Appeal No. 2003-2012
Application No. 09/981,454
the oxygen reactant. Further details concerning this appealed
subject matter are set forth in representative independent claim
16 which reads as follows:
16. A process to manufacture vinyl acetate in a fluid-
bed reactor containing feed stream inlets and gas outlets,
in which a mixture comprising ethylene, acetic acid and an
oxygen-containing gas is contacted with a particulate fluid-
bed catalyst, comprising:
(a) introducing feed to the reactor in more than one
inlet such that a feed stream primarily containing ethylene,
acetic acid, or a mixture thereof does not contain oxygen
within flammability limits, and such that a feed stream
primarily containing an oxygen–containing gas does not
contain hydrocarbons within flammability limits;
(b) controlling the amount of oxygen entering the
reactor such that the outlet gas mixture is outside
flammability limits; and
(c) recovering vinyl acetate.
The references set forth below are relied upon by the
examiner as evidence of obviousness:
Calcagno et al. (Calcagno) 3,714,237 Jan. 30, 1973
Sennewald et al. (Sennewald ‘623) 1 266 623 Mar. 15, 1972
(published Great Britain Patent Application)
Sennewald et al. (Sennewald ‘624) 1 266 624 Mar. 15, 1972
(published Great Britain Patent Application)
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