Appeal No. 20006-1116
Application No. 10/450,439
APPEALED SUBJECT MATTER
The subject matter on appeal is directed to cooling a hot
gas mixture containing (meth)acrylic acid. See the
Specification, page 1. Further details of the appealed subject
matter are recited in representative claim 1 which is reproduced
below:
1. A process for cooling a hot gas mixture which
comprises (meth) acrylic acid comprising:
cooling by means of a cooling liquid in a spray cooler,
wherein at least one impingement atomizer is used for
atomizing the cooling liquid in the spray cooler.
The term “impingement atomizer” recited in claim 1 is used to
define atomization that “is effected by at least one stream of
the cooling liquid (quenching liquid) impinging either on at
least a second stream of the cooling liquid and/or on an
impingement plate.” See the Specification, page 4. This
impingement atomizer is said to overcome the clogging problem
associated with “the atomizer nozzles [such as single-fluid
nozzles] used in the prior art for atomization...” See the
Specification, page 3. The clogging problem of the single-fluid
nozzles is attributed in part to the formation of polymers (via
free radical polymerization) which “are generally sticky and
easily lead to blockage of the spray nozzles.” Id.
2
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