Appeal No. 2003-0715
Application No. 09/873,806
pending claim, remains withdrawn from further consideration
pursuant to 37 CFR § 1.142(b) (1959).1
The subject matter on appeal relates to a process for
cleaning weak acid cation exchange resins. Regarding their
invention, the appellants allege (specification, page 4, lines
9-12): “We have found that selected steam treatment at a
specified point in the processing of the weak acid cation
exchange resin is critical to providing a final weak acid cation
exchange resin useful as a component in potable water treatment
systems...” Further details of this appealed subject matter are
recited in representative claims 1 and 7 reproduced below:
1. A process for cleaning weak acid cation
exchange resins comprising:
(a) converting a weak acid cation exchange
resin, substantially in neutralized salt
form, to a hydrogen-form weak acid cation
exchange resin by regenerating with an acid
regenerant; and
(b) contacting the hydrogen-form weak acid
cation exchange resin with 1 to 15 kilograms
of steam per kilogram of hydrogen-form weak
acid cation exchange resin at a resin bed
temperature of 100 to 180°C for a period of
at least one hour.
7. The process of claim 1 further comprising
contacting the hydrogen-form weak acid cation exchange
1 The appellants’ statement in the appeal brief (filed Aug.
5, 2002, paper 13, p. 1) regarding the status of claims is
erroneous.
2
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