Appeal No. 2006-1864
Application No. 10/167,922
agent having a higher molecular weight than that of said low
molecular weight retarding agent but being at least 500 Dalton
and wherein said retarding agents are present in an amount
effective to reduce the level of said sulfate ions and alkaline
(earth) metal ions dissolved in said brine, thereby producing a
high purity brine.
The examiner relies upon the following references as
evidence of obviousness:
Burns 2,902,418 Sept. 1, 1959
Axelrad et al. 3,140,915 July 14, 1964
(Axelrad)
Appellants' claimed invention is directed to a process for
making a high purity brine by adding retarding agents which
reduce the level of sulfate and alkaline earth metal ions in the
brine. Appellants use a low molecular weight retarding agent
and a high molecular weight retarding agent whose molecular
weight is at least 500 Dalton and higher than the molecular
weight of the low molecular weight retarding agent. Both low
and high molecular weight retarding agents may be phosphates.
Appealed claims 1-4, 6, 7, and 11 stand rejected under
35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable over Burns in view of
Axelrad.
Appellants have not set forth an argument that is reason-
ably specific to any particular claim on appeal. Accordingly,
all the appealed claims stand or fall together with claim 1.
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