Appeal No. 1997-1821
Application No. 08/460,023
OPINION
The examiner finds that Elsheikh discloses and claims a
process where 1,1,1-trifluoroethane is reacted with HCl at a
temperature of from 300-700°C. in the presence of a catalyst using
an HCl to trifluoroethane mole ratio of from 2:1 to 4:1 to produce
vinylidene fluoride (Answer, page 3). The examiner finds that
the process of Elsheikh reduces the fluorine content of 1,1,1-
trifluoroethane (from 3 to 2 fluorine atoms) utilizing conditions
which overlap those recited in the claims on appeal (Answer, page
4).
The examiner recognizes that the starting materials
(the acyclic saturated compounds) required by claim 1
on appeal differ from the starting material of Elsheikh
(1,1,1-trifluoroethane)(Answer, page 4). The examiner further
finds that it is well known in the art that dehydrofluorination
of halogenated ethane derivatives is applicable to “a wide range
of ethane derivatives.” Answer, page 5. The examiner also finds
that the starting materials of the claims on appeal are “well known
commercially available compounds” and the corresponding unsaturated
products produced by the Elsheikh process are “well known useful
compounds,” thus motivating one of ordinary skill in this art with
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