Appeal No. 2007-0196 11
Reexamination Control No. 95/000,009
A coupling agent or dispersing agent may also be added for purpose
of aiding the dispersion of the RCA in the pre-cured coating mixture.
The coupling agent may be any material that provides surfactant-like
properties and is capable of enhancing the dispersion of the RCA in
the pre-cured coating mixture, in particular, the dispersion of
inorganic particles. The coupling agent ideally forms a chemical
and/or physical bond with the pre-cured coating mixture and the
inorganic particle, which improves the adhesion of the particle to the
pre-cured coating mixture. Generally, the coupling agent is a organo-
silicon or organo-fluorine containing molecule or polymer. Preferred
organo-silicon materials are organosilanes and more preferably a
prehydrolyzed organosilane. The coupling agent may also be vinyl
phosphonic acid or mixtures of phosphonic acid with the
prehydrolyzed organosilane. The concentration of the dispersing agent
may be approximately 0.1-20%, by weight, in the pre-cured coating
mixture, and more preferably approximately 0.1-15%, by weight.
As Lord notes, Chen discloses the effects of using a dispersing agent in a
UV-cured system (Table 12, cols. 21 & 22). This is enough to reach the coupling
agent limitation in all but claim 1. Claim 1, however, specifically requires
"prehydrolyzed silane".
While Chen does not teach "prehydrolyzed silane" in so many words, Chen's
more preferred suspension agent for alumina comprises "polysiloxane copolymer"
(at 6:40-53; see also Table 12 at n.c where it is called a "dispersing agent").
According to Lord's request (at 17):
A polysiloxane copolymer is formed via hydrolysis of silanol
monomers, and falls under the terminology "prehydrolyzed silane".
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