. 1999-0808 Page 4
Application No. 08/645,397
process of forming a composite. The key passage of Figlarz encompassing col. 1, line 12 reads as
follows:
This invention pertains to a process of reduction in a liquid phase of solid metallic
compounds as well as the metallic powders which are obtained by this process.
It is known that metals are commonly used as powders for numerous
applications such as the preparation of fritted alloys, porous fritted parts ..., composite
parts .., or the preparation of electricity conducting glues ... or the preparation of
catalysts. Furthermore, magnetic metals in powder form can be used especially in the
manufacturing of magnetic strips, cards, tickets or disks.
It has now been discovered that it possible to obtain some metals in micronic
powder form through the reduction of various compounds of those metals with polyols.
Indeed, it has been discovered that polyols have sufficient reducing power to reduce the
initial reactants to the metal stage (oxidizing degree = 0).
The process of the invention therefore is useful, especially in the area of powder
metallurgy, ... for obtaining pure metals. (emphasis added)
(col. 1, lines 6-27). What the middle paragraph reproduced above discloses is simply a number of
intended uses for the end product single metal powder. Reading the rest of the reference, we find that
there is no disclosure of how to make composite parts nor any of the other parts mentioned in column
1, lines 8-12. There is only a description of how to make the powder and that description is limited to
making single metal powders. Dissolving or suspending at least two metal compounds in a polyol is
nowhere disclosed.
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