Appeal 2007-0173
Application 10/438,024
reacting said chlorine dioxide with an aqueous solution of alkali
metal hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide in a second reaction zone
while a subatmospheric pressure is applied to said second reaction
zone,
said subatmospheric pressure being provided by a liquid
eductor to which said aqueous solution of alkali metal hydroxide and
hydrogen peroxide is fed to a liquid inlet while said chlorine dioxide
is fed to a gaseous inlet, whereby said liquid eductor constitutes said
second reaction zone, and
recovering an aqueous solution of alkali metal chlorite having
an improved purity from said second reaction zone.
The Examiner relies upon the following references as evidence of
obviousness:
Fuller US 3,816,077 Jun. 11, 1974
Mason US 5,639,559 A Jun. 17, 1997
Dick US 6,251,357 B1 Jun. 26, 2001
Appellants’ claimed invention is directed to a method of making an
alkaline metal chlorite comprising generating chlorine dioxide by reducing
chlorate ions with methanol in a first reaction zone, and then reacting the
produced chlorine dioxide with an aqueous solution of alkali metal
hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide in a second reaction zone under a
subatmospheric pressure. A liquid eductor provides the subatmospheric
pressure and constitutes the second reaction zone. According to Appellants,
“[t]he present invention is directed towards the manufacture of high purity
alkaline metal chlorite, preferably sodium chlorite, using a simple, less
capital intensive process than described in the prior art, without any
necessity for purification of the final product” (Br. 4 ¶ 2).
Appealed claims 1-4 and 7-9 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as
being unpatentable over Dick in view of Fuller and/or Mason.
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