Appeal No. 2003-1529
Application No. 08/499,442
terms of the composition of the adsorption zone and the feedstock,
the adsorption zone of Bauer has an active alumina zone and a
molecular sieve zone which are operated the same as the claimed
adsorption zone, and estimates a ratio Q for Bauer of about 0.20
based on the entire column (id.). Therefore the examiner concludes
that the Bauer process inherently has a mass transfer zone and
equilibrium zone within the limits as claimed by appellants (id.;
see also the Answer, page 6).
Bauer discloses the drying of cracked gases such as a cracked
propane stream containing ethylene (col. 1, ll. 56-60). Appellant
discloses that the feedstock may be gases originating from steam
cracking or fluid catalytic cracking, or natural gases such as
methane or ethane “type” (specification, page 2, l. 25- page 3,
l. 3). Bauer teaches using a “minor bed” by replacing “two-three
feet of the usual molecular sieve desiccant with, say, activated
alumina,” thus protecting the expensive molecular sieve (col. 1,
ll. 45-49; col. 2, ll. 15-19; col. 3, l. 66-col. 4, l. 3), with the
alumina protecting the sieve material from fouling by polymers as
well as effectively removing water (col. 2, ll. 25-30; col. 4, ll.
4-9).
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