Appeal No 2007-0310
Application No 10/260,498
alkaline catalyst in which the polyether polyol “reaction mixture is treated
with a hydroxy-carboxylic acid adapted to neutralize the alkaline catalyst to
provide a soluble neutralized catalyst and produce a clear reaction mixture
without otherwise having removed the alkaline catalyst from the reaction
mixture” (id. at col. 2, ll. 5-15). Doerge states that, after preparation of the
polyether polyol, the reaction mixture usually contains about 0.01 to 1
percent by weight alkaline catalyst based on the weight of the polyether
polyol (id. at col. 2, ll. 52-56). Doerge also states that polyether polyols that
contain these soluble salts “can be satisfactorily used in modern
polyurethane processing equipment” (id. at col. 1, ll. 45-47).
Nagata describes preparing a polyether polyol in the presence of an
alkaline catalyst and subsequently neutralizing the product with a surfactant
having an -SO3H or -OSO3H group, such as dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid
(Nagata 2, 8). In this method, the catalyst is neutralized but not removed
and instead dissolves in the polyether polyol (id. at 3). As such, a polyether
polyol suited for producing polyurethane foam can be made without a
troublesome catalyst removal operation (id. at 7).
We agree with the examiner that one of ordinary skill in the art would
have been motivated by the teachings in Doerge or Nagata to neutralize the
basic catalyst in the method of Herold using an acid that would not react
with the basic catalyst to form a precipitate, such as Doerge’s hydroxy
carboxylic acid or Nagata’s dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid. Therefore, we
agree that the cited references would have suggested the method of claim 10
to those of ordinary skill in the art.
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