Appeal No. 2007-1227 Page 3
Application No. 10/416,211
is maintained at its boiling point under subatmospheric pressure. Winters,
pages 6-7.
The examiner finds (Answer, page 4) that the equation on page 3 of
Winters illustrates that 2 moles of chloric acid react with one mole of hydrogen
peroxide to form 2 moles of chlorine dioxide. In addition, the examiner finds
(Answer, bridging paragraph, pages 4-5) that Winters “discloses that hydrogen
peroxide is preferably added in an amount from about 0.4 to about 0.7 moles per
mole of chlorine dioxide produced (note page 7, lines 7-9).” More specifically,
Winters provides the following balanced chemical equation for the reaction of
hydrogen peroxide with chloric acid to produce chlorine dioxide:
2HClO3 + H2O2 2ClO2 + 2H2O + O2
Winters, page 3. As can be seen from this balanced equation the ratio of
hydrogen peroxide to chlorine dioxide produced is 1:2. Thus, when the ratio of
hydrogen peroxide to chlorine dioxide produced in the reaction is 1:2 there will be
no residual hydrogen peroxide left in the reaction medium upon completion. For
clarity, note the absence of hydrogen peroxide on the right hand side of the
equation. This equation also sets the minimum amount of chloric acid in the
reaction as equal to the amount of chlorine dioxide produced.
Thus, the only remaining limitation in appellants’ claim 1 that is not yet
accounted for is a residual chlorine concentration of about 0.1 to about 0.5 g/l. In
this regard, we note that the examiner finds (Answer, page 5) that Winters
teaches that an addition of small amount of chloride ions can be
appropriate, preferably in the form of alkali metal chloride, so as to
maintain the concentration thereof in the reactor within the range
from 0.001 and up to 0.8 moles per litre (note page 7, lines 15-19).
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Last modified: September 9, 2013