Appeal 2007-0075
Application 10/759,299
aluminoxane, as part of their catalyst system. (Answer 4 and 6). However,
the Examiner has correctly found (Answer 4 and 6) that:
[I]t is well known in the art to add an aluminoxane to a catalyst
system for polymerizing conjugated dienes, already comprising
a) a lanthanum series rare earth metal compound, b) an
organoaluminum and c) a halide compound, for the purpose of
obtaining improved activities in the catalyst system, resulting
in narrower molecular weight distribution, such as taught by
Tsujimoto et al. (See ¶ 25 in full translation of Tsujimoto et al.)
We find Tsujimoto teaches that the inclusion of methyl aluminoxane in the
catalyst system of the type described in Iketmatsu ‘103 and ‘406 improves
the catalytic activity in polymerizing conjugated dienes and produces
conjugated diene polymers having even narrower molecular weight
distribution. (See Tsujimoto, pages 14-16, with focus on the first paragraph
of page 16; see also the Appellants’ admission at pages 3 and 4 of the
Specification).
Given the above teachings, we concur with the Examiner that one of
ordinary skill in the art would have been led to employ methyl aluminoxane
in the catalyst system of Iketmatsu ‘103 and ‘406, motivated by a reasonable
expectation of successfully producing conjugated diene polymers having
narrower molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn) than those produced by
Iketmatsu ‘103 or ‘406 (without methyl aluminoxane as part of the catalyst
system). One of ordinary skill in the art would also have been led to further
react the resulting conjugated diene polymers with the claimed coupling
agent as taught by Iketmatsu ‘103 and ‘406, motivated by a reasonable
expectation of successfully improving their compatibility with rubbers and
fillers as required by both Iketmatus ‘103 and ‘406. See also the Appellants’
7
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next
Last modified: September 9, 2013