Appeal 2006-2523
Application 10/206,496
Claim 1 illustrates Appellants’ invention of a method for the
polymerization of metallic precursors in solution to form contiguous metal
oxides films on substrate particles, and is representative of the claims on
appeal:
1. A method for the polymerization of metallic precursors in solution
to form dense contiguous metal oxide films on substrate particles comprising
the steps of:
providing a reaction solution comprising ethanol, phosphates, and
metallic precursors;
adding metal substrate particles that are suspended in the reaction
solution;
adding alcohols having three to seven carbon atoms to the reaction
solution to raise the boiling point of the solution above the boiling point of
ethanol, until the total alcohol content in the solution comprises up to about
75% of the reaction solution by weight;
increasing the temperature of the reaction solution to a temperature
below the boiling point of the reaction solution and above the boiling point
of ethanol;
adding water to the reaction solution, at a rate sufficient to initiate a
polymerization reaction to polymerize the metallic precursors on the
surfaces of the suspended metal substrate particles while avoiding the
formation of precipitates in the solution and of a gel, to deposit a contiguous
metal oxide layer on surfaces of the suspended substrate particles; and
continuing to add water at a constant rate while sustaining the
temperature of the reaction of the reaction solution at a temperature above
the boiling point of ethanol and below the boiling point of the reaction
solution to increase the polymerization rate of the reaction until the
polymerization of the metallic precursors is complete, thereby increasing the
rate at which metal oxide coating is deposited on the surfaces of the metal
particles.
2
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