Appeal No. 1999-2506
Application No. 08/545,254
references.” See Brief, pages 10-13. Accordingly, we select claim 7, one of the independent
claims as representative of the claimed subject matter before us and limit our consideration
thereto. See 37 CFR § 1.192 (c)(7)(1998).
Rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a)
Hasegawa discloses a process for the polymerization of an ethylene, alpha olefin
copolymer at a polymerization temperature not lower than 120oC as required by the claimed
subject matter. See Abstract and page 2. We find that the catalyst comprises both a
metallocene compound and an organoaluminum compound which is capable of changing the
metallocene compound into cationic form. Id. The specific metallocene compounds are
disclosed on page 2, line 33 through page 4, line 3 and claim 1. Claim 1 is directed to a
metallocene compound of formulas (I) and (2). We directed our findings to formula (1).
We find that the metallocene compound is a hafnium compound. See claim 1. We find that
the hafnium compound is connected to moieties Cp1 and Cp2 which are independently
cyclopentadienyl or fluorenyl moieties. Id. We find that a bridging moiety R1 connecting
both Cp moieties includes dialkylsilanediyl among a limited number of bridging moieties. Id.
We further find that the catalyst comprises an organo aluminum compound which reacts with
the metallocene compound to form a cationic metallocene compound. Id. See also page 3,
line 38 to page 4, line 23.
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