Appeal No. 2001-1693 Page 2
Application No. 09/168,099
of the propene from the mixture formed in (c), and return of the remaining 1-butene and
isobutene resulting from step (d) to step (a). This appealed subject matter is
adequately illustrated by independent claim 2 which reads as follows:
2. A process for preparing propene by
a) reaction of a mixture containing 1-butene, 2-butene and isobutene to give a
product mixture containing propene, 2-pentene and 2-methyl-2-butene in the
presence of a metathesis catalyst comprising at least one compound of a metal
of transition group Vlb, VIIb or VIII of the Periodic Table of the Elements,
b) subsequent separation of the propene from the product mixture formed in a),
to give as product, either a mixture of 2-pentene and 2-methyl-2-butene or a
mixture of 2-pentene, 2-methyl-2-butene and small amounts of higher boiling
compounds,
c) subsequent reaction of said mixture of 2-pentene and 2-methyl-2-butene or said
mixture containing 2-pentene, 2-methyl-2-butene and small amounts of higher
boiling compounds from b, with ethene to give a mixture containing propene, 1-
butene and isobutene, or propene, 1-butene, isobutene and butanes, in the
presence of a metathesis catalyst comprising at least one compound of a metal
of transition group VIb, VIIb or VIII of the Periodic Table of the Elements,
d) subsequent separation of the propene from the mixture formed in step c,
e) subsequent return of the mixture of 1-butene and isobutene or mixture of 1-
butene, isobutene and butanes resulting from step d) to step a).
The references set forth below are relied upon by the examiner as evidence of
obviousness:
Reusser et al. (Reusser) 3,915,897 Oct. 28, 1975
Hepworth et al. (Hepworth) 4,187,362 Feb. 5, 1980
Jung et al. (Jung) 4,709,115 Nov. 24, 1987
Ambler et al. (Ambler) 5,304,615 Apr. 19, 1994
Alagy et al. (Alagy) 5,321,191 Jun. 14, 1994
Kelly
(European Patent Appln.) EP 0 691 318 A1 Oct. 1, 1996
Turner et al. (Turner)
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